Mielle Organics the well-known natural hair care company has been acquired by beauty manufacturing company Procter & Gamble. The owners Monique and Melvin Rodriquez will continue to run the company as CEO and COO. However, it will become an independent subsidiary of Procter & Gamble.
This move was due to the need to get more products into the consumers hand says CEO Monique Rodriquez. While the line caters to women of color there has been a growing demand for the products in other communities. Favorites like the Rosemary Mint Oil has been a top seller in beauty supply stores across the country and gets sold out rather quickly. Monique wants to keep the integrity of the product line and says she has no interest in changing any of the ingredients. The company started in 2014 and has quickly become a leading brand for consumers with textured hair. “This partnership gives Mielle an opportunity to serve more textured hair consumers with great formulas that our community loves,” said Rodriquez.
Over the past several years Mielle Organics received a significant financial investment of more than $100 million dollars from Berkshire Partners. This was possible due to Monique’s friendship with Richelieu Dennis the former founder and CEO of Shea Moisture. Dennis not only invested in her company, but he also helped to make the introduction to Berkshire Partners.
As a major part of this deal Procter & Gamble will donate $10 million dollars towards the Mielle Cares Charity, which is “aimed at providing resources and support to advance education and economic opportunities in Black and Brown communities” according to Rodriquez. Mielle Organics will also donate $10 million which will mean a total of $20 million in funding to “give back to the community who has been so instrumental in the success of Mielle,” she said.