SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gryphon Investors' portfolio company Vivify Specialty Ingredients ("Vivify"), a leading provider of specialty colorants, additives, and ingredients for the food & beverage, personal care & cosmetics, and industrial end markets, announced today that it has acquired Access Ingredients ("Access" or the "Company"), a distributor of specialty ingredients for the personal care industry. Access will partner with Vivify's Sandream Specialties division to offer a full set of ingredient and color solutions to the personal care industry. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Access represents Vivify's second acquisition in 2023.

Access owner and President Trudi Leung will continue to lead the Company as Managing Director and roll over a meaningful financial stake. Vivify is backed by Gryphon Heritage Fund, the small-cap strategy of middle-market private equity firm Gryphon Investors, and is actively seeking to partner with additional businesses in order to expand product offerings and services and add to its position as a best-in-class solutions provider to its customers.

"We are pleased to support the Vivify management team as they continue to identify strategic acquisitions that build scale and drive growth," said Craig Nikrant, Operating Partner on the Gryphon Heritage Fund team. "Access's differentiated product line greatly complements Vivify's already deep palette of customer solutions and will allow for meaningful expansion of Vivify's personal care and cosmetics offerings." 

Founded in 2012 and based in Arcadia, CA, Access is a distributor of specialty surfactants and active ingredients for the personal care industry. It specializes in providing high service and unique ingredient solutions to its customers, who are primarily personal care brands and manufacturers.

Vivify CEO Brian Leen commented, "We're excited to welcome Trudi and her team. Access is a proven innovator, with strong supplier relationships and specialty products, and the Company will provide us with a key West Coast distribution facility. We expect this addition to help Vivify accelerate our growth in the hair and skincare markets and enhance our reputation as a value-added solutions provider for our customers, and we continue to look for like-minded acquisition partners across our industrial and life sciences markets."

"I am delighted to partner with Vivify and Gryphon," said Ms. Leung. "My team and I are excited to gain the financial resources and the operations expertise that will spearhead our growth as we expand into the Midwest and East Coast, help drive further product innovation, and deliver more value to our customers."

Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to Vivify. Russ August & Kabat Law served as legal counsel to Access.

About Access Ingredients
Founded in 2012 and based in Arcadia, CA, Access is a distributor of specialty ingredients for the personal care industry. It specializes in cleansing, foaming, thickening, moisturizing, and anti-aging products used in hair care products, body wash, shaving cream, sunscreen, lotion, acne treatment, and antiperspirants.

About Vivify
Vivify is a leading provider of specialty colorants, additives, and ingredients for the food & beverage, personal care & cosmetics, and industrial end markets. With expertise in specialty products, such as organic pigments, dyes, liquid colorants, slip additives, specialty resins, and food ingredients, Vivify delivers customer-specific solutions focused on product performance, customized applications, product development, and other value-added services. 

About Gryphon Investors
Gryphon Investors is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively advantaged companies in the Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, and Software sectors. With approximately $9 billion of assets under management, Gryphon prioritizes investments in which it can form strong partnerships with founders, owners, and executives to accelerate the building of leading companies and generate enduring value through its integrated deal and operations business model. Gryphon's highly differentiated model integrates its well-proven Operations Resources Group, which is led by full-time, Gryphon senior operating executives with general management, human capital acquisition and development, treasury, finance, and accounting expertises. Gryphon's three core investment strategies include its Flagship, Heritage, and Junior Capital strategies, each with dedicated funds of capital.  The Flagship and Heritage strategies target equity investments of $50 million to $350 million per portfolio company. The Junior Capital strategy targets investments in junior securities of credit facilities, arranged by leading middle-market lenders, in both Gryphon-controlled companies, as well as in other private equity-backed companies operating in Gryphon's targeted investment sectors. 

SOURCE Vivify