Unilever Co.

Many small, organic food companies start with a homegrown story that appeals to its consumer base, however, major consumer goods powerhouses have been recently vacuuming up these niche players. Giants like Coke, General Mills and Kellogg have recently expanded their organic portfolios through acquisition with rumors of more to come. With the risk of being called a sell out, is teaming up with bigger companies better for growth, or is it a death sentence for these smaller players?

The subject might not be as hot as S&OP or as intriguing as Big Data, but freight optimization is one of the highest-value opportunities facing consumer goods companies these days.

A couple of months ago, The Economist reported that the African economy, rather than being damaged by last years collapse in commodity prices, was actually standing its ground even despite its historical dependency on the extractive industry.

Unilever has cut lead times for prototype parts by 40 percent since introducing Stratasys' PolyJet 3D printing technology into its manufacturing process.

P&G noted that the sale of both brands is consistent with its strategy to focus on its core brands that will create a faster growing, more profitable P&G that is far simpler to operate.

From acquisitions and divestitures to name changes and new leadership appointments, 2013 was full of memorable moments. This annual list of the top publicly traded consumer goods companies provides a snapshot of organizations that succeeded in upping their growth games.

The acquisition gives Talenti an unprecedented opportunity to grow and expand its footprint and reach more consumers.

As Canada's e-commerce landscape began to flourish, Unilever realized the inefficiencies connected to its lack of a product information management hub. With no time to waste, Unilever enlisted the services of Hubba, the B2B social network that also acts as a product information-sharing platform to simplify digital asset management.