Knowlton Development Corporation (KDC/ONE) and HCT Group have entered into a definitive agreement to create a comprehensive global end-to-end solutions provider for the beauty and personal care industry. Designed for customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to Indie, emerging and prestige brands, the two companies will partner to provide customers with an expanded suite of manufacturing and packaging solutions. Following the close of the transaction, Nicholas Whitley, president and CEO of KDC/ONE, and Tim Thorpe, president and CEO of HCT, will continue as CEOs of their respective business.
  
Established in 2002, KDC/ONE now has 16 state-of-the art manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe.. 
 
HCT Group was founded by Chris Thorpe, along with his wife Clare and eldest son James in 1992, HCT provides full-service, turnkey solutions across concept development and design, manufacturing, fill and assembly, and logistics and operations. With headquarters in Santa Monica, CA, and offices in New York, New Jersey, London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Shanghai, HCT partners with more than 400 clients including some of the most iconic beauty brands across indie, prestige and mass segments.
 
Moving Ahead
“This transformative transaction will enhance how we serve beauty and personal care brands around the world,” said Nicholas Whitley. “Our vertically integrated platform will offer the industry a true one-stop solution. With the support of our partners at Cornell Capital, as well as CDPQ, IQ and HarbourVest, we have been able to build our reputation as a top-tier innovator for an expanded base of customers. HCT’s cutting-edge designs, engineering, manufacturing and global reach will enable us to further elevate our product and service offerings to better serve and anticipate the evolving needs of our valued customers.”
 
“KDC/ONE and HCT have highly complementary business models and together will offer a unique solution to our world-class client base,” said Tim Thorpe. “The transaction will enable us to leverage adjacent customer relationships, geographic footprints and products. On behalf of my family and the entire company, I’m proud of all that we have accomplished and look forward to exploring synergies across both businesses for the benefit of customers and employees.”