A local consumer products firm founded by two former Procter & Gamble marketers has inked its second acquisition since launching in 2022, scooping up an eco-friendly home care brand from Cincinnati-based Gorilla Glue Co.
Cincy Brands, led by Sean Lee and Andy Cipra, friends who met while on the Iams pet food team at P&G, acquired Sapadilla Soap Co., a brand of earth-friendly cleaning products, from Gorilla Glue, effective Jan. 23. The deal comes seven months after Cincy Brands announced its initial purchase of online retailer Vitabox.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Lee, president of Cincy Brands, told me the goal is to guide Sapadilla — whose product line includes hand soaps, laundry liquid, dish soaps and all-purpose cleaners — through its next stage of growth, with a heavy focus on growing direct-to-consumer channels.
Cincy Brands targets brands with $1 million to $10 million in annual revenue. He said Sapadilla “sits in the middle” of that range.
With the acquisition, Cincy Brands has signed a lease for a second 50,000-square-foot warehouse in West Chester and expects to add a handful of new team members later this year.
“It’s a natural fit for what we’re building and the brands we’re looking to acquire,” Lee said. “One of the things that attracted us is that it already has amazing reviews on Amazon and a pretty loyal following.”
Sapadilla was originally founded by a husband-and-wife team in Vancouver, Canada, over a decade ago. It was quietly acquired by Sharonville-headquartered Gorilla Glue in 2018.
Lee said Sapadilla’s differentiator lies in its 100% pure essential oil blends, plant-based biodegradable ingredients and fresh scents, including grapefruit, peppermint, lavender and lime. Sapadilla initially sold in bulk to soap refillers and is currently found at major retailers in Canada, like Loblaws and Sobeyes, on sapadilla.com and Amazon.
Locally, Sapadilla is sold at Menards.
CincyBrands said there’s ample opportunity to expand into the U.S.
“It has a lot of growth potential, and we think this brand is very well positioned in a similar space to a Mrs. Meyer’s, Method, Seventh Generation,” Lee said. “Consumers that really enjoy scents — the person buying candles and using air fresheners and plug-ins, or Gain laundry detergent — once they use it, they tend to be repeat buyers.”
While CincyBrands will run day-to-day operations, Gorilla Glue will continue to serve as an investor and minority owner in Sapadilla. The deal was an asset sale, so no employees were involved.
Cipra, CEO of Cincy Brands, said in a release Gorilla Glue’s continued involvement will be integral to the transition. Their involvement cements their continued belief in the brand, and the team will look to leverage their expertise.
“Gorilla Glue has been a great steward of the brand,” Cipra said. “We are excited to invest and support this next stage of growth for Sapadilla to get its products into the hands of more consumers.”
Cincy Brands, backed by Wilbur Labs, a San Francisco-based startup studio, continues to pursue acquisition opportunities. Its sweet spot is “better-for-you” consumer brands in categories like health care, beauty care, home care, pet and baby, which are smaller in scale than what a P&G or Unilever would consider but with high-growth potential.
Cincy Brands promises a fast closing and infuses the capital, technology and expertise needed to scale rapidly, with experience in brand management, data, sales, e-commerce, product development and supply chain.
Lee said the goal is to add one to three more brands to its portfolio this year, using the Wilbur Labs investment and cash from the Vitabox business.
It’s seeing more details come to the table as overall M&A value has plummeted.
“Things are starting to normalize back to where it was pre-Covid, especially considering in 2020-2021, people were paying a lot for these types of businesses,” Lee said. “It’s been good for us, and we're just making sure we find the best deal at the right time.”
With the deal, Cincy Brands will look to grow its team. The firm remains housed at Union Hall in Over-the-Rhine and has about 25 employees based at a 25,000-square-foot warehouse on Cincinnati’s West Side, near the Indiana border.
In addition to new warehouse roles in West Chester, Lee said the firm would fill various positions in operations, supply chain and brand management this year.
