DANONE 2003 THE YEAR IN REVIEW CHINA, HOD, PROBIOTICS… new frontiers Interview with Franck Riboud: ” The fastest moving food company” The world we live in Social responsibility DANONE2003 Contents Interview with 2 Zigzag Franck Riboud 4 Interview 10 In focus 4 Corporate governance at DANONE 16 Features 16 18 China 20 HOD Groupe Danone— 22 North Africa and the Middle East new frontiers 24 Probiotics 26 Business lines 28 Overview 30 Fresh Dairy Products 36 Beverages Our operations 42 Biscuits and Cereal Products in Asia-Pacifi c 48 Asia-Pacifi c 54 The big picture 56 DANONE and social responsibility 58 DANONE and water 48 60 DANONE and health 62 DANONE and globalization 64 Management The world 69 Key fi gures we live in 70 Groupe DANONE worldwide 72 Groupe DANONE performance 54 76 Groupe DANONE and shareholders THE YEAR IN REVIEW • 1 12 KEY EVENTS IN 2003 12 KEY EVENTS IN 2003 BSN-Gervais Third DANONE Tapping new DANONE merger International potential 30 years on Nutrition Prize in Egypt DECEMBER 2003 The 1973 merger NOVEMBER 2003 The DANONE OCTOBER 2003 Alongside local of BSN and Gervais DANONE, Withdrawal International Prize for Nutrition partner Rachid, DANONE opens initiated under the leadership of from glass is awarded to Dr. Ricardo its first biscuit factory in Egypt. Antoine Riboud (right) and Daniel Brassani from Guatemala’s Located at Borg El Arab, the Carasso, was built on shared values, completed Universidad del Valle in new site aims to make the JUNE 2003 DANONE sells its 44% interest complementary know-how and recognition of over 40 years’ most of the Egyptian market’s in BSN Glasspack, the company resulting common goals. At the time, the two research into malnutrition in his promise with an initial offering from the merger of the glass container businesses were mainly domestic, country. Malnutrition is a burning of five products adapted to operations of DANONE and Gerresheimer. but the synergies generated by Home and issue for the international local demand sold under the DANONE no longer has any interest the tie-up have demonstrated their community, and currently affects LU Tiger and Prince brands. Office Deliveries in glass, its original business. value over the past 30 years. And expansion in over 800 million people. The BSN—renamed DANONE in 1994—is DANONE Prize, one of the most now present in 120 countries. Europe… prestigious in the field of JULY 2003 DANONE and Eden nutrition sciences, includes an Springs announce plans to award of €120,000 to support set up a joint venture bringing winners’ research. together all their Home and Office Delivery (HOD) business in Europe to create a new market DANONE, DANONE leader. Boasting top positions in number-one Children’s Day 11 countries with special promise, shareholder of DECEMBER 2003 As in 2002, the new business was launched Yakult in Japan DANONE employees in over in September and already holds APRIL 2003 DANONE raises its 30 countries take the initiative around 20% of the total European interest in Japan’s Yakult to 20%. Bolstering to help children suffering from market. In less than ten years, Yakult has played a pioneering role Groupe presence poverty, illness, disabilities or DANONE has moved up to the in the development of probiotics, in Turkey… mistreatment. The priority is number-one place worldwide in a field where it is now number one DECEMBER 2003 DANONE acquires Nestlé’s to provide lasting support for this high growth segment. worldwide. With this unopposed dairy business in Turkey, doubling its sales projects selected by employees move, DANONE becomes the on a market where dairy products are themselves. … the new leader largest shareholder of a leader in very much in demand. At the same time, for HOD in the US dairy products for the Asia-Pacific DANONE buys out the interests of Turkish region. Present in over group Sabanci in the Danone SA joint Children SEPTEMBER 2003 DANONE and 20 countries, Yakult reported venture to take full control of … and the of the world Suntory Limited agree to set up sales of around €1.8 bn in 2003. operations. SEPTEMBER 2003 South Africa a joint venture bringing together US, too comes out on top in the fourth their home and office delivery DECEMBER 2003 DANONE raises its interest annual DANONE Nations Cup, businesses, and by the same in Stonyfield Farm, the US leader for natural a soccer tournament for young token consolidating geographical and organic dairy products, to 80%. DANONE players aged 10 to 11. This coverage. first took an interest of 40% in the company international competition is In November this agreement leads New corporate in 2001, and the new acquisition reflects a showcase for fundamental to the creation of DS Waters LP. headquarters the success of cooperation between DANONE values that