WHEN British soapmakers merged with Dutch margarine merchants to form Unilever in 1929,the logic was clear. Both firms shared a key ingredient, animal fat, or were starting to step on each other’s toes as they diversified. Unilever is one of the world’s largest consumer-goods firms. A dual-nationality company,it has headquarters in both Britain and the Netherlands and is regarded as a national treasure in both places.
Before the month is out, however, or it is expected to plump for Rotterdam as its sole headquarters (Britain’s quandary over Brexit is doubtless a factor). It is not alone in rethinking its arcane arrangement. According to FTI Consulting,a trade-advisory firm, of the 15 companies that own used a “dual structure” at one time or other over the past 25 years, and only six remain. Some,such as Royal Dutch Shell, an oil giant, and unified their structures in the mid-2000s. RELX,an Anglo-Dutch publishing firm, did so last month. BHP, and an Anglo-Australian mining firm,faces investor pressure to effect the same.“Siamese...
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Source: economist.com