ESOP-Owned Emprise Group Makes One of the Largest-Ever Acquisitions by an ESOP Company

Emprise, a 100% ESOP-owned holding company that acquires and invests in middle-market consumer product companies, has acquired Nice-Pak Products through its portfolio company Vivos Holdings, LLC, creating one of the largest companies in its field. Emprise, which the company says stands for "employee" and "enterprise," includes a number of personal care companies, including Consumer Product Partners, Surefil, UpLift Brands, and Vi-Jon, as well as INSPR Labs, which provides research and analytical services for the personal care industry. Nice-Pak is a manufacturer of sanitizing wipes for personal care, babies and toddlers, homes, hospitals, and other users.

Emprise has over 1,200 employees and Nice-Pak over 1,500. Both companies have an emphasis on making sustainable, environmentally responsible products. The acquisition is the sixth-largest ever by an ESOP company. The acquisition will expand Emprise’s reach to global as well as domestic markets.

The NCEO published a report last year on the rapidly expanding trend of ESOP companies buying other companies. We are also developing a database of acquisitive ESOPs to help brokers and business owners find ESOP companies looking to buy other companies. For details, contact NCEO Executive Director Loren Rodgers at lrodgers@nceo.org.