Unilever has announced the sale of its Suave brand in North America to Yellow Wood Partners LLC. The Suave beauty and personal care brand includes hair care, skin care, skin cleansing and deodorant products.
Yellow Wood Partners is a Boston-based private investment firm that invests exclusively in the consumer industry in the middle market. The firm seeks to acquire branded consumer products that sell into a variety of consumer channels, including mass, drug, food, specialty, value, club and e-commerce.
Esi Eggleston Bracey, president of Unilever USA and CEO of Unilever Personal Care North America, said: “This is another step on our path to shift our portfolio towards strategic growth spaces. Suave has been a much-loved brand since the 1930s, and I am confident it will continue to thrive and serve consumers under its new ownership in North America.”
Dana Schmaltz, partner of Yellow Wood Partners, said: “Suave is ubiquitously recognised for its long history of providing accessible high-quality beauty products to American consumers and we are excited to add it to our portfolio of investments. We especially want to thank Unilever for its collaboration as we move forward to completing this carveout.”
Suave will continue to be owned and operated by Unilever outside of the US and Canada.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions.
Financial terms of the agreement are undisclosed.
Unilever sells North America Suave brand to Yellow Wood Partners
