Lever Brothers

Lever House, New York City

The British manufacturer Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever. Lever Brothers was one of several British companies that took a caring, almost paternal interest in the welfare of its employees. This was a major feature of the company's operations right from the start; the town of Port Sunlight on the Wirral in north-west England grew up around the early soap factory and part of the town, called 'The Village', was built by Lever Brothers to accommodate their staff.

The company grew and operated until 1930 when it merged with a Dutch company Margarine Unie to form Unilever, the first modern multinational company. The Lever Brothers name was kept for a time as an imprint, as well as the name of the US subsidiary, Lever Brothers Company.