The story
Helen of Troy Limited began as a wig store in Downtown El Paso in 1968 and expanded into the hair appliance business in 1975 by supplying hair salons with hair dryers and curling irons. In 1980, the son of the company's founder Louis Rubin, Jerry Rubin, entered into a licensing agreement with Vidal Sassoon. Since then, the company's growth has come through years of acquiring rights to use well-known global brands in the health and home, housewares, beauty and nutritional supplements categories, or by acquiring brands and companies outright.
The company underwent a notable tax inversion when it reorganized into a Bermuda company in 1993. This inversion prompted new federal legislation tightening the rules on inversion, which are colloquially known as the "Helen of Troy Rules."
In June 2004, the company paid $273.2 million for OXO International, a New York designer and maker of household tools. In January 2011, the company announced it has completed the acquisition of Kaz Incorporated for $271.5 million. Kaz provides consumer products serving health care and home environment needs including body thermometers, humidifiers, fans, and other products primarily under the licensed brands Vicks, Braun and Honeywell, as well as products under owned brands like Stinger, Softheat, and Kaz. In January 2012, Kaz acquired PŪR water purification products business from Procter & Gamble.
In 2014, the company implemented its succession plan, with Jerry Rubin stepping down as CEO, and the appointment of Julien R. Mininberg as CEO, effective March 1, 2014. Mininberg had been CEO and president of Helen of Troy's Healthcare/Home Environment segment.
In March 2016, the company acquired Steel Technology, LLC, which does business under the brand name Hydro Flask, for approximately $210 million in cash, subject to certain customary closing adjustments.
In December 2021, the company bought Osprey Packs, Inc for $414 million.
From Wikipedia’s article on Helen of Troy Limited, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.8