Sustainable Growth 2026, ranking 294th globally among more than 4,000 companies recognized for balancing strong financial performance with environmental responsibility.
As the only Korean cosmetics company to make the list two years running, Kolmar achieved top‑tier scores in sustainability metrics — including carbon‑intensity and emissions performance — and ranked within the top 7% overall.
This accolade reflects Kolmar’s ongoing commitment to eco‑friendly innovation, from breakthrough sustainable packaging solutions and Green Technology Product‑certified formulations to Zero‑Landfill manufacturing and collaborative industry programs supporting emerging indie beauty brands.
Kolmar Korea is leveraging the global rise of the “K-trend” – the growing influence of Korean beauty – as a major opportunity for international expansion. In an interview with Formes de Luxe, Global Chief Commercial Officer Philippe Warnery highlighted how the company’s innovation, speed, and manufacturing expertise position it as a key partner for global brands looking to tap into K-beauty’s success.
Warnery emphasized that the K-trend has evolved from a regional movement into a worldwide standard for product development and creativity. To meet global demands, Kolmar Korea has expanded its footprint with a second U.S. facility and a North American R&D center, aiming to strengthen collaboration with international partners and tailor products to local markets.
By combining advanced R&D, flexible production, and cross-market insight, Kolmar Korea aims to bridge Korean innovation with global beauty expectations – helping brands deliver products that are trend-driven, high-performing, and globally relevant.
Philippe Warnery, Kolmar Korea: “K-trend is a huge opportunity for global brands”
Kolmar Korea has been chosen by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) to lead the cosmetics sector in the country’s AI Factory Alliance initiative – a national project designed to transform traditional manufacturing into AI-driven innovation hubs.
As the only cosmetics company selected, Kolmar will develop a fully autonomous production system that uses AI across every stage – from formulation and filling to packaging and quality control. The project runs from September 2025 through December 2029, aiming for more than 95% process accuracy and greater production flexibility for customized beauty solutions.
Building on its smart-factory success, which reduced defect rates by 42%, Kolmar plans to expand its AI model globally – reaching facilities in the U.S., Canada, and China, as well as its health supplement and pharmaceutical divisions.
This milestone reinforces Kolmar’s role as a leader in digital transformation, setting new standards for efficiency, precision, and innovation in K-beauty manufacturing.
Kolmar Korea is driving meaningful change in the beauty industry through its leadership in sustainable packaging innovation. Recognized for its award-winning designs, the company has developed multiple eco-conscious solutions that significantly reduce plastic usage while maintaining performance and consumer convenience.
Innovations include paper-based tubes and stick containers that cut plastic content by up to 86%, as well as a one-hand pump system designed for full recyclability without compromising functionality. These advancements are part of Kolmar Korea’s broader “clean beauty” strategy, which extends beyond packaging to encompass environmentally responsible formulations, reduced carbon emissions, renewable energy adoption, and zero-landfill manufacturing goals.
Together, these efforts position Kolmar Korea as a key partner for brands seeking scalable, sustainable solutions and reinforce its role as an industry leader shaping the future of responsible cosmetics packaging.
Source: https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainability/kolmar-korea-leads-cosmetics-in-sustainable-packaging
Kolmar Korea, a leading manufacturer in the beauty sector, has unveiled a new AI-powered platform aimed at streamlining how beauty brands source packaging. The company says this technology can shrink the entire packaging lead time from up to six months down to under a month.
Called Kolmarpkg.com, the platform allows brand clients to upload an image of a product concept; the system will analyze it and suggest matching packaging solutions from a catalog of 4,000 pre-certified options, including bottles, tubes, jars, pumps, closures, makeup sticks, and accessories. Users can also filter by product type, volume, and intended manufacturing country.
Behind the scenes, Kolmar connects clients to its global network of certified container manufacturers. Through Kolmar’s regional offices in Korea, the U.S., Canada, and China, the platform supports order management, supplier selection, minimum order quantities, and invoicing — all in one seamless interface.
By consolidating multiple steps into a single workflow, Kolmar projects brands will be able to launch globally far more quickly and with greater transparency. The company plans to extend the platform’s database to more than 10,000 packaging variants and deepen partnerships with local manufacturers worldwide.
A spokesperson at Kolmar said, “Implanted with AI, this new platform is a client-friendly solution that handles global packaging easily and fast — with our guarantee for quality. It demonstrates our commitment to supporting clients’ expansion across markets.”
Kolmar Korea partnered with Amazon as the exclusive manufacturing sponsor of Amazon Beauty in Seoul 2025, where it showcased its strategic vision for the global expansion of K‑Beauty before more than 3,000 industry attendees.
At the event held at COEX in Seoul, Kolmar Group Vice Chairman Sang‑Hyun Yoon delivered a keynote outlining a “K‑Beauty success roadmap” that emphasizes the importance of technological expertise, consumer insight, and blockbuster product development as core drivers of long‑term brand growth. Kolmar also featured an extensive exhibition booth highlighting its solutions across skincare, makeup, personal care, sun care, and cosmetic packaging, and provided tailored consultations to help partners turn concepts into sustainable businesses.
