In a surprise, the U.S. M&A market seems quite steady. There were 101 U.S. announced deals this week (Nov. 25 to Nov. 30), valued at $32.9 billion, according to data from Thomson Reuters. This compares to last year, when there were 82 U.S. announced mergers from Nov. 20 to Nov. 26 (the last full week of November), totaling about $24.5 billion.

Brynwood Partners has done another deal with Kraft Foods and agreed to buy a controlling stake in Back to Nature.

Greenwich, Conn.-based Brynwood Partners and Wilton, Conn.-based Sun Products are announcing that Brynwood portfolio company, High Ridge Brands Co., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the rights to the White Rain personal care brand from Sun. As part of the transaction, whose terms aren’t being disclosed but should close next week, High Ridge is [...]

Brynwood Partners, the lower-middle market private equity firm, continues to add to its portfolio of hair care products companies. Today, it announced that its portfolio company, Golden Sun, has acquired to the rights to the L.A. Looks, Dep Sport, Zero Frizz and Thicker Fuller Hair portfolio of hair care brands, the Soft & Dri female deodorant [...]

High Ridge Brands Co., has acquired the global rights to the Coast personal cleansing brand from the Dial Corporation, a subsidiary of the Henkel Group. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, High Ridge Brands is majority-owned by the private equity firm Brynwood Partners, which formed the platform company in January of last year, when it purchased the North [...]

Brynwood Partners’ wholly-owned subsidiary Golden Sun Holdings has acquired Newhall Laboratories, a maker of personal care brands including la bella, Monkey Brains and GroWorks. Terms of the deal were not released. The deal is the third personal care acquisition from Brynwood Partners VI L.P. Newhall is based in Santa Clarita, Calif.

It’s been a busy week for Brynwood Partners

Today, the lower middle market firm announced it was buying the Alberto VO5 brand in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Greenwich, Conn.-based Brynwood is also acquiring the Rave brand and marketing rights worldwide. The seller for both is Unilever. The deal is expected to close at the end of this month, says Ian MacTaggart, a Brynwood managing partner.

MacTaggart declined to disclose how much Brynwood paid for the hair care products. High Ridge Brands, a Brynwood portfolio company, is the entity buying Alberto VO5 and Rave. Outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Alberto VO5 will remain part of Unilever’s portfolio, according to a statement.

High Ridge Brands, which owns the North American Zest personal cleansing franchise, has acquired from Unilever the Alberto VO5 brand and marketing rights in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The company also bought the rights to the Rave brand and marketing rights worldwide. Terms of the acquisition were not released. High Ridge Brands is owned by Greenwich, Conn.-based firm Brynwood Partners.

Private equity fund Brynwood Partners VI LP has acquired St. Paul, Minn.-based Pearson Candy Co. Terms of the deal were not released. Brynwood is a private equity fund that makes control investments in lower middle market companies. Pearson Candy was formed more than 100 years ago, and makes a wide range of candies, including “Pearson’s Mint Patties” and “Pearson’s Nut Goodies.”

DeMet’s Candy Co., which is owned by Greenwich, Conn.-based private equity firm Brynwood Partners, has acquired the TrueNorth nut snack brand from Frito-Lay North America. Financial terms of the deal were not released. Formed in 2007, DeMet’s Candy manufactures chocolate candies, and is based in Stamford, Conn. Brynwood Partners has more than $500 million under management.