With a history that can be traced back to the end of the Civil War and formulation expertise that comes from being a go-to partner for some of the most well known dermatologist brands in skin care, FC Sturtevant Company is shifting gears. This Windsor Locks, CT-based firm is shedding its contract manufacturing operation all together and moving into the consumer market.
 
The firm will take its Columbia line—best known for healing powders and creams—into new territory with face and body cleansers, moisturizing systems, deodorants and sun protection creams and sprays. This past summer, the company entered into a sales agreement with Elias Shaker & Company, which will represent its consumer skin care products to national and regional retail and wholesale accounts in the US.
 
The skin care sector is crowded and competitive, but FC Sturtevant contends its heritage and proprietary formulations will win over consumers.
 
Founded in 1871, FC Sturtevant is one of America's oldest family-owned skin care companies. The founder, Francis Sturtevant traces his roots to Sir Joseph Lister, who pioneered the use of carbolic acid for antiseptic surgery. Sturtevant blended carbolic acid into a powder, making his company the first to use the ingredient in that form. Carbolic acid would go on to become common to all medicated powers manufactured from the 1880s to the 1940s.
 
Over time, in addition to selling its own medicated powder, FC Sturtevant had become a go-to private label provider and contract manufacturer for top dermatologists who wanted to have their own skin care lines. But faced with customers who were moving to overseas providers, Sturtevant executives decided to take matters into their own hands, so to speak, and put the company’s R&D and manufacturing prowess to work for its own good.
 
“All the things we have been doing for others, we are doing for ourselves,” said Steve Rosenfeld, FC Sturtevant’s president.  “We’ll be introducing cutting edge technologies.”
 
Those cutting-edge formulations will come from a streamlined team. While the roster of chemists at Sturtevant has shrunk a bit (from 25 to 14 chemists), the engine is still revving high.
 
In fact, the company is building a state-of-the art 500,000 square foot production facility, design lab and distribution center in Windsor Locks that will open in 2017, according to Rosenfield.
 
FC Sturtevant prides itself on use of domestically sourced ingredients. Take its talc, for instance. Not only does it come from the same mine in Montana that the firm has been using since 1880, it is the same quality of talc that companies traditionally use in eyeshadow formulations.
 
“It makes a big difference,” he said.
 
According to Rosenfeld, Columbia’s sweet spot has been community-based pharmacies that take time to educate their customers, and there are a “fairly high percentage” of physicians who dispense products too. The team is looking to the alliance with Elias Shaker to expand that reach.
 
“We are very excited to partner with an experienced and results-driven sales firm such as Elias Shaker to represent our proprietary consumer products in the USA,” said Rosenfeld.
 
Currently, the staff is gearing up for Q4 2015 and early 2016 launches and creating its new look—all so it can to put its best face forward when the new Columbia meets the consumer.
 
“It’s a complete metamorphosis,” Rosenfeld concluded.