In July, CosmeticsDesign.com reported on two KDC/ONE acquisitions. At the start of the month, KDC/ONE announced buying Alkos Group, a business based in France comprising three entities: INTER Cosmétiques, SAGAL Cosmétiques, and ALKOS Cosmétiques. And later in July, the company acquired Swallowfield’s beauty manufacturing business.
And it’s worth noting again that “KDC/ONE is itself owned by Cornell Capital and has been since 2018 when the private investment firm (founded by former Goldman Sach’s executive Henry Cornell) took over in a leveraged buyout,” as CosmeticsDesign.com mentioned in an earlier KDC\ONE acquisition article.
A West Coast innovation hub for KDC\ONE
Benchmark Cosmetics Laboratories will function as the company’s West Coast innovation hub, according to a media release announcing the deal.
As KDC\ONE CEO Nicholas Whitley says, the newly acquired beauty manufacturing facility will enhance the company’s “ability to serve the innovation, research, development and testing needs of our clients.”
And he goes on to say that, “We share with Benchmark a strong commitment to bringing leading edge innovation to our brand partners and this combination will further increase our creative potential.”
Combining capabilities and reach
Susan Goldsberry founded Benchmark Cosmetic Laboratories in 2007 and continues to lead the company today. Following the KDC\ONE acquisition, Goldsberry will remain with the business as president. Under her leadership, Benchmark has been a well-regarded R&D partner for cosmetics and personal care brands.
“Among the many ground-breaking formulas,” she and her team have created over the years, “are an over-SPF 100 sunscreen, high-hold hair styling clays, and imperfection-blurring technology for anti-aging skin care,” according to the Benchmark site.
The KDC\ONE media release highlights the company’s expertise in sun care, hair care, and skin care and points out that “Benchmark partners with leading ingredient suppliers to identify and test new materials ahead of the market” –surely reasons the company was an acquisition target for KDC\ONE.
Commenting on the acquisition, Goldsberry tells the press “I am thrilled to be joining KDC/ONE, which has a proven track record of innovation and delivering value added services to brands across the globe. We are excited that the Benchmark team will now have access to world-class resources and a broader beauty, health and personal care platform to leverage our innovation capabilities.”
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.