include Sales of $800 million place the new OCTOBER 2003 DANONE the businesses. openness, enthusiasm and company first in the US for home management moves into proximity. Two and a half million and office deliveries. modern new premises featuring children from 32 countries took spacious open areas that favor part, sharing their passion for the contacts among staff. The building is located in the heart game. Presided over by the Cup’s of Paris, close to the Opera and sponsor, soccer great Zinedine major department stores. Zidane, the final in Paris drew a crowd of 25,000 including 120 journalists. THE YEAR IN REVIEW • 3 INTERVIEW INTERVIEW Franck Riboud, 48, has been Chairman and CEO of Groupe DANONE since May 1996. Franck Riboud : “Our three businesses hold enormous potential” With sales reaching new records, D For a start, how would you sum up business in 2003? gains in market share, a steady stream FRANCK RIBOUD: It was a very good year for DANONE, of new products and partnerships and with organic growth reaching 7.2%—our highest in ten years. With that, we posted the strongest growth in our profit margins on the rise, 2003 was sector for the fifth year in a row, which I think shows the effectiveness of our business model over time. Since 1997, right on track. And 2004 is set to bring organic growth has consistently come in it at between more of the same. 5 and 7%, and we have raised operating margin by 40 to 50 basis points on average each year(1). And over the INTERVIEW WITH FRANCK RIBOUD past three years, we have nearly doubled operating PHOTO GRÉGOIRE KORGANOW – MÉTIS/IMAGES cash flow. That is definitely no accident. It rewards the (1) or 0.4 to 0.5 point (100 basis points: 1 percentage point). DANONE 2003 • 4 THE YEAR IN REVIEW • 5 INTERVIEW INTERVIEW strategy we adopted back In this, we can count on two key strengths. First, DANONE’s product innovation. Examples include our energy drink D Over the past year, you made new investments in Home Executive Committee in 1996, which means three proven and unrivalled capacity to bring out a steady flow Mizone, an enormous success in China where it is sold and Office Deliveries the safe of water in jugs. What is Franck Riboud things: of attractive new products. And, second, our ability to as Maidong, and flavored waters in general, which are your approach to this market? Chairman and Chief Executive deploy and adapt winning concepts in the 40 countries benefiting from their position as healthy alternative to n a focus on three businesses— Officer we now operate in. Today, our top performance in dairy sodas and showing very firm growth. Levite, a range of F R: The market for home and office deliveries is the water, fresh dairy products Bernard Hours (1) products is founded on nine basic product concepts, all flavored waters that is contributing to strong growth in fastest-growing segment of the packaged water market. and biscuits—benefiting from Executive Vice-President of them launched or totally revamped over the past ten Mexico, is an excellent example. We have already won world leadership in the field where Fresh Dairy Products an association with nutrition our presence was negligible just five years ago. In keeping years. These already account for 50% of the business Franck Mougin (2) and health to show some of with our usual strategy, we have built strong positions line’s sales, and they are continuing to show sales growth D What about the US? Executive Vice-President the strongest growth in the both on today’s big markets and on those that will drive Human Resources averaging over 15% a year. Fresh dairy products also have food industry. F R: Our water operations there were not big enough growth in the future. So we naturally operate in the US Georges Casala (3) a special advantage that is not often mentioned—since and we had no control over distribution. So we have n a more balanced geographical presence, with greater and Mexico, the world’s two largest markets, and in Executive Vice-President they only keep for a period of 28 days at the most, there teamed up with Coca-Cola on its home turf to continue Biscuits and Cereal Products involvement than our competitors in high-growth emerging Europe, where the sector is expanding rapidly. are no inventories. Which means that they represent one the development of our brands. The price war now raging markets, particularly in China and other parts of Asia. Jean-René Buisson (4) of the only major segments of the food industry with a and rapid rises in sales of Dannon water prove we were But we have also staked out positions in China and General Secretary Indonesia, where big populations and rapidly increasing n local leadership on nearly all the national markets structurally negative working capital requirement.