BOSTON — Yellow Wood Partners, LLP announced today that it has acquired Parfums de Coeur, Ltd. (“PDC” or the “Company”), the largest provider of mass-market fragrances in the United States. PDC markets and distributes its products under three category-leading national brands - Body Fantasies®, Designer Imposters®, and BOD Man® – through long-standing relationships with the largest food, drug and mass merchandise retailers in the U.S. In addition, the Company’s brands are sold in a growing number of important international markets. Yellow Wood is acquiring PDC in partnership with the Company’s management team, who are also investing equity into the business.
“Since its founding over 30 years ago, PDC has pioneered the expansion of the mass fragrance category, consistently offering the highest quality products to its consumers at widely accessible price points,” said Dana Schmaltz, Yellow Wood Founding Partner. “The Company’s success has been led by its strong track record of developing unique and innovative products, supported by differentiated marketing and strong retail relationships. We are excited to partner with management to help accelerate their growth vision into new opportunities, both domestically and overseas. Just as important, we are eager to work with management to identify complementary add-on brands or businesses to further expand the Company’s footprint.”
“The Yellow Wood team recognizes the quality products, systems and people that make Parfums de Coeur the leading player in its categories,” said James Stammer, CEO, Parfums de Coeur. “We are extremely impressed with Yellow Wood and grateful for their support and confidence. The strong operating resources Yellow Wood brings will further enable us to grow our brand platform, while continuing to provide both our consumers and retail partners with the quality and excellence they have come to expect from Parfums de Couer.”
Houlihan Lokey acted as exclusive financial advisor to Parfums de Coeur in the transaction. Seward & Kissel LLP served as legal counsel for the Company. Fried Frank served as legal counsel for Yellow Wood.
About Yellow Wood Partners Yellow Wood Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm focused on investing in consumer products brands and companies. The Yellow Wood approach places a greater focus on industry knowledge of the consumer space as well as the firm’s functional operational capabilities in the selection, diligence and management of the firm’s investments. Yellow Wood has also established a more appropriate alignment of interests among all the stakeholders in the firm, including the operating management teams of their portfolio companies, their private equity investors and the Yellow Wood principals. And so, Yellow Wood was created with the motto: “Taking the road less traveled in private equity.” For more information, please visit: www.yellowwoodpartners.com.
About Parfums de Coeur, Ltd. Founded in 1981, Parfums de Coeur is a leading mass-market fragrance marketer with an exceptional portfolio of designer quality perfumes, fragrance body sprays and colognes at affordable prices. Parfums’ brands are nationally distributed in the U.S. and are available in over 40 international markets. For decades Parfums successfully invested in “NEW” – creating entire categories and brands like Alternative Designer Fragrances with Designer Imposters®, Specialty Bath with Body Fantasies®, and BOD Man®, today’s #1 men’s fragrance brand in units in America. For more information, please visit www.parfumsdecoeur.com.
Contact: Philip Nunes BackBay Communications 617-556-9982, x227 phil.nunes@backbaycommunications.com