16 INTERVIEW Tim Probert – Editor, Personal Care Global


Earlier this year, Sharon Laboratories became Sharon Personal Care after expanding its technology base and formulation capabilities with the acquisition of RES Pharma and the cosmetic ingredient and R&D units of B&C. Here, CEO Naama Eylon talks about the Israeli firm’s corporate strategy with editor Tim Probert


Tim Probert (TP): What was the thinking behind the acquisitions of Res Pharma and the B&C units? Naama Eylon (NE): Sharon Laboratories, as it was, was active for over 25 years in the world of preservation for personal care but it was only in preservatives and anti-microbials. It was who we were and what we did. We wanted to grow and


diversify. In our world of cosmetics, growing by mergers and acquisitions is quite normal. We knew we wanted to acquire companies that do something different than what we did. We didn’t want another


preservatives company, it wasn’t just about market share. It was really about diversifying our capabilities. So, in the second quarter of 2022, Sharon completed the acquisition of the two Italian companies.


TP:Was it intentional to acquire specifically Italian companies? NE: It wasn’t planned that way from the beginning, it was just a coincidence. They each have a very different set of capabilities and core products. Res Pharma, which is located


not far from Bergamo, has an amazing technology in the world of emulsifiers and Resplanta water soluble oils, which are a unique technology. We also have a lot of


capabilities in finished formulations, particularly with difficult segments like sun care, which requires a lot of expertise on its own. They do that all the way to the UVA and UVB testing, and supply it almost as a finished product with all the claims. They also have capabilities


in wet wipes, facial cleansers, micellar water, make-up removers and so on. Again, they have unique technical capabilities between the raw materials and what they need to do to be effective, and how they interact with the skin. Sensitivity, eyes, lips and so on.


TP: What does the acquisition of B&C cosmetic ingredients division bring to Sharon Personal Care? NE: B&C is more in the world of bio-actives and ingredients of natural origin. They have a mindset of innovation with a lot of new products in the pipeline. But they were a small company and with small companies there


INTERVIEW


Preserving the future


are constraints, particularly in a global marketplace like personal care. By putting the three companies together, we have built a company with a portfolio range that is now very big. Basically, everything you need to build a finished product. On top of that, we now have


three production sites worldwide; two in Italy, one in Israel. The capacity is already pretty big and we have the room to grow from there.


Last year was a horrible supply


chain year for the industry and a challenge for Sharon, but going forward it’s never going to be an issue for us because we have the capabilities to work worldwide.. We are now able to produce what was once the core capability of one company at another site, which is great. We can produce


PERSONAL CARE June 2023


preservatives in Europe close to our customers; we can literally respond in four days. This is a huge benefit to Italy,


Germany, France anywhere that you just load it on a truck and drive, it’s great.


TP: What else does Sharon Personal Care bring to the industry other than diversification? AE: It was about diversification of course, it’s important but it wasn’t just about that. It’s about enhancing the value to the customer. Rather than supplying 1% of their products, why not be able to supply 17% of the products? It’s also about us becoming


better because when you sell a particular type of ingredient, you have to consider all the interactions inside the bottle of


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