CSR Cosmetic Solutions

Background

CSR is an Ontario-based, contract manufacturer of cosmetics and personal care products. The CEO and sole owner had operated the business for over 15 years and was ready for a well-deserved retirement. A sale process run by a top-tier accounting firm in 2015 was unsuccessful.

Solution

Undeterred by the accounting firm’s result, our M&A Advisory team dug deep into the company’s performance and metrics. We identified 102 potential buyers, both strategic and financial, through a search that went global and surfaced only 26% Canadian prospects. We created an auction-like environment that yielded 8 offers by the deadline, with Korean and American buyers making the most aggressive proposals. We overcame major cultural differences with the eventual winner, a Korean publicly traded contract manufacturer, and arrived at a deal in the upper end of the initial value guidance. The post-acquisition integration process was highly productive and the company is now growing under new ownership.