FEATURED STORY
ZVONKO JORDANOV
Founder & Managing Director
“While working for a small cosmetics factory, I knew that things could be done better.
I arrived in Australia from Macedonia in 1991 and worked as a production manager at a small factory that manufactured cosmetics. With my background in engineering and experience in manufacturing, I had lots of ideas about how things could be improved. So, I took the plunge and founded G&M Cosmetics in 1996, naming the company after my son, George, and my daughter, Maria.
When I started G&M, I had just $10,000, five product concepts, and one used production line.
However, over the next 20 years, G&M grew steadily as our reputation for gentle and effective lotion formulas using natural Australian ingredients took hold. As we expanded our product range, increased production capacity and diversified end-markets, the company began growing even more quickly, with our brand becoming one of the most trusted Australian brands in China.
As we continued to grow, I realized it would be wise to reach out for help.
G&M was facing a number of big challenges all at the same time: managing significant international growth, implementing further product and channel diversification, and improving our marketing, sales and branding strategy. Also, it was clear that I could benefit from additional board-level experience to support our expansion, and so I began considering how to bring on a value-add partner.
I noticed right away that Seidler was different than the other firms I had spoken to.
When I first met the Seidler team in early 2018, they had already done detailed research about my company. So, they came to the meeting knowledgeable and excited about my products and my company’s growth potential. It was immediately clear to me that they had the right combination of business skills and cultural approach to add significant brand-building value as my partners.
We quickly reached a handshake deal that hit all my targets.
Seidler’s investment in my company not only provided me with capital for expansion but also allowed me to achieve my estate-planning objectives. Moreover, it allowed me to maintain majority ownership as well as control the board and day-to-day operations of the business.
Since our partnership began, the Seidler team has helped me refine and implement G&M’s domestic and international channel expansion strategy, recruit a sales and marketing team in China, and complete an acquisition that gave us immediate access to a new product range that is highly complementary to G&M’s brand positioning and consumer appeal.