Firelight Capital Partners acquires Fromm International

Firelight Capital Partners, an operationally-oriented private equity firm, announced on Thursday the acquisition of Fromm International, marking its first platform investment in beauty. 

Fromm International, founded in 1907, has long been respected for its innovative tools, accessories, and everyday beauty essentials catering to both professionals and consumers. 

Fromm’s extensive distribution network, spanning thousands of points throughout North America and Western Europe, including all Ulta Beauty stores, positions it as a key player in the beauty market. The company has earned recognition for delivering high-quality beauty and grooming tools under brands such as Fromm Pro, The Hair Edit, and Diane. Additionally, Fromm stands as one of the largest suppliers of education kits to beauty schools across North America.

“We see tremendous potential in Fromm’s brands and are excited to build upon its more than 100-year legacy of success,” said Pat Collins, managing partner of Firelight Capital Partners. 
 
Fromm’s current owners, Julie Simon Johnson and Kevin Johnson, who will continue to own a portion of the company, added “We are extremely proud of what the Fromm team has accomplished and are excited to see what the future holds. We believe the organization will continue to thrive and grow under the new leadership.”

With the acquisition comes a change in leadership, as Martin Okner assumes the role of CEO, effective January 2. Kevin Barrett, the current president of Fromm, with 35 years of dedicated service, will transition leadership of day-to-day operations to Okner while retaining his title and contributing to special projects. 

Most recently, Okner was president of DpHue, and has previous experience at Fortune 500 companies such as Revlon and Cadbury. 

“I am honored to lead Fromm into this new chapter. With the company’s strong foundation and support of Firelight Capital Partners, we will continue to deliver exceptional products and services to our customers and will continue to realize new opportunities for growth and expansion through retail distribution and acquisitions,” said Okner.