| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hair care, skin care, food seasonings, household products |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder(s) | Leonard H. Lavin |
| Headquarters | 2525 Armitage Avenue, Melrose Park, Illinois, 60160, U.S. |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Carol Lavin Bernick Executive Chairman of the Board Vincent J. Marino President, CEO & Director |
| Revenue | US$1.43 Billion (FY 2009)[1] |
| Operating income | US$186 Million (FY 2009)[1] |
| Net income | US$119 Million (FY 2009)[1] |
| Total assets | US$1.56 Billion (FY 2009)[2] |
| Total equity | US$1.20 Billion (FY 2009)[2] |
| Employees | 3,800 |
| Parent | Unilever |
| Website | Alberto.com |
Alberto-Culver is an American corporation with international sales whose principal business is manufacturing hair and skin beauty care products under such brands as Alberto VO5, Andrew Collinge, St. Ives (skin care products), TRESemmé, FDS, Consort, and Nexxus. It is a manufacturer in the multicultural beauty care market with such brands as Soft & Beautiful, Just For Me, Motions, and TCB. It also makes popular household items such as Sugar Twin, Mrs. Dash, Static Guard, Molly McButter and Baker's Joy.[3]
The company was purchased and founded in 1955 by Leonard H. Lavin who was an entrepreneur and manufacturer's representative for various other companies. The newly created company was then moved to Chicago and a hundred other products were dropped and the company focused on Alberto VO5 shampoo and hairdressing.[3][4] In 1958, Alberto VO5 Hairdressing became the number one brand in its category and it still holds that position today. Lavin and his wife Bernice guided the company's growth until 1994 when they turned it over to a second family generation. Lavin remains a director of today's Alberto-Culver and his daughter Carol Lavin Bernick is the company's executive chairman.[5]
In 2006 the company sought to sell its salon distribution business, which includes Sally Beauty Supply stores and Beauty Systems Group, to Regis Corporation. It later terminated the agreement and on November 10, 2006, shareholders voted to spin off Sally Beauty.
The company's 2007 sales were reported at $US1.54 billion.[6][7]
In October 2008, Alberto Culver announced it had closed the transaction to acquire the worldwide rights and trademarks to the Noxzema skin care brand from Procter & Gamble, which includes the existing business in the United States, Canada and parts of Latin America. Procter & Gamble will continue to operate its existing Noxzema shave care, antiperspirant/deodorant, body wash and body soap business in portions of Western Europe.[8]
The UK head office is in Leatherhead, Unilever House and used to be in Chineham, Basingstoke, and the company has a manufacturing plant in Swansea, Wales, where all UK products are produced and also those for some European countries.
The company was bought by the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever on September 27, 2010 for $US3.7 billion.[9]