MÄURER & WIRTZ acquires BALDESSARINI fragrance

MÄURER & WIRTZ successfully markets a wide portfolio of own perfume brands, including 4711 Original Eau de Cologne, ACQUA COLONIA, NOUVEAU COLOGNE and Tabac Original as well as licensed brands such as Strellson, MICHALSKY, Otto Kern, New Yorker, Betty Barclay and s.Oliver. The new license sees the company further expanding ist international prestige fragrance business.

At the beginning of 2011, MÄURER & WIRTZ implemented a strategic restructure and has since operated through three corporate units: BEAUTY, PRESTIGE and 4711. "One of the aims we had set ourselves with this corporate reorganisation was to expand our license business in the Prestige segment and to drive the internationalisation of all three units, not only in our present markets, but also in new markets", explained MÄURER & WIRTZ’s Managing Director, Fabian Krone. "Our new brand, BALDESSARINI is a perfect match for this strategy."

In 2010 MÄURER & WIRTZ reported turnover of around €156 million. The newly acquired brand not only sees the company buying up more sales, but also opening up further new markets where BALDESSARINI has a strong presence. BALDESSARINI is especially strong in the luxury segment in Eastern Europe.

The first line of perfume for BALDESSARINI, formerly a Hugo Boss brand, was launched in 2002. The brand with the claim "BALDESSARINI – separates the men from the boys" enjoys great success in the men’s fragrance sector far beyond the borders of Germany. The fragrance assortment comprises a range of eau de toilettes, eau de colognes, after shaves, shower gels and deodorants.

As the licensor and the man the brand is named after, Werner Baldessarini played a key role in the acquisition of the fragrance range by MÄURER & WIRTZ. "BALDESSARINI is a fragrance line that is very close to my heart, and I am delighted that the brand will in future be managed and developed by such a highly experienced and competent partner as MÄURER & WIRTZ. It is a good feeling to know that the brand that I once established is in such good hands", said Werner Baldessarini.

"The strong brands in our portfolio, and latterly the successful expansion of the 4711 brand, which we acquired in 2006, demonstrate our profound understanding of the strategic leadership of brands", added Dr. Hermann Wirtz, Managing Partner of MÄURER & WIRTZ. "The BALDESSARINI brand has enormous potential, and we seized the opportunity to acquire a further top-seller for our Prestige business. Now and in future, we are committed to fostering the continuous development of our product portfolio through organic growth and through specific license acquisitions."

All parties have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.

About MÄURER & WIRTZ

A company with a tradition reaching back to 1845, a family-owned enterprise managed by the fifth generation – and one of the leading houses for perfume and bodycare. The history of MÄURER & WIRTZ is a success story. The soap business founded by Michael Mäurer and his stepson Andreas Wirtz over 160 years ago has developed into a global player. The company from Stolberg, Germany, is now active in 140 markets and has 400 employees. Specialising in high-quality perfumes and bodycare products, such as the iconic cologne 4711 and Tabac Original, licensed brands like Betty Barclay and s.Oliver and prestigious fragrances like Strellson and Michalsky, the company reported sales of €156 million in 2010 and is one of Germany’s top 5 perfume makers. MÄURER & WIRTZ has been a fully-owned independent subsidiary of the Wirtz Group since 1990.

About BALDESSARINI

Since it was established in 1994, the internationally successful luxury label BALDESSARINI has appealed to the tastes of sophisticated, stylish men with its elegant fashion and exclusive fragrances. The label was founded by and named after Werner Baldessarini, former chief designer and longstanding chief executive officer of HUGO BOSS. Originally founded as a HUGO BOSS brand, the BALDESSARINI label swiftly established itself and grew to become an internationally recognised brand, attracting attention with bar owner Charles Schumann as its public face in advertising campaigns and the claim "Separates the men from the boys", which is still in use.

The brand signed a license deal for fragrances in 2002 with Procter & Gamble, and has since launched the fragrances Classic, Del Mar, Ambré, Private Affairs and Strictly Private. In 2011, MÄURER & WIRTZ acquired the license for BALDESSARINI fragrances. The label’s fashion business was spun off by HUGO BOSS in 2004 and continued as an independent label under the management of Werner Baldessarini; in 2006 the fashion brand was sold to the Ahlers Group in Herford.