American Fork-based KT Tape acquired by Bridges Consumer Healthcare

Bridges Consumer Healthcare LLC, a consumer healthcare platform comprised of nine over-the-counter (OTC) personal care brands, including ThermaCare and Absorbine Jr., has acquired KT Tape, a kinesiology tape brand based in American Fork. Bridges Consumer Healthcare is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The acquisition “diversifies and strengthens Bridges’ portfolio of specialty OTC brands, increasing the company’s scale and positioning Bridges for accelerated organic growth and further add-on opportunities,” the company said. KT is also the fourth acquisition completed since the inception of Bridges.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2008, KT Tape was acquired by Boston-based private equity firm Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, which was previously known as Palladin Capital Group, in 2014.

“Today’s announcement marks an exciting new chapter for KT, positioning us to reach more customers and continue to drive meaningful innovation through the added scale of the Bridges platform,” said Jessica Klodnicki, CEO of KT Tape. “We have been impressed by Bridges’ leadership and depth of expertise across several consumer health verticals, as well as the company’s steadfast focus on its customers. We are thrilled to have found another collaborative strategic partner that shares a similar vision for the future of our business.”

In a LinkedIn post, Klodnicki said she was “extremely proud of the work the KT team has done over the last 2.5 years.”

Founded in 2008, KT Tape produces drug-free, topical solutions to prevent and relieve pain and promote recovery. KT is used by notable athletic organizations including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams.

“We are excited to join forces with KT Tape to advance our shared goal of delivering innovative over-the-counter healthcare solutions to improve our customers’ everyday health and quality of life,” said John Speranza, CEO of Bridges Consumer Healthcare. “KT’s innovative solutions enhance Bridges’ already strong position in pain relief, alongside our current brands in the external pain category, ThermaCare and Absorbine Jr. As we begin executing on our vision for growth, we look forward to exploring partnerships with similar brands that can help us scale further.”

“We are excited to join forces to continue to deliver top-notch service to our customers, consumers and partners,” Klodnicki continued in the LinkedIn post.

Bridges was founded in 2020 by a team of industry executives and Charlesbank Capital Partners of Boston to build a consumer healthcare platform. Since its formation, the investment firm said that it has “executed on this mission, acquiring nine brands focused on pain relief, women’s health and supplements, and accelerating double-digit growth through strategic marketing, innovation and a diverse range of sales channels, including e-commerce and B2B partnerships.”

“It has been a pleasure working with the founders of KT, Jessica and the entire leadership team to build a leading consumer products company providing health and wellness solutions for athletes at all levels,” said Mark Schwartz, CEO of Palladin as his company divests of KT Tape. “We’re confident that Bridges will be a good platform for KT’s next stage of growth.”