Lornamead acquires leading bar soap brands
Buys Wright’s and Cidal and gains Simple license following Alberto Culver acquisition
UK manufacturer The Lornamead Group has acquired the bar soap brands Wright’s and Cidal and has entered into a perpetual license of Simple bar soaps from Unilever in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. The agreements follow the UK office of Fair Trading’s concerns relating to Unilever’s acquisition of Alberto Culver in the bar soaps category in the UK.
“This agreement is a strategic move for us in a key category where we already have a strong presence and a proven track record of driving market share,” commented Lornamead chief executive Mike Jatania. “From a European perspective, Lornamead is already a major player in this category and within America our Yardley brands grow at an impressive rate. By bringing these brands into our portfolio we can apply our specialist knowledge and success in branded bar soaps in order to continue to drive market share in this category. In addition to this latest agreement we continue to actively look for other brand acquisitions.”
Wright’s soap is best known for its antiseptic properties and traditional coal tar fragrance, while Cidal specialises in natural, antibacterial bar soap.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
