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News BV INVESTMENT PARTNERS ANNOUNCES MAJORITY INVESTMENT IN ECRM BV Investment Partners has completed a recapitalization of The Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing Co., an integrated marketing services, software and data provider serving consumer-product manufacturers and retailers. The investment in ECRM will make BV the majority shareholder and is being done in partnership with ECRM's founding family and Greg Farrar, the incoming CEO. ECRM lends efficiency to the buying and selling process between consumerproduct manufacturers and retailers by operating a portfolio of highly focused, technology-enabled purchasing events. These events are enabled by ECRM's proprietary, mobile-optimized software suite MarketGate, which streamlines interactions between trading partners before, during and after events. ECRM also provides comprehensive product-promotional data and related analytics tools to retailer and consumer-packaged-goods clients nationwide through its Ad Comparisons data service. The company serves manufacturers and retailers within a number of key product categories, including health and beauty care. ECRM co-founder Mitch Bowlus remains a significant shareholder in the company. "My [late] father and I founded ECRM together nearly 20 years ago," says Bowlus. "We met the BV team several years ago, and we really clicked based on its experience partnering with families and its deep knowledge in the information-services sector. It understands our business and how to help companies at our stage expand and evolve rapidly." Farrar formerly served as president of Nielsen Business Media and has held executive roles at VNU Expositions, Trade Only Design Library and Bill Communications, a former BV portfolio company. "ECRM is an incredibly unique business that I have followed and admired for many years," adds Farrar. "I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the company. With the additional resources from BV there is no limit to the growth we can achieve." ESTETICA DESIGNS' RISQUÉ COLLECTION TO BE FEATURED ON NEW "STYLED TO ROCK" REALITY-TV SHOW Estetica Designs is a wig sponsor for "Styled to Rock," a new reality-TV show that's slated to air on the Style Network in September and is executiveproduced by entertainer and entrepreneur Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty. The designer-competition series will feature 12 aspiring designers who create cutting-edge styles for major celebrities as they compete for the title of America's next trendsetting designer. Singer-songwriter, rapper and fashion designer Pharrell Williams, model Erin Wasson and Rihanna's stylist Mel Ottenberg are in the series as mentors to the up-and-coming designers. Estetica Designs' Risqué will be featured on the series throughout the season. It features sexy, fun and flirty wigs in a variety of colors, from bold to natural, in styles such as Obsession—a long, silky, straight wig—and Bliss—a sultry, chin-length, layered bob. The line was created with Futura fiber, a new advancement in hair technology. (See page 64, "Kanekalon Futura Fiber" Photo Essay, April, Beauty Store Business. A Futura fiber dinner seminar—with demos—was held for those attending Beauty Expo USA 2013 in Las Vegas.) The high-heat resistant, synthetic fiber is designed to provide countless, long-lasting styling possibilities. Feeling completely natural, Futura fiber works to provide the qualities of premium human hair at a fraction of the cost. J. WHITE & ASSOCIATES WELCOMES PINK PEWTER TO ITS PORTFOLIO J. White & Associates' newest vendor partner, Pink Pewter—which exhibited at Cosmoprof North America 2013 and reported having an excellent show—brings its haute-couture collection of hair accessories to the professional-beauty and prestige retail-beauty channels from its rich history and success in the department-store arena. "Pink Pewter has not only crafted the most amazing designs in hair accessories, but it has taken them to a whole new level by incorporating beautiful and unique styles for every age," says Kristel White, J. White & Associates vice president. "By creating products that can be worn four or five different ways, CEO and founder Mireya Villarreal has single-handedly transformed the hair-accessories category. She is constantly designing new looks and products that are on-trend—NOT trendy—thus creating a continuum of relevant and profitable products." The line has such well-known fans as country music superstar Carrie Underwood. It has been placed in ULTA Beauty by the J. White & Associates team, and further expansion is planned in the salon/spa channel. 70 September 2013 | beautystorebusiness.com BTB REPPING MARIANNA IN FOUR TERRITORIES BTB Sales & Marketing is now representing beauty-product manufacturer and master distributor Marianna Industries in the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West territories. "BTB was founded on the premise that there is no substitute for hard work. Make the calls, knock on the doors and show up regularly at every single account is its approach to business every day," says Kimberly DeGeorge, Marianna Industries national sales manager for the company's dealer and retail divisions, who made the announcement.