Hugo Naturals seeks to expand business, appoints new CEO

CHATSWORTH, Calif. Hugo Naturals, a manufacturer and marketer of all-natural personal care products, has finalized an investment led by private equity firm Manhattan Growth Partners and appointed a former Freeman Beauty Labs executive to serve as CEO as it gears up for growth.

Founded in 2006, the company recently finalized a strategic investment led by Manhattan Growth Partners, and included an investment from the Matthew Pritzker Company.

"With the demonstrated brand success and now the significant capitalization, we are now ready to grow this gem of a business," stated Steven Dickstein, a sales and marketing veteran of 25 years, who was recently appointed CEO. Dickstein most recently served as president of Freeman Beauty Labs.

Founders Hugo and Debra Saavedra have taken on the positions of chairman/chief innovation officer and president/chief creative officer, respectively.

According to Dickstein, plans include a scale-up of operations to better support current customer demand and then expand distribution across the United States and internationally. Hugo Naturals will transition into a nearby manufacturing and headquarters facility in the coming months. The new facility will support a 10-fold increase in production to support the increasing demand, according to the company.

Hugo Naturals' product portfolio includes more than 150 SKUs in such categories as bar and bulk soaps, body and hand lotions, hair care products, face and body scrubs, and baby care products. The products are currently sold primarily in U.S. and Canadian specialty food and independent health and beauty care channels.