Practice Listening Business English Exercises for A2 – Company facts

1 locks   2 security systems   3 Eastern Company

4 Swedish   5 43   6 5   7 70   8 150   9 Besam

Audioscript

A   Which company do you work for?

B   I work for Assa Abloy.

A   I don’t think I know the name. What does the company do?

B   We make locks and security systems. I’m sure you know some of our brands. Yale locks … or Chubb … or Vachette, for example.

A   No, I’m afraid I don’t. Who are your main competitors?

B   The Eastern Company …? Ingersoll-Rand …? Master Lock?

A   Well, I think you can see now that I know nothing about the security business. Where’s the company based?

B   It’s a Swedish group.

A   Oh, OK. Is it a very big group?

B   Yes, it is. We have about 43,000 employees.

A   That is big.

B   And we have annual sales of more than €5 billion.

A   So are you mainly in the European market?

B   No, we operate in over 70 different countries worldwide. There are 150 different companies in the group.

A   And which part of the company do you work for?

B   Besam. B-E-S-A-M. It’s a subsidiary of the main company. We specialize in automatic door mechanisms. Who do you work for?

A   Microsoft.

B   And what does your company do?

A   We make … ah, that’s a joke, right?

1

Their first product was baby milk; Nestlé still produces baby products today; it has a huge number of factories; Nestlé provides a lot of training, etc.

2

1   over 150 years old

2   baby products, food and drink products, chocolate and confectionery, bottled water, breakfast cereals, ice cream

3   90 billion Swiss francs

4   Vevey in Switzerland

5   447

6   over 300,000

7   Yes, it is (80% of employees do training courses).

8   Yes, it does (it gives money and other help).

9   Yes, it is (it uses less water, energy and packaging).

Audioscript

The Nestlé Company is over 150 years old. It was created in 1866 by Henri Nestlé, and the first Nestlé product was baby milk. The company still produces baby products today, but this is just one in a wide range of food and drink products, including chocolate and confectionery, bottled water, breakfast cereals and ice cream. It’s a very successful company with an annual revenue of around 90 billion Swiss francs.

Nestlé is a truly global company. Its head office is in Vevey in Switzerland, but it manufactures in 447 factories around the world and sells on all five continents. It has over 300,000 employees. We talk to some of them today.

Nestlé believes that it is important to invest in its employees. Training is an important part of its philosophy. Last year, 80% of employees did training courses. We hear from a Nestlé employee who started on the production line and is now a senior manager. Nestlé also invests in people outside the company, giving money and help to local communities. The company offers education in nutrition, health programmes and gives free food. We talk to a health expert on how Nestlé products can improve your health. Finally, we look at Nestlé’s role as a ‘green’ company. It protects the environment by using less water, less energy and less packaging. A supplier tells us how Nestlé helps him to conserve water in his agricultural business.

All this, and more, in Nestlé in Focus, right after the break.

1

Number of countries: 165

Number of factories: 89

Number of employees: 305,000

Annual sales: $17.8 billion

2

1   say that again

2   speak, more slowly

3   how many

4   what are, again

Audioscript

A   Our company operates in 165 different countries and it has 89 factories on all five continents.

B   Sorry, can you say that again?

A   Yes, sure. We’re in 165 countries and we have 89 factories …

B   Sorry, can you speak a bit more slowly? So that’s 89 factories …

A   In 165 countries. That’s one-six-five.

B   So you’re everywhere in the world.

A   Yeah, that’s right – on all five continents. And we have 305,000 employees and annual sales last year of 17.8 billion dollars.

B   Sorry, how many employees do you have?

A   Three hundred and five thousand. Three-zero-five.

B   And what are your annual sales again?

A   Seventeen point eight billion dollars.

B   Nearly 18 billion. OK.

1

1   Argentinian

2   (self-employed) journalist

3   She’s here to research an article (on Internet service providers).

2

1 Is   2 introduce   3 too, from   4 who   5 do

6 why   7 you, him   8 again   9 This

3

2 d   3 h   4 f   5 a   6 e   7 g   8 b

Audioscript

Gianluca   Excuse me. Is this seat free?

Carmen   Yes, it is. Go ahead.

Gianluca   Thanks very much. Can I introduce myself? I’m Gianluca Donatelli.

Carmen   Nice to meet you. I’m Carmen Sanchez.

Gianluca   Nice to meet you too, Carmen. Where are you from?

Carmen   I’m from Argentina. But I live and work in Europe.

Gianluca   And who do you work for?

Carmen   I don’t work for a company. I’m self-employed.

Gianluca   Oh, really? And what do you do?

Carmen   I’m a journalist. I write articles for consumer magazines.

Gianluca   So why are you at this conference?

Carmen   I’m here to research an article on Internet service providers.

Gianluca   That’s interesting. A friend of mine works for an Italian service provider. Can I introduce you to him?

Carmen   Yes, of course. That would be nice.

Gianluca   Roberto. Can you come here a minute? This is … sorry, what’s your name again?

Carmen   Carmen. Carmen Sanchez.

Gianluca   Roberto. This is Carmen. She’s writing an article on Internet service providers.