KIK Adds Lavo

Swander Pace Capital, a private equity firm specializing in consumer products companies, has sold Lavo Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of laundry detergent, household cleaners, fabric softeners and bleach in Canada, to KIK Custom Products Inc. A purchase price was not disclosed.


Lavo has been selling high-quality products for more than a century. The company’s brands include La Parisienne, Hertel, Springtime, Old Dutch, Arctic Power and ABC.


“The strong heritage of these brands and world class capabilities served as the foundation of our growth strategy,” said Roger Dickhout, chief executive officer of Lavo. “Our ability to leverage best practices from other Swander Pace companies, continue to build the company’s core competencies, capitalize on growth opportunities, and successfully integrate the Arctic Power and ABC brand acquisitions were critical drivers of value creation. We are pleased that KIK can help create future opportunities for the company.”


Lavo is manufactures and markets laundry and cleaning products in Canada. Lavo distributes and markets under owned brands La Parisienne, Hertel, Springtime, Old Dutch, Arctic Power, and ABC. These brands carry a strong reputation among Canadian consumers, and are sold in grocery stores, pharmacies, mass retailers, and warehouse clubs. Lavo is also a leading private label laundry product supplier, and markets bulk bleach to the industrial sector.


“We are grateful to the Lavo team and all of our employees for their hard work and contributions during our ownership,” said Andrew Richards, managing director of Swander Pace. “We look forward to watching the team continue to grow and flourish as part of the KIK organization.”


Swander Pace Capital (SPC) is a private equity firm that invests in companies that are integral to consumers’ lives. SPC invests in businesses across three domains of consumer lifestyles: food & beverage, body & wellness and home & family. With offices in San Francisco, New Jersey and Toronto, SPC has invested in more than 45 companies and raised cumulative equity commitments of approximately $1.8 billion since 1996.