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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. plans to acquire Vogue International, maker of the OGX hair care brand, for about $3.3 billion in cash.
Johnson & Johnson said Thursday that the deal includes the OGX line of shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, body care and bath products, as well as the FX hair styling brand and the Proganix salon-inspired hair care and recently launched Maui Moisture wholesome beauty care lines.
Globally, Johnson & Johnson Consumer’s brand portfolio includes such skin and hair care brands as Johnson’s, Neutrogena, Aveeno, Lubriderm, Clean & Clear, RoC, Rogaine, bebe, Vendome and Piz Buin.
“Our acquisition of Vogue International’s full line of leading advanced hair care products sold in the U.S. and in 38 countries will strengthen our global presence in this important category,” Jorge Mesquita, worldwide chairman for consumer at J&J, said in a statement. “Vogue International’s commitment to quality, innovation and consumer preference complement our consumer portfolio, while also presenting attractive hair care category growth opportunities for Johnson & Johnson.”
J&J said it expects the transaction to close in the third quarter, pending regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
Published reports said earlier this year that Clearwater, Fla.-based Vogue was on the selling block and had drawn bids from Unilever, Henkel and L’Oreal, among other companies. In 2014, private equity firm The Carlyle Group bought a 49% stake in Vogue through the Carlyle Partners VI buyout fund for a reported $400 million. The year before, Vogue founder and chief executive officer Todd Christopher discontinued efforts to auction off the company after being hindered by a lawsuit that had prompted Vogue to rebrand its Organix products as OGX, reports said.
“This is an exciting and important new chapter in the growth and development of Vogue,” Christopher stated Thursday about the sale to J&J. “Our commitment to quality and innovation will be magnified by Johnson & Johnson Consumer’s array of marketing, R&D and support resources on a global basis. Many thanks to Sandra Horbach and her team at Carlyle for being true partners as we took Vogue to new levels of innovation and market penetration and created a world-class management team.”
Vogue’s hair, beauty and personal care products are distributed leading retailers across the United States and in 38 countries.
“It has been a privilege to partner with Todd and to support his efforts to develop and launch innovative products, strengthen and grow the organization, advance sustainability practices, and reach new customers all around the world with the OGX brand,” commented Sandra Horbach, managing director at New York-based Carlyle and head of its consumer and retail team. “Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. will be a great new home for Vogue.”
