SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Jurlique International Pty. Ltd signed a share purchase agreement with POLA Orbis Holdings Inc (POLA), wherein POLA is purchasing 100 percent of the shares of Jurlique, a vertically integrated company in the natural skincare market. Founded in 1985, the company utilizes plants and botanicals grown on a company owned, 153 acre biodynamic farm in the Adelaide Hills, Australia together with natural ingredients sourced globally to produce its products. Jurlique has a multi-channel business model that encompasses concept stores, department stores, specialty retailers, spas, duty free / airlines, and e-commerce in Australia, Asia, the United States and Europe. Jurlique is the leading skin care brand in Australia and experiencing significant growth in Asia.
POLA Orbis is the fourth leading cosmetic company in Japan and has been developing its business model around the cosmetics industry with a recurring theme of "beauty and health" since its founding in 1929. POLA Orbis also operates in overseas markets, including China and Russia, employing a multi-channel strategy with multiple brands to meet diversified customer demands and increase market share. With its 29 consolidated subsidiaries, POLA Orbis has consolidated sales of 165.2 billion yen (U.S. $2 billion) for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2010.
"The POLA transaction represents a significant and exciting milestone for Jurlique," said Jurlique's president & CEO, Sam McKay. “Our brand is well positioned with a strong presence and compelling momentum in key strategic markets, with a focus on Asia, the Americas and our home market Australia. I look forward to working closely with POLA to pursue opportunities to further accelerate growth on a global scale; both in terms of greater penetration of existing multi-channel distribution and geographic expansion." The existing management team will continue with the company and work closely with POLA to leverage synergistic opportunities.
The transaction is scheduled to close once certain regulatory and commercial approvals are received.