L’Oréal Acquires Columbia Beauty Supply

PARIS – L’Oréal USA has tightened its grip further on the U.S. professional salon products business with the acquisition of Columbia Beauty Supply, a professional beauty products distributor.

Terms of the deal to take over 100 percent of the firm, announced Monday, were not disclosed.

Columbia Beauty Supply, based in Charlotte, N.C., generated around $60 million in sales last year. It supplies hair salons across four U.S. Southeastern states, according to L’Oréal.

The acquisition of Columbia Beauty Supply, which becomes part of L’Oréal’s Professional Products Division, follows the French beauty giant snapping up Maly’s in July 2007 and Beauty Alliance in April 2007. Columbia Beauty Supply will be managed by Beauty Alliance.

“This acquisition demonstrates L’Oréal’s determination to offer a better service to U.S. hair salons,” L’Oréal said in a statement.

For more, see Tuesday’s issue of WWD.