Expansion
In the aftermath of the Russian financial crisis in 1998–1999, the many foreign producers abandoned the Russian ice cream market, allowing Inmarko to gain market share. The company expanded its range of ice cream products and began to promote itself in Central Russia. Due to the lack of production capacities and the complexity of delivery in this part of the country, the company ordered from other producers, including competitors.
In 2002, Inmarko created a network of official distributors in Siberia, the Urals, and Central Russia. At this time number of kiosks in Novosibirsk and Omsk had reached 330. In the same year, the company sold 27,145 tons of ice cream domestically, making it a leader in the Russian market.
In 2003, Inmarko established a management company called "Business Development" to attract investors, and the EBRD Norum Fund subsequently acquired a controlling stake in the company for $8 million.
In 2004, Inmarko once again expanded its presence in the Central regions of Russia. More than 1,500 freezer chests were placed at locations in Moscow during that year.
In 2005, Inmarko acquired "Fink," a former distributor of the ice cream brand "Algida" to boost sales in the Central regions. This acquisition added 600 locations in Inmarko's sales network. However, the company faced challenges in the Moscow, which its managers believed to be a comparatively undeveloped ice cream consumer market.
In the mid-2000s, Inmarko sold ₽1 billion in company bonds to raise funds for the repayment of bank loans and for the funding of new investment programs. During this time, the company also began its first television advertising campaign.
By the end of 2005, Inmarko had about 120 product offerings.
In 2006, Inmarko diversified its products by entering the frozen food market with its brand "Have an Idea." Vegetables and berries under this brand were produced under contract by the Polish plant Oerlemans Foods Siemiatycze. The expansion was not hugely successful, and Inmarko has stated that it does not intend to expand its frozen product sales, considering the business to be "unstable and unpromising."
In 2007, the company's revenue was $170 million. That year, the company significantly strengthened its position in the European Russian market after acquiring the JSC "Tula" company. Inmarko undertook a major renovation of the Tula factory, investing $53 million in the project to attain an estimated capacity of 45 thousand tons.
At its height, the company had branches in the cities of Novosibirsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo, Barnaul, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Moscow and Tula.
In 2008, Unilever officially announced the acquisition of Inmarko. As a result of this agreement, Unilever became the sole owner of the company.[4] On April 4, 2012, the company ceased to exist as a separate legal entity after reorganization.
The Inmarko brand is still used in Russia. According to the company Business Analytics, Inmarko has an 11.8% market share in Russia's 16 largest cities.
