Kiss My Face looks to grow brand

GARDINER, N.Y. — Kiss My Face, a maker of natural personal care products, has partnered with industry vets Lisa Yarnell and Ron Gordon, and financial partner Caltius Equity Partners, in an effort to fuel the growth of the brand throughout various market channels, including mass merchants, specialty shops and natural retailers across the United States and internationally.

"National independent market research showed Kiss My Face to have the third-highest brand awareness among all women inclined to try a natural product, and the second-highest unaided recognition among women aged 24 years or younger shopping in natural and conventional retailers," stated Yarnell, who will serve as CEO.

According to the company, an important area of focus for the new partnership will include building on the recent launch of Kiss My Face's Peace soap -- a multipurpose, pure, 100% natural castile soap -- and its partnership with Seeds of Peace, an organization that aims to develop relationships and leadership skills among young people from regions of conflict. Kiss My Face will continue to support Seeds of Peace by donating 10% of all profits from Peace soap to the organization.

Peace Soap will be available in the next quarter at such retailers as Whole Foods, Target, Fred Meyer, Publix, Loblaw and Wegmans.

New investment partner Yarnell will join founders Bob MacLeod and Steve Byckiewicz to help grow the company, as well as the natural body care category. Yarnell comes to Kiss My Face with experience at such consumer packaged goods companies as Jane & Co., Coty Inc., Colgate-Palmolive and L'Oreal.

Gordon has joined the company's board of directors. He is the retired chairman and CEO of Beiersdorf North America, past president and COO of Nice-Pak Products and, prior to that, Gordon was the president of Goody Products Inc.