Nestle contemplates sale of US confectionary business

Nestle is appraising options for its confectionary side of the business, and company leaders are open to an acquisition or merger, so long as the conditions make sense.

        The company is the manufacturer responsible for iconic brands such as Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and 100 Grand, in addition to non-chocolate brands such as SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy and Nerds.

        The review includes the US market, exclusively, and Nestle anticipates completing the review by the end of 2017.

        If Nestle agreed to a sale, terms would not include the company’s token Toll House brand. Instead, Toll House would continue to expand in the US. Nestle plans to carry on its presence in the pet care, bottled water, frozen meals, infant food and ice cream markets.

        The US is Nestle’s largest market. In 2016, Nestle saw sales of $27.4 billion across all of its brands. The confectionary business encompasses roughly 3 percent of US sales, while the remaining 97 percent is represented in US households under the brand names Purina, Nestle Pure Life, Coffee-mate, Gerber and Stouffer’s.