Consumer Products Acquisitions in Connecticut

Essity has completed the acquisition of Edgewell Personal Care’s feminine care business — including the Carefree, Stayfree and o.b. brands in North America and global feminine care rights for Playtex — for USD 340 million on a cash- and debt-free basis. The deal includes a production facility in Dover, Delaware and will be consolidated into Essity's accounts as of February 2, 2026, supporting Essity's strategy to expand its presence in the US feminine care category.

The Hershey Company has completed its acquisition of LesserEvil, an organic snack brand known for popcorn and puffs made with better-for-you ingredients. The deal expands Hershey's better-for-you and salty snack portfolio while retaining LesserEvil's leadership team and brand positioning.

Thibaut, the 138-year-old fabric, wallpaper and furniture company, has acquired textile brand Rosemary Hallgarten. Founder Rosemary Hallgarten will remain as chief creative officer; the companies will remain separate in the marketplace while Hallgarten’s business will begin to use Thibaut’s logistics, warehousing and IT resources. Terms were not disclosed.

Spin Master Corp. completed the acquisition of U.S.-based Melissa & Doug for $950 million, with the parties agreeing to eliminate a previously announced contingent earnout of up to $150 million. The deal, sold by AEA Investors, expands Spin Master's early childhood product portfolio and strengthens its reach in specialty retail and e-commerce channels.

Carlin Consumer Health, a PE‑sponsored consumer health platform, has acquired Infirst USA Holdings, LLC, the parent of Infirst Healthcare Inc., the marketer of Mylanta and Mylicon under license from McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals. Infirst will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Carlin; the company is based in Westport, Connecticut and ships from a warehouse in Plainfield, Indiana. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Balance Point Capital (and its affiliated funds) provided financing to Vital Nutrients Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Blueroot Health to support a company recapitalization and to fund Blueroot's acquisition of Fairhaven Health. The transaction positions Blueroot — a Middletown, Connecticut-based consumer health and nutraceutical platform — for further growth and distribution expansion across practitioner and e-commerce channels.

TowerBrook Capital Partners completed the acquisition of ECP-PF Holdings Group, Inc. from Exaltare Capital Management. ECP-PF is a large Planet Fitness franchisee headquartered in Orange, Connecticut, operating 108 clubs across the U.S. and Canada (serving ~600,000 members); TowerBrook said the investment will support accelerated club development and geographic expansion.

Guardion Health Sciences, Inc. agreed to acquire all equity of Activ Nutritional, LLC — owner of the Viactiv supplement brand — from Adare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $26.0 million in cash (subject to adjustments). The acquisition is intended to strengthen Guardion's clinical nutrition product portfolio, expand its presence in the retail and e-commerce supplement market, and provide an immediate boost to revenue and operating earnings.

American Securities, a U.S. private equity firm, has acquired Conair Corporation, the Stamford-based maker of Cuisinart, Conair, BaByliss and other consumer appliance and personal-care brands. Financial terms were not disclosed; certain members of the founding Rizzuto family have retained a minority ownership stake as part of the transaction.

MacNeill Pride Group (MPG), a portfolio company of private equity firm Centre Partners, has acquired GCI Outdoor, a designer and manufacturer of portable outdoor recreation equipment. The add-on expands MPG's outdoor product portfolio and will keep GCI operating from its Higganum, Connecticut facility; terms were not disclosed.

Summit Partners made a growth equity investment in The House of Noa, a design-led consumer brand known for premium wipe-clean modular foam play mats and home mats. Woodbridge International advised The House of Noa on the transaction to support the company's product and distribution expansion.

L'Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire Thayers Natural Remedies, a US-based natural skincare brand owned by Henry Thayer Company, and will integrate the brand into its Consumer Products Division. Headquartered in Easton, Connecticut, Thayers recorded approximately USD 44 million in sales in 2019; the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Perrigo Company plc completed the acquisition of the oral self-care assets of High Ridge Brands, acquiring brands including Firefly, REACH and Dr. Fresh. The tuck-in purchase expands Perrigo's consumer self-care portfolio and builds on its July 2019 Ranir acquisition to strengthen its position in value children's oral care and broader oral self-care offerings.

Tengram Capital Partners, with investment/partner support from Hilco Global, closed the acquisition of the haircare and skin cleansing business of High Ridge Brands Co., creating a new platform investment focused on consumer personal care. The deal transfers iconic brands such as Zest, Alberto VO5, Coast and White Rain to Tengram, which plans to reinvest in the business, strengthen supply-chain relationships and pursue growth and brand repositioning.

Trilantic North America has acquired a substantial interest in Gorilla Commerce, a Westport-founded direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform selling home and pet products. The company's co-founders Jennifer Bernstein and Marissa Saporta retain a meaningful equity stake and will continue to lead the business as Trilantic provides capital to accelerate product introductions, sales-channel expansion, and geographic growth.

Transom Capital Group acquired Conair Corporation's professional liquids division and renamed the business Beauty Quest Group. The company is a manufacturer and marketer of branded and private-label hair care, color and styling products and provides contract manufacturing services; Transom plans to operate it as a standalone platform to drive operational improvements and growth.

CID Capital, a private equity firm based in Indianapolis, has acquired BigMouth Inc., a Glastonbury, Connecticut–based novelty consumer products company. The deal transfers ownership from BigMouth's shareholders (led by founder Steve Wampold) to CID Capital, which plans to scale the brand through its portfolio resources.

Lincolnshire Management purchased Phoenix Brands LLC, a Stamford, Connecticut-based maker of laundry detergents (brands including Ajax, Dynamo and Fab), from Trilantic Capital Partners for about $145 million in late 2010. The deal included Phoenix’s brands, manufacturing and logistics assets; Phoenix had roughly $130 million in revenue and product distribution in about 40 countries at the time.