Avalon Natural Products sold in $120 million deal

A New York natural products company announced a $120 million deal Monday to acquire Avalon Natural Products, a Petaluma company that makes organic cosmetics.

It marks the second time in a year that Hain Celestial Group has scooped up a Sonoma County company in the fast-growing organic market. Last December, Hain purchased Spectrum Organic Products, an organic oils and nutritional supplements company also in Petaluma.

Avalon was a major player in the organic personal care market, offering a line of more than 150 products. Founded in 1989, the company had more than $40 million in revenues last fiscal year, primarily from its Avalon Organics, Alba and Unpetroleum lines.

Based in Melville, N.Y., Hain is a leading natural and organic food and personal care products company. It sells products under 40 brands, including Celestial Seasonings tea and Terra chips.

Hain entered the personal care category two years ago with its purchase of Jason body care products, followed by acquisitions of the Zia Natural Skincare and Queen Helene brands.

“These brands have exceeded our initial expectations and now with the addition of Avalon and Alba, we are better positioned to create a more significant platform for continued expansion in this fast-growing category,” Hain’s president and chief executive, Irwin Simon, said in a statement.

It acquired Avalon from North Castle Partners, a Greenwich, Conn., private equity firm that focuses on the healthy-living market.