“Being leader means that we have a responsibility towards populations (consumers, local communities, employees) and the environment. Nestlé Waters is conscious of the environmental impacts of our business; this is why a large part of our R&D has always focused on water resource protection and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Our leadership is the result of the pooling of expertise and the everyday hard work of the women and men passionate about bottled water, which is a fascinating product.”

John J. Harris
Executive Vice President
Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Waters

Nestlé Waters is based in Paris, France and is the world’s largest bottled water company, with 72 brands, sold in 130 countries, and a 19 percent* world market share in bottled water.

Nestlé Waters is the bottled water group of Nestlé S.A., headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlé S.A. ranks as the leading worldwide food and beverage company, with brands known and respected in virtually every corner of the world. The famous Nestlé logo, derived from the coat of arms of the Nestlé family (which translates to “little nest”), depicts a mother bird perched on a nest, feeding her young. The logo is a symbol, not only of the Nestlé commitment to the pursuit of nutritional excellence, but also its dedication to nurturing the natural world in which we live.

*estimated value

Nestlé Waters Key Dates

1843: Henri Nestlé, a young assistant pharmacist in Vevey, Switzerland, sets up his first lemonade, mineral water and seltzer water factory, thus becoming one of the first producers of ready-to-serve drinks on the Swiss market. An economic crisis in the late 1840s forces him to close his “water factory.” In 1867, Henri Nestlé proves himself to be a genuine visionary in food and nutrition by creating the first baby-milk cereal, bringing fame to his company, which still bears his name. He has no idea what the future in the bottled water market holds for the company!

1969: Nestlé S.A. returns to bottled water, acquiring a 30 percent stake in the Société Générale des Eaux Minérales de Vittel, in France.

1987: Nestlé S.A. takes a majority stake in Vittel.

1992: The Source Perrier S.A. Group is acquired. Nestlé becomes the leading player in the world bottled water market, under the name Nestlé Sources International (NSI)

1996: NSI changes its name to accelerate its international development and becomes Perrier Vittel S.A.

1998:  The company acquires Italy’s leading bottled water producer, S.Pellegrino, and  launches the first multiple-source bottled water under the Nestlé brand: Nestlé^® Pure Life^®

2000: Nestlé^® Aquarel^®, pan-European spring water, is launched simultaneously in six markets.  

2002: Perrier Vittel changes its name to Nestlé Waters.

2003: Nestlé Waters celebrates its 10th anniversary and acquires the Powwow Group: the European HOD leader.