Alberto-Culver

Alberto-Culver Company (Unilever Plc.)

Fate	Acquisition
Founded	1955
Founder	Leonard H. Lavin
Defunct	2010
Headquarters	2525 Armitage Avenue, Melrose Park, Illinois, 60160, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Carol Lavin Bernick Executive Chairman of the Board Vincent J. Marino President, CEO & Director
Revenue	US$1.60 Billion (FY 2010)[1]
Operating income	US$218 Million (FY 2010)[1]
Net income	US$155 Million (FY 2010)[1]
Total assets	US$1.88 Billion (FY 2010)[1]
Total equity	US$1.32 Billion (FY 2010)[1]
Number of employees	2,600 (as of September 30, 2010)[1]
Parent	Unilever
Website	Alberto.com

Alberto-Culver was an American corporation with international sales whose principal business is manufacturing hair and skin beauty care products under such brands as Alberto VO5, Andrew Collinge, St. Ives (skin care products), TRESemmé, FDS, Consort, and Nexxus. It is a manufacturer in the multicultural beauty care market with such brands as Soft & Beautiful, Just For Me, Motions, and TCB.^[2]

History

The company originated as a Los Angeles beauty supply house with some proprietary products founded by Blaine Culver. The house chemist was named Alberto hence the name Alberto-Culver. Alberto-Culver was purchased and reorganized in 1955 by Leonard H. Lavin who was an entrepreneur and manufacturer's representative for various other companies. The newly created company was then moved to Chicago and a hundred other products were dropped and the company focused on Alberto VO5 shampoo and hairdressing.^[2][3] In 1958, Alberto VO5 Hairdressing became the number one brand in its category and it still holds that position today. Lavin and his wife Bernice guided the company's growth until 1994 when they turned it over to a second family generation. Lavin remains a director of today's Alberto-Culver and his daughter Carol Lavin Bernick is the company's executive chairman.^[4]

In 2006, the company sought to sell its salon distribution business, which includes Sally Beauty Supply stores and Beauty Systems Group, to Regis Corporation. It later terminated the agreement and on November 10, 2006, shareholders voted to spin off Sally Beauty.

The company's 2007 sales were reported at US$1.54 billion.^[5][6]

In October 2008, Alberto Culver announced it had closed the transaction to acquire the worldwide rights and trademarks to the Noxzema skin care brand from Procter & Gamble, which includes the existing business in the United States, Canada and parts of Latin America. Procter & Gamble will continue to operate its existing Noxzema shave care, antiperspirant/deodorant, body wash and body soap business in portions of Western Europe.^[7]

The UK head office is in Leatherhead, Unilever House and used to be in Chineham, Basingstoke, and the company has a manufacturing plant in Swansea, Wales, where all UK products are produced and also those for some European countries.

Acquisition

Alberto-Culver was purchased by the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever on September 27, 2010 for US$3.7 billion.^[8] The terms of the acquisition required Unilever to then sell select hair care brands and its entire food business in the USA to other companies to satisfy antitrust concerns (in the late 1990s, Unilever had purchased Alberto-Culver's historic Chicago rival, Helene Curtis). The U.S. food business was bought by B&G Foods, and the U.S. rights to VO5, Rave, and Coast were sold to High Ridge Brands (Unilever owns these brands in the rest of the world). With the reduction in American brands, Unilever closed the former Alberto Culver plant in 2013, laying off 600 workers.

Community

Alberto Culver was well known for its support of organizations in health care and its support of research and facilities in those areas, where it believed that this can have great impact for the well being and peace of mind of families. Other areas of support included education and women in the workplace. It was also known for not testing its products on animals and included related labeling on product packaging. With the products now under Unilever, this is now likely no longer the case and the labeling has been removed.

References

External links

• Alberto-Culver Official site
• Alberto-Culver's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
• Alberto-Culver company description and financials
• "Alberto-Culver quarterly profit rises", Monday April 28, 2008, Reuters