CHATSWORTH, Calif.–Hugo Naturals, a manufacturer and marketer of all-natural personal care products, finalized a strategic investment led by the private equity firm Manhattan Growth Partners, and included an investment from the Matthew Pritzker Company.
To lead the charge, the company announced the appointment of Steven Dickstein, a sales and marketing veteran of 25 years, known for boosting growth and profitability at both Fortune 100 and middle-market companies, to the position of chief executive officer. Dickstein will work with the company’s founders and new management to further develop the brand and leverage its appeal through increased availability globally. Founders Hugo and Debra Saavedra will take on positions of chairman/chief innovation officer and president/chief creative officer, respectively.
“With the demonstrated brand success and now the significant capitalization, we are ready to grow this gem of a business” Dickstein said. “I was immediately attracted to the opportunity to reframe the natural organic products arena with a company that operates at a level of product integrity way beyond the industry standards.”
According to Dickstein, plans include a scale-up of operations to better support current customer demand and expanded distribution across the United States and internationally. To accommodate the increased distribution, Hugo Naturals will transition into a new nearby manufacturing and headquarters facility in the coming months. The new facility will support a 10-fold increase in production to support the increasing demand while remaining true to its product design.
“While natural product demand is growing, so too is consumer understanding about what being truly natural means,” Dickstein said. “Unlike others just making claims, the Hugo Naturals line is made from only the highest quality vegan, natural, organic and kosher food-grade ingredients, exceeding today’s industry standards and setting the bar for the standards of tomorrow.”
Hugo Saavedra commented: “Debra and I share an incredible passion for creating products that enhance people’s lives and that are good to the planet,” he said. “We believe people should only put on their body what they would want to put in their body. We are incredibly excited about now having more consumers using our beautiful products."