Cosmetics business snapped up by acquisitive personal care group

Cleaning and hygiene business GRI Group has snapped up a cosmetics and personal care company, I Love Cosmetics.

Sheffield-based GRI, which is owned by chairman and chief executive Graham Royale, acquired the Salford-based business to merge into its GRI Brands business.

It is not the first time that GRI has made an acquisition across the Pennines, having bought Expac (Preston), a toiletry manufacturer, in March 2016.

The beauty and cosmetics business will continue to operate with its existing team, including managing director James Brown. Royale will become ICL’s new chairman and CEO.

ILC is a brand owner focused on the health, beauty and toiletry markets.Products include beauty care, bath & body, hair care and lip care and ILC’s brand portfolio includes I Love…, New York Professional, The Good Stuf! and Balmi.

Brown, a product designer and fragrance marketer, founded the business in 2008 and veteran chairman Michael Basso is also a director of Salford’s Pan World Brands, a multi-brand distribution company.

Graham Royle said “ILC will strategically complement our group of associate companies, which offer excellent synergies to each other.

“The brands business takes the group further downstream from its ingredients and products manufacturing facilities and offers many new market opportunities.

“ILC enjoys a valued position with both its incredible range of suppliers and customers and from Day 1 we have already begun to implement a comprehensive strategy of growth, which will see significant product development and geographical market development. We are also targeting to acquire more brands to bring into the portfolio.”

GRI Group’s acquisition was professionally supported by Sheffield based Nabarro (corporate law), headed by partner Ben Hendry, and BHP (corporate finance), headed by partner David Forrest.