Vitality Brands, a Melbourne-based health and wellness firm, has acquired Essano, a clean beauty brand originating from New Zealand, for an undisclosed amount.
This acquisition is strategic, merging Vitality Brands’ vast distribution and marketing prowess with Essano’s innovative R&D strengths to facilitate substantial growth across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
This follows Vitality Brands’ purchase of Tribe Skincare in August last year, as detailed by Retail Beauty.
Essano, known for its emphasis on skin hydration through products containing natural ingredients like rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid, has established a strong market presence across major consumer goods retailers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the US. The brand also leads the New Zealand market with its Dominate men’s styling range and operates a manufacturing and innovation centre locally.
Vitality Brands, with a projected annual turnover of $130 million post-acquisition, is recognised for products like Cancer Council Sunscreen and Epzen, in addition to the recently acquired Tribe Skincare. The company has seen exceptional growth, doubling revenue over the past three years and contributing over $23 million to community initiatives since its inception. Vitality Brands’ presence spans all major FMCG outlets in Australia and extends to global retailers in 15 countries.
The acquisition is expected to create a powerful business synergy, leveraging both companies’ strengths to deliver high-quality, value-for-money products rapidly to global markets.
Richard Meyrick, co-founder and Managing Director of Vitality Brands, emphasised the aligned values and social impact commitment of both companies, foreseeing a formidable partnership on the international stage.
Essano’s New Zealand operations, including its manufacturing site, will remain integral to the group’s growth strategy, with plans to expand the workforce to support further development.
Shane Young, co-founder of Essano, hailed the partnership as a “perfect fit,” highlighting the shared commitment to quality and value, and the strong trans-Tasman family ethos that will drive further global inroads in the beauty sector.
The transaction, advised by Lempriere Wells and Deloitte, will see Pencarrow Private Equity exit its investment in Essano, returning the company to full private ownership upon completion of customary closing conditions by the end of March.
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