Dominique Vautier, President of the Alkos Group

Founded in 1982 by Gérard Gieux, the Cosmogen company has gradually specialized in high-end packagings for cosmetic products, with as main clients, leading names in luxury cosmetics. In 1998, Gérard Gieux acquired one of his customers, Alkos Cosmetics (cosmetics pencils), and set foot in the formulation market along with the production of cosmetic products. In 2008, with the help of financial investors (Bpi France and NCI gestion), he took over two companies – Intercosmétiques and Sagal (make-up, skincare and hygiene) – that became part of the Alkos Group umbrella.

After having successfully developed the two groups in parallel, with operations in France, USA, Brazil and China, Gieux decided to organize his operational succession while keeping a minority stake in the capital and taking the Chair of the Supervisory Board.

"The new strategic plan, the statement details, is mainly based on organic growth, new product developments and international expansion. But acquisitions are not excluded however, to strengthen this organic strategy enabling to expand the product range or complete establishments abroad. The shareholders’ aim being to increase the turnover from 64 million euros to 100 million euros in the 5 year to come."

Alkos: a 50 million euro goal

"A few weeks before the kick-off of MakeUp in Paris, explains Vautier, the turnover of Alkos will have increased by more than 16% in 2013 over the previous year, and prospects for 2014 look very good." A 2013 year that saw the arrival of new production lines for lipsticks, plastic cosmetic pencils and eyeliners and the complete renovation of the production line for soaps. "This year, he adds, we will continue to invest in plastic pencils and the conditioning of cleansing products."

Vautier also recalls that "this excellent performance is due to the 3 million euros that have been injected in the past two years in the Alkos Group and to the work carried out to improve the industrial performance, but also, of course, to the work undertaken to reorganize the sales and marketing departments around the three poles of the Group. A particularly wide product offer covering skincare, pencils, make-up (except powders and polishes), soaps and perfumed deo sticks."

To note, on the occasion of the upcoming MakeUp in Paris, the presentation of industrialized innovations, such as, among others:

 A new lip stick, "Lift & Comfort Lipstick"; the new perfectly balanced great classic,
 A novel fluid lip texture "Fluid Color Sensation", with a subtle satin film
 A full service skincare "Instant Perfector Eye Zone" in the innovative packaging, Cosmogen Tense,
 The latest generation in the success story of Alkos plastic pencils textures in an Eye Liner version "Liquidlike EL", with a "Wow! " sensation!