Feb 4, 2008 10:28 AM

In a move to bolster its position as the world’s leading ice cream company, Unilever Plc plans to purchase Inmarko, a top Russian ice cream company, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction will also enhance Unilever’s competitive position in Russia, according to the consumer products firm.

Inmarko, formed in 1991 and based in Novosibirsk, tallied revenue in 2007 of about 115 million euros ($170.9 million). With more than 4,500 employees, the company has a supply chain network consisting of three plants in Novosibirsk, Tula, and Omsk. Inmarko owns 15 brands and offers more than 100 types of products. Depending on regulatory approvals, this transaction is expected to be concluded in the first half of 2008.

Unilever was established in 1930 with the merger of Netherlands-based Margarine Uni and United Kingdom-based Lever Brothers.