Stephen Pearlman Named President of Risdon-AMS

With more than 30 years of experience in the cosmetic packaging industry, Stephen Pearlman has witnessed a lot of changes. Now he’s observing the action from a new position as president of Risdon-AMS, a Watertown, CT-based, manufacturer of packaging components for the cosmetic industry. He has also been appointed vice president of Crown, Cork & Seal, the parent company of Risdon-AMS. Prior to these appointments, he was executive vice president of Risdon-AMS. Mr. Pearlman’s promotion was effective April 1. He replaced Thomas J. Dunleavy who retired after 29 years with Risdon-AMS.

During a career that has spanned more than three decades, first with Calumet and later, after an acquisition, with Risdon-AMS, Mr. Pearlman said the complexity of design and the challenge to produce a cosmetic package are at a higher level than when he first entered the business. “You have to be advanced and your people must have greater abilities in engineering and design,” he said. “The functionality of packaging parts and the packaging finishes have become much more sophisticated than when I first entered the industry.”

To keep up with customer demands and keep ahead of the competition, Risdon-AMS, a division of Crown Cork & Seal, recently moved to largerheadquarters and manufacturing facilities in Watertown, CT after more than 90 years in Naugatuck, CT. “The move is a tremendous endorsement for the future of our company,” pointed out Mr. Pearlman.

The move represents a 50% increase in square footage to accomodate this critical part of Risdon-AMS business, Mr. Pearlman noted. “We use metal-forming in every aspect of our business, whether it’s lipsticks mascara shells, fragrance collars, actuators or caps.”

According to Mr. Pearlman, the new facility includes new, high-speed equipment which has enabled Risdon-AMS to substantially increase production levels.

With its expanded production capabilities firmly in place, Risdon-AMS is well-positioned to meet the challenges of today’s cosmetic marketplace, according to its new president.

“Dealing with a global market continues to be a big challenge, as does keeping ahead of the competition,” commented Mr. Pearlman. “Through consolidation our competitors have been expanding globally, and we have to keep up with this global presence as well.”

Mr. Pearlman also noted that consolidation among Risdon-AMS’ customers has redefined the cosmetics industry and made it more challenging to stay ahead of the curve.

“There’s also the challenge of motivating our people to improve quality and service because the market is demanding faster turnarounds than ever before,” said Mr. Pearlman.

A Roster of Winners

Risdon-AMS has been able to meet its customers’ demands for many years. In fact, the company’s market share continues to increase in areas such as fragrance caps and pumps and color cosmetics due to innovative packaging solutions that the company has developed. Within the lipstick segment, for example, Risdon-AMS introduced the ColorTouch lipstick container with an anti-push-back feature that enables women to apply lipstick smoothly.

“We originally developed ColorTouch in the early 1990s for the luxury end of the business,” recalled Mr. Pearlman. “More recently we’ve been able to successfully market this product for the mid-range mass business for companies such as Avon and Revlon.”

In fact, Risdon-AMS’ lipstick business has grown so much in recent years that the company’s entire plant in Barrie, Ontario is devoted strictly to lipstick packaging. The Canadian facility has increased the company’s capacity and enabled Risdon-AMS to service the market more efficiently, according to Mr. Pearlman. In another lipstick innovation, Mr. Pearlman noted that his company developed the first air-tight full-size lipstick. That innovation enabled Risdon-AMS to expand its share in the long-lasting, silicone-based lipstick segment.

To service the mascara and fast-growing lip gloss segments, Risdon-AMS has expanded its capabilities and doubled its flock-tip production.

Within the fine fragrance category, Risdon-AMS continues to build market share based on the success of its patented crimpless pump. In fact, the crimpless pump now represents in excess of 50% of all the pumps that the company supplies. “Our customers have seen the advantages of using The Crimpless System,” noted Mr. Pearlman.

Two years ago, Risdon-AMS consolidated its fragrance cap business into its Danbury, CT facility. The move has enabled the company to leverage the expertise of its engineering and technology staff by taking the knowledge gained from lipsticks and applying it to the company’s cap business. “We continue to be the leading supplier when it comes to Surlyn molding, and we have been able to combine our metal and plastic capabilities to give our customers a complete product,” said Mr. Pearlman, who also pointed out that Risdon-AMS has the ability to electroplate or metallize caps.

Global Expansion

Risdon-AMS continues to expand throughout Europe. During the past five years, the company has been in the process of transferring technology developed in the U.S. to Europe so that it can provide its customers with the same products on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Pearlman told Cosmetic Packaging & Design that his company has a fully-integrated mascara operation which enables it to produce brushes, mold caps and bottles.

Now the company has completed that same technology transfer for its European lipstick business and within the next year Risdon-AMS will begin producing fragrance pumps in Europe where it already has a strong cap business. In fact, Mr. Pearlman called Risdon-AMS’ electroplating facility in Marolles, France, the most advanced in Europe. The company has entered eastern Europe where it has started manufacturing mascara bottles through a Polish affiliate in the Crown Cork group.

Despite the tremendous gains registered by Risdon-AMS during the past few years, Mr. Pearlman insisted the company must remain active in its pursuit of the most advanced cosmetic packaging concepts.

“The success of this company has been based on innovation,” explained Mr. Pearlman. “I firmly believe that we must continue to be innovative and strive toward having products that make a difference and differentiate Risdon-AMS from the competition. In order for us to stay ahead and increase market share it must come through innovation.”