10.05.10
The cult-favorite illustrations and mischievous characters of Tokidoki entered the beauty world with a rich and vibrant makeup collection available exclusively at Sephora. HCT CA collaborated with Sephora to create an entire range of eye-catching, custom-designed packaging and formulas to reflect the“criminally cute” world of Tokidoki, according to the company.
Nick Gardner, executive vice president of sales at HCT CA, commented, “Working on the development of this line was incredibly rewarding for all of us at HCT. Sephora and Tokidoki’s incredibly strong graphics and brand ideas coupled with such a wide array of products in the line gave all of the different suppliers within the HCT group a chance to really shine creatively.”
The complete Tokidoki range features cosmetics for the lips, eyes and face, together with beauty tools.
P&G Is Sweet on Sustainable Packaging
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) unveiled plans to use renewable, sustainable, sugarcane-derived plastic on selected packaging used by its Pantene Pro-V, CoverGirl and Max Factor brands.
Sugarcane-derived plastic is a significant development in sustainable packaging because it is made from a renewable resource, unlike traditional plastic, which is made from non-renewable petroleum.
The new material is made in an innovative process, which transforms sugarcane into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, a type commonly used for product packaging. It remains 100% recyclable in existing municipal recycling facilities.
“P&G’s commitment to use renewable bio-derived plastic in its global beauty and grooming product packaging is an important step forward in its efforts to improve the environmental profile of its products,” said Jason Clay, senior vice president of market transformation of World Wildlife Fund, U.S. “We applaud this announcement as part of their leadership in finding innovative solutions to the sustainability challenges facing the world today.”
By launching this renewable packaging in some of its global beauty brands, P&G will leverage its scale to deliver meaningful environmental improvements.
P&G will source the sugarcane-derived plastic from Braskem SA, which manufactures the material using ethanol made from sustainably grown Brazilian sugarcane. The pilot will be rolled out globally during the next two years, with the first products expected to be on shelf in 2011.
Whole Foods Debuts New Packaging Guidelines
Whole Foods Market implemented new packaging guidelines for all of its 2,100-plus body care and supplement suppliers, according to the company. To spearhead the change, it has switched to post-consumer recycled (PCR) content bottles for several of its store-brand supplements and body care products.
While the switch to PCR bottles began last year, the company expects to switch all of its house-brand Whole Body products, which now use amber plastic PET No. 1 bottles, to PCR packaging by late 2010. The new bottles bear a leaf symbol indicating that they are made from 100% PCR plastic, according to the company.
Beginning in the summer of 2008, the company worked with 25 of its largest personal care product suppliers to develop the new guidelines, which became effective Sept. 1, 2009.
The guidelines mandate that suppliers reduce the use of plastic in product packaging, encourage the switch to glass when possible, limit acceptable packaging materials to those that are easily reused or recycled, and/or feature the highest percentage of PCR content. Suppliers were given one year to transition to more environmentally friendly packaging.
Alpha Packaging Acquired By Private Equity Firm
Irving Place Capital (IPC), a middle-market private equity firm, will acquire Alpha Packaging, a blow molder of plastic bottles and jars for the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and personal care markets. A purchase price was not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close this month.
Alpha, which is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, manufactures plastic bottles and jars at five facilities located throughout the U.S., as well as a recently opened plant in The Netherlands. The company’s Technigraph division provides container-decorating services to leading personal care brands.
Stonebridge Partners of White Plains, NY fueled the growth of Alpha with significant capital investments that allowed the company to triple in size during the investment period.
“I am enormously proud of the business we have grown over the last 25 years and excited about the bright future that we have in front of us with Irving Place Capital,” said Dave Spence, president and chief executive officer, Alpha Packaging.
“We are constantly looking for ways to support our customers’ growth by offering new products and technologies. We are committed to making our network of distributors and direct customers more competitive through additional investments in our existing operations and the completion of add-on acquisitions.”
IPC’s other platform investments in packaging include Multi Packaging Solutions, Inc., Chesapeake Corporation and Mold-Rite Plastics, Inc.
Under the agreement with IPC, Alpha’s management team will stay in place. Spence will remain as Alpha’s president and chief executive officer. Upon transaction close, Alpha’s chief operating officer Dan Creston will oversee all acquisition integration as the executive vice president of corporate development.
In addition, Mike DeFazio, who currently serves as vice president of operations, will become chief operating officer. Alpha’s chief financial officer, Gary Seeman, and its executive vice president of sales, Jack Baily, will remain in their positions.
Love’s Baby Soft Goes Green
Dana Classic Fragrances, Inc., known for popular scents such as English Leather, Tabu and Love’s Baby Soft, debuted its newest fragrance, Love’s Rainforest with eco-friendly components.
According to the company, Love’s Rainforest is a “clean, natural and contemporary scent” that is formulated to appeal to the environmentally conscious consumer. All of the packaging, including the bottles and caps, are manufactured using recycled materials. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the Rainforest items will be donated to rainforest preservation.
The initial offering for the Rainforest line will be comprised of a body mist and a body spray. Other items will follow shortly, according to the company.
Qosina Makes Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 Companies List Again
Inc. Magazine has included Qosina Corporation, parent company of Qosmedix, on its 2010 “Inc. 5000” List, which acknowledges the top 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the U.S. Qosina is being recognized for the second consecutive year on the list. The company has been recognized four times including the“Inc. 500” in 1989 and “Inc. 5000” in 2007 and 2009.
Stuart Herskovitz, founder and president of Qosina and Qosmedix, said, “We are grateful to our customers, suppliers and especially the entire Qosina and Qosmedix teams for enabling us to increase sales each year since 1980, when we first founded Qosina.”
Herskovitz added, “As a young company in 1989, we were proud to be recognized by the Inc. 500 list. Since then, our strategy has been to expand our product offering by providing the latest component designs and materials to meet our customer’s needs. We are pleased with this fourth recognition by Inc. Magazine, as one of the fastest growing American companies.”
Qosmedix is a global supplier of sample packaging and medical quality disposables to the cosmetic, skin care, nail, spa and salon industries. Its inventory includes brushes, swabs, applicators, disposable spa wear, jars, bottles and more.
Carol’s Daughter Taps Maesa For Record-Breaking Fragrance Line
Hip-hop soul legend Mary J. Blige adds another page to her already impressive portfolio: a signature fragrance aptly named after her most personal album,“My Life,” with Carol’s Daughter.
In the same way that the “My Life” album brought her closer to her consumers, Blige poured the same intensity in crafting the fragrance with the help of Carol’s Daughter, Chad Lavigne, and the Maesa Group, according to the packaging company.
The fragrance’s heart-shaped bottle featured a hotstamped gold “My Life” logo and a heavy, custom Zamac cap. It is enclosed in a Mylar folding carton with silkscreened decoration. The glass rollerball and tubes are vacuum metalized and silk screened with opaque shiny gold.
The collection was launched exclusively on HSN on July 31 to record-breaking sales: more than 60,000 units in six hours, retailing between $25 and $55 per item.
Blige returns to HSN in December with new ancillaries.