Danone

The acquisitions initially took the shape of vertical integration, with BSN acquiring Alsatian brewer [[Kronenbourg Brewery|Kronenbourg]] and [[Evian]] mineral water who were the glassmaker’s largest customers. This move provided content with which to fill the factory’s bottles.<ref name=”hist1″>{{cite web|url=http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/jump/DanoneCorporateIntl.Company.History.1966_1980 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040910034427/http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/jump/DanoneCorporateIntl.Company.History.1966_1980 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 September 2004 |publisher=Danone Group |title=History of Success: from bottles to beverages |access-date=11 April 2007 }}</ref> In 1973, the company merged with Gervais Danone and began to expand internationally, including a rebranding of the Dannon yogurt brand in the U.S. and a successful ad campaign, [[In Soviet Georgia]]. In 1979, the company abandoned glassmaking by disposing of Verreries Boussois. In 1987, Gervais Danone acquired European biscuit manufacturer Général Biscuit, owners of the [[LU (biscuits)|LU brand]], and, in 1989, it bought out the European biscuit operations of [[Nabisco]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4h3CgHJgFiWvvqRqCLGpugijnCBoLQifW99X4_83FT9AP2C3NDQiHJHRQC2okxl/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzBfTjY! |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515231017/http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/%21ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4h3CgHJgFiWvvqRqCLGpugijnCBoLQifW99X4_83FT9AP2C3NDQiHJHRQC2okxl/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzBfTjY%21 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 May 2006 |publisher=Danone Group |title=Setting out to conquer Europe |access-date=11 April 2007}}</ref> The operation included UK manufacturers [[Huntley and Palmers]], [[Peek Frean]], and [[Jacob’s]], which had previously marged to form Associated Biscuits Ltd.<ref name=brief>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionsgateway.org.uk/collections/7/hp%20timeline.pdf|title=Biscuit Time: a brief history of Huntley and Palmers}}</ref><ref>[http://www.huntleyandpalmers.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=huntley&f=generic_sitetext.htm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&cms_con_core_subtype%3Acms_con_text_what=about_us&%3Acms_sys_group=%22huntley%22 About H&P Collection]</ref>

The acquisitions initially took the shape of vertical integration, with BSN acquiring Alsatian brewer [[Kronenbourg Brewery|Kronenbourg]] and [[Evian]] mineral water who were the glassmaker’s largest customers. This move provided content with which to fill the factory’s bottles.<ref name=”hist1″>{{cite web|url=http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/jump/DanoneCorporateIntl.Company.History.1966_1980 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040910034427/http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/jump/DanoneCorporateIntl.Company.History.1966_1980 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 September 2004 |publisher=Danone Group |title=History of Success: from bottles to beverages |access-date=11 April 2007 }}</ref> In 1973, the company merged with Gervais Danone and began to expand internationally, including a rebranding of the Dannon yogurt brand in the U.S. and a successful ad campaign, [[In Soviet Georgia]]. In 1979, the company abandoned glassmaking by disposing of Verreries Boussois. In 1987, Gervais Danone acquired European biscuit manufacturer Général Biscuit, owners of the [[LU (biscuits)|LU brand]], and, in 1989, it bought out the European biscuit operations of [[Nabisco]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4h3CgHJgFiWvvqRqCLGpugijnCBoLQifW99X4_83FT9AP2C3NDQiHJHRQC2okxl/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzBfTjY! |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515231017/http://www.danone.com/wps/portal/%21ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4h3CgHJgFiWvvqRqCLGpugijnCBoLQifW99X4_83FT9AP2C3NDQiHJHRQC2okxl/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzBfTjY%21 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 May 2006 |publisher=Danone Group |title=Setting out to conquer Europe |access-date=11 April 2007}}</ref> The operation included UK manufacturers [[Huntley and Palmers]], [[Peek Frean]], and [[Jacob’s]], which had previously marged to form Associated Biscuits Ltd.<ref name=brief>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionsgateway.org.uk/collections/7/hp%20timeline.pdf|title=Biscuit Time: a brief history of Huntley and Palmers}}</ref><ref>[http://www.huntleyandpalmers.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=huntley&f=generic_sitetext.htm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&cms_con_core_subtype%3Acms_con_text_what=about_us&%3Acms_sys_group=%22huntley%22 About H&P Collection]</ref>

In 1994, BSN changed its name to Groupe Danone, adopting the name of the group’s best-known international brand. Franck Riboud succeeded his father, Antoine, as the company’s chairman and chief executive officer in 1996 when Riboud senior retired. Under Riboud junior, the company continued to pursue its focus on three product groups (dairy, beverages, and cereals) and divested itself of several activities which had become non-core including [[Amora (mustard)|Amora]], [[Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company|Liebig]], and [[Maille (company)|Maille]] brands.

In 1994, BSN changed its name to Groupe Danone, adopting the name of the group’s best-known international brand. Franck Riboud succeeded his father, Antoine, as the company’s chairman and chief executive officer in 1996 when Riboud senior retired. Under Riboud junior, the company continued to pursue its focus on three product groups (dairy, beverages, and cereals) and divested itself of several activities which had become non-core including [[Amora (mustard)|Amora]], [[Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company|Liebig]], and [[Maille (company)|Maille]] brands.{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}}

[[File:Danone Saclay.JPG|thumb|left|The research center of Danone in the [[business cluster]] of [[Paris-Saclay]], [[France]], photographed in 2014]]

[[File:Danone Saclay.JPG|thumb|left|The research center of Danone in the [[business cluster]] of [[Paris-Saclay]], [[France]], photographed in 2014]]