(Bloomberg) -- Unilever Plc is moving its ice cream unit to the heart of Amsterdam’s city center from Rotterdam, ahead of a potential sale or listing of the business.
About 450 employees are expected to move into the new office in the touristy flower market area in Reguliersdwarsstraat in the first quarter of next year, a spokesperson said. That street is home to many touristy shops and restaurants, and is one of Amsterdam’s most popular routes. The ice cream unit, along with the rest of Unilever’s nutrition business, is currently based in Rotterdam.
Earlier this year, Unilever announced plans to separate the underperforming ice cream unit to focus on faster growing products like beauty that don’t require freezing. The company said it will consider multiple options for a standalone ice cream business, with the most likely separation route being creating a newly-listed entity.
That has since kicked off a battle on whether the ice cream business, which reported revenue of €7.9 billion ($8.5 billion) last year, will be listed in Amsterdam or in London, where Unilever is headquartered.
The company has begun initial discussions with buyout firms about a possible sale of the maker of Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum ice cream which could be worth as much as £15 billion ($19.5 billion), people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg in July.
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