Vertical union refers to the combining of businesses within the same industry but different stages of production. It enables companies to access the entire supply chain, from raw materials to finished products. Synonyms for vertical union include vertical integration, vertical consolidation, vertical growth, and vertical merger. Vertical integration and vertical consolidation are often used interchangeably to describe the combination of different levels of the supply chain. Vertical merger and vertical growth are similar but differ in scale. Vertical merger refers to the combination of two businesses of different levels, while vertical growth describes the expansion of a business into different stages of production.