Conair Corporation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Household appliances, Personal care products |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Leandro Rizzuto |
| Headquarters | Stamford, Connecticut , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (over 100 countries) |
Key people | Leandro Rizzuto (co-founder, former chairman) |
| Products | Small household appliances, personal grooming items, health and beauty products, kitchen appliances |
| Owner | American Securities (majority), descendants of Leandro Rizzuto (partial) |
Conair Corporation is a U.S.-based enterprise located in Stamford, Connecticut, specializing in the sale of small household appliances, personal grooming items, and health and beauty products catering to both professional markets and individual consumers.
The company is predominantly owned by the private equity firm American Securities, while a portion of ownership remains with descendants of the founder Leandro Rizzuto.
History
Originating in 1959 from a garage in Queens, Conair began by marketing hair rollers and hair dryers. The firm went public in 1972 but was taken private again following a leveraged buyout in 1985. Co-founder and chairman Leandro Rizzuto remained at the helm until his passing in 2017.
Conair holds a prominent position in manufacturing hair care tools such as dryers, styling irons, and advanced curling devices including Curl Secret and Miracurl Stylers. In 1995, it acquired BaByliss, a brand established by Parisian stylists René Lelièvre and Roger Lemoine during the early 1960s to serve professional hairstylists.
Additionally, Conair produces kitchen appliances under well-known labels like Cuisinart and Waring.
In 2002, Rizzuto admitted guilt to charges of tax evasion connected to his tenure as CEO and received a prison sentence.
The company's growth strategy involved several acquisitions: Cuisinart in 1989, Waring Products in 1998, and Allegro, a bag manufacturer, in 2007. Following Jarden's acquisition of Holmes in 2005, Conair incorporated Pollenex into its portfolio, later rebranding it as Conair Home in 2013.
In 2019, Transom Capital Group purchased Conair’s professional liquids segment, which was subsequently renamed Beauty Quest Group.
Brands
Key brands organized by division include:
Hair and Beauty Accessories
- Scünci
- Conair
- Allegro
- BaByliss
Professional Products
- BaBylissPRO
- Barberology
- ConairPRO
- Leandro Limited
- ConairPRO Pet
Cuisinart
- Cuisinart
- Griddler
- AirFryer
- Cuisinart Elite
- Cuisinart Advantage
- Chef's Classic
- Green Gourmet
Waring Commercial Products
- Waring Commercial
- XPrep
- Bolt
- Café Deco
Conair Hospitality
- Stay by Cuisinart
- Luna by Conair
Subsidiaries
Conair maintains operations across more than 100 countries with offices and subsidiaries spanning over a dozen nations, including Babyliss SARL based in Paris, France.