Coty is to acquire ghd, a premium brand in high-end hairstyling appliances, from Lion Capital for approximately GBP420 million (USD510 million) in cash.
The transaction will be funded with a combination of cash on hand and available debt facilities. Upon closing, the acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to Coty’s earnings.
The addition of ghd’s high-performance lines of hair straighteners, hairdryers, curlers and other hairstyling appliances is expected to further strengthen Coty’s position in the professional hair category.
ghd’s products will enable Coty to offer salon partners and their clients an enhanced and more premium range of hair solutions. Coty also aims to accelerate ghd’s strong track record of growth through its channel and category capabilities.
ghd, which stands for “good hair day,” generated GBP178 million in revenues in fiscal year 2016. ghd is headquartered in London and has commercial operations in the UK, Australia, the US, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and several other markets. The company has been expanding from its core salon channel into premium retail and e-commerce.
ghd will become part of the Coty Professional Beauty division, where it will be managed as a standalone business led by its current CEO Anthony Davey and management team. Davey will report to Sylvie Moreau, president of Coty Professional Beauty.
Camillo Pane, Coty chief executive officer, says: “We are pleased to bring ghd’s highly skilled management team and its employees into Coty as we continue to strengthen our core business through the addition of innovative market-leading brands and products. ghd has beautifully designed and superior performing products, and is the preferred choice for discerning professionals and consumers alike. Not only do we expect ghd to strengthen our professional hair portfolio and enable Coty to provide even better hair solutions, but we also believe there is strong growth potential for ghd across several markets.”
Lyndon Lea, partner of Lion Capital, says: “Over the three years of our ownership, ghd grew worldwide sales by 30 per cent through a strong pipeline of innovative new products, which deepened the brand’s leadership in its core markets and supported its successful entry into new hairstyling categories. Anthony Davey and his management team have also done an excellent job of expanding the brand internationally whilst meaningfully strengthening ghd’s multichannel distribution capabilities. We are pleased to be selling ghd to Coty, a global leader in the beauty category, where it can take its rightful place among Coty’s unique family of beauty brands.”
The transaction is subject to regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by the end of calendar year 2016.
Lion Capital and ghd were advised by Rothschild & Co and Proskauer Rose. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom acted as legal counsel for Coty.
