The Beauty Systems Group (BSG), a division of Alberto-Culver Company, Melrose Park, IL, completed the acquisition of CosmoProf, a full service professional beauty products distributor based in Chatsworth, California.

“CosmoProf is an important addition to Beauty Systems Group, giving us new geography in the very important Los Angeles, California market, as well as Hawaii, in addition to more stores and salespeople that will strengthen BSG’s existing positions in California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Utah, Nevada and Arizona,” stated Howard B. Bernick, Alberto-Culver president and chief executive. “CosmoProf will add 93 stores and 135 salespeople to the Beauty Systems Group, bringing its total to over 700 stores and 1,300
professional sales consultants. CosmoProf’s annual sales are near the $100 million level and after the closing, Beauty Systems Group sales should be over $900 million, with the acquisition being slightly accretive to Alberto-Culver Company earnings in fiscal 2005,” Bernick added.

Mike Renzulli and Gary Winterhalter, leaders of Sally Beauty and the Beauty Systems Group, said that “adding the CosmoProf Los Angeles territory has been a long-term objective for our company, and it moves us another step closer towards the goal of making the Beauty Systems Group a ‘national’ full service distributor. This acquisition nicely complements our December 2003 West Coast Beauty Supply purchase. We will take the learnings and best practices from CosmoProf to the rest of BSG, as we have done with so many acquisitions over the last ten years for BSG and since 1980 in earlier Sally Beauty purchases. CosmoProf is a key Matrix, Graham Webb, Wella, Sebastian, Nexxus, and TIGI distributor. Its purchase further strengthens Sally and Beauty Systems Group¹s partnership with global beauty powers L’Oreal and Procter & Gamble.”