Equity firm Catterton to buy stake in Italy cosmetics maker Intercos

Private equity firm Catterton will buy a minority stake in Italy-based cosmetics and skin care products maker Intercos under a binding agreement signed by the two companies.

Founded in 1972, Intercos develops, manufactures and distributes cosmetics and skin care products on a business to business (B2B) outsourcing basis.

The Milan-headquartered cosmetics maker has seven research centres, 12 production sites and 11 marketing offices across four continents with an international market for colour cosmetics and high-end skincare market in Europe and the US.

Intercos founder and CEO Dario Ferrari said: "We are thrilled to partner with Catterton as Intercos continues to expand its presence in the global beauty and cosmetics industry.

"Catterton brings proven expertise, decades of experience in the personal care industry and new resources that will enable us to accelerate our international development strategies, including further expansion in the United States and China."

Catterton senior partner Nik Thukral said: "We are thrilled to partner with Dario who has built this remarkable business over the past 42 years.

"We are excited and look forward to partnering with Intercos and building on its global leadership, particularly in the US, China and Latin America."

The US-based Catterton currently has more than $4bn under management in food and beverage, retail and restaurants, consumer products and services, consumer health, and other sectors.