Gemspring Capital Acquires Bradford RSS

WESTPORT, CT – July 12, 2023 – Gemspring Capital Management, LLC (“Gemspring”), a middle-market private equity firm, is pleased to announce that an affiliate has acquired Bradford Soap International, Inc. (“Bradford” or the “Company”), a leading developer, formulator, and manufacturer of beauty & personal care products. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1876, Bradford is a leader in custom formulation and in-house manufacturing of sustainable and environmentally friendly solid personal care products. Utilizing multi-site, highly flexible manufacturing facilities that are vertically integrated through all stages of production, the Company produces a wide array of products, including specialty soap, shampoo bars, conditioner bars, facial cleansing sticks, and numerous other specialty items. Bradford is a critical partner to both large-scale CPGs and emerging brands, offering a turnkey solution encompassing cutting edge innovation, development, and formulation capabilities, as well as complex manufacturing and packaging. Bradford is headquartered in West Warwick, Rhode Island, with additional facilities in Columbus, Indiana; and Calexico, California.
 
“We are extremely proud of the legacy we have built as a quality and trusted partner to our customers,” said Stuart R. Benton, President & CEO of Bradford. “We’re pleased to have found an engaged and knowledgeable partner like Gemspring who shares our vision and has a proven track record of partnering with entrepreneurial teams to build high-growth companies. In this next phase of growth, we look forward to broadening both our capabilities and product portfolio while further establishing our position as the manufacturing and development partner of choice to leading beauty and personal care brands.”
 
"The market-leading and differentiated capabilities Bradford has built over its long, successful history are impressive,” said Kristin Steen, Managing Director at Gemspring. “We’re excited to partner with Stu and the entire management team to build on Bradford’s unparalleled product quality to accelerate the company’s growth. In addition to a number of compelling organic growth initiatives, we intend to expand the platform through strategic opportunities to extend the capabilities and product offerings Bradford can provide its brand partners."
 
Guggenheim Securities, LLC served as financial advisor and McDermott Will & Emery, LLP served as legal advisor to Gemspring.
 
About Bradford
Based in West Warwick, RI, Bradford is a leading manufacturer and developer of beauty and personal care products. With a rich history of sustainable manufacturing and innovative R&D, the Company offers a unique range of turnkey solutions from formulation to manufacturing to labeling and packaging. Bradford has built a legacy on being a committed thought partner for their customers and will continue producing innovative, efficacious, and quality products. For more information, visit www.bradfordsoap.com.
 
About Gemspring Capital
Gemspring Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm with $3.4 billion of capital under management, provides flexible capital solutions to middle market companies. Gemspring partners with talented management teams and takes a partnership approach to helping drive revenue growth, value creation and sustainable competitive advantages. Target companies have up to $500 million in revenue and are in the aerospace & defense, business services, consumer, financial and insurance services, healthcare services, industrial services, software and tech-enabled services, or specialty manufacturing sectors. For more information, visit www.gemspring.com