PRINT THIS PAGE Bridgepoint sells Molton Brown to Kao of Japan for £170m15/07/2005. Source: AltAssets. 
 Pan-European private equity firm Bridgepoint has sold Molton Brown, the luxury goods brand focusing on bath and body care, skin and hair care, to Tokyo-based Kao Corporation of Japan in a transaction totalling £170m.
Molton Brown, founded in 1973, offers products in the personal care sector supplying bath and body skincare and colour cosmetics as well as spa treatments. The company's turnover to 31 March 2005 was £45m. Bridgepoint first took a minority shareholding in the business in 1994, later leading an institutional buy-out, which valued the business at £76m in 2003.
Rob Moores, partner at Bridgepoint, said, 'Molton Brown has been a successful investment for Bridgepoint since we first acquired a stake over ten years ago. Over this period management has demonstrated great skill in developing a model that has allowed the business to expand profitably whilst carefully positioning the Molton Brown brand. This has resulted in impressive growth rates within the growing global personal care market.'
Michael Warshaw, chairman of Molton Brown, added, 'Molton Brown's association with Bridgepoint has culminated in a very successful transaction for both companies. In particular, we have benefited from Bridgepoint's good understanding of our unique culture and, over the period, we have developed an excellent relationship with their executives.'
Bridgepoint focuses on investments in mid-market companies valued up to €750m. It has recently closed a new fund with commitments of around €2.5bn.
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