The company reiterated its commitment to strengthening the competitiveness of K‑Beauty worldwide through continued collaboration with Amazon and expanded support for global brand partners.
Kolmar Korea has officially completed construction and begun full‑scale operations at its second U.S. manufacturing facility in Scott Township, Pennsylvania, marking a major milestone in expanding K‑beauty’s presence in the world’s largest cosmetics market.
The new plant enhances ODM production capabilities across color cosmetics, skincare, and suncare while establishing a U.S.‑based “tariff safe zone” to mitigate trade barriers for global and Korean brands. Alongside its first U.S. facility, Kolmar now boasts an annual production capacity of 300 million units in the U.S. and 470 million across North America—the largest among cosmetics ODMs on the continent. The Pennsylvania facility also holds U.S. FDA OTC certification for sunscreen manufacturing and integrates advanced AI‑powered quality monitoring and automation to replicate the high standards of Kolmar’s Sejong plant.
This landmark achievement strengthens Kolmar’s local support for brands entering the U.S. market while positioning the company as a key partner for global expansion.
Source: https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/kolmar-korea-launches-full-operation-of-2nd-us
Kolmar Korea is strengthening its global skincare strategy by leveraging traditional “Uniquely Korean” natural ingredients that align with the growing ingredient-led K-beauty trend, which emphasizes naturally derived components supported by proven efficacy.
Flagship innovations include the Mung Bean pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam, co-developed with skincare brand Beplain. Inspired by a natural mung bean cleanser used in Korea for more than 1,000 years, the formula delivers powerful cleansing performance with low irritation. With over 10 million units sold, the product has gained strong traction in markets including the U.S., France, China, and Vietnam, fueled in part by organic social media buzz.
Kolmar has also developed natural mud-based masks, including the Relief Mud Mask created in partnership with natural mud cosmetics brand BRMUD. Formulated with more than 30% ultra-fine Boryeong mud—sourced from one of the world’s five largest tidal flats in Korea—the mask gently yet effectively absorbs impurities. Nicknamed the “Cardi B Mud Mask” after the American singer praised it on TikTok, the product is now sold in 11 countries, including at Costco stores in the U.S.
In addition, Kolmar Korea’s R&D teams are scientifically validating traditional botanical actives—including Spiraea salicifolia for anti-aging, Sophora flavescens extract for scalp care and hair-loss prevention, and native botanicals such as Rose of Sharon and lotus for sensorial enhancement—reinforcing the company’s role as a global innovation partner.
With the completion of its second manufacturing facility in the United States, Kolmar has begun full-scale operations to support K-beauty brands entering the U.S. market without tariff concerns, as well as global customers targeting North American, European, and South American markets.
Source: https://www.premiumbeautynews.com/en/kolmar-korea-draws-on-traditional,26166
Kolmar Korea has achieved a major scientific milestone by developing the world’s first hybrid composite sunscreen stabilization technology, UV‑DUO PLUS, which combines the strong UV protection of inorganic filters with the smooth, easy spreadability of organic filters.
The technology encapsulates inorganic particles with organic components to ensure even dispersion and eliminate gaps in the UV barrier, improving long UVA blocking efficiency by nearly 25 % compared with conventional sunscreens in clinical testing. Products using this innovation deliver SPF 50+ PA++++ protection and are certified as functional UV‑blocking cosmetics by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, with patent protections secured and global applications underway.
This breakthrough underscores Kolmar’s leadership in suncare innovation and strengthens its competitive position in the expanding global sunscreen market
Establishing a production-sales-R&D triad to accelerate overseas cosmetics ODM market expansion
SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kolmar Korea (KRX: 161890) is speeding up its global expansion by appointing experts in the global cosmetics industry to its North American subsidiary. With the plan to build its second U.S. plant early next year, the company has appointed a new head for its North American operations and a Global Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO). It has also set up a strategic framework that integrates production, sales, and R&D to better penetrate the local market. This plan includes creating an R&D team for North America and appointing a new manager.
“This appointment underscores our commitment to gaining new momentum in the North American market by placing industry experts at the forefront. Kolmar Korea will focus on fostering growth through the synergistic collaboration of sales, production, and R&D and expanding its influence beyond North America to Europe.”
Kolmar Korea announced that it has named President Yongchul Hur as CEO of Kolmar Laboratories and Kolmar USA, its North American subsidiaries. Philippe Warnery has been appointed as Global Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO), George Rivera as Chief Science Officer (CSO) of the North American subsidiary, and Managing Director Inki Park as head of the R&D Center for North America, responsible for bridging the Korean and North American markets.
The key part of the recent appointments is bringing in many people with vast experience in the global cosmetics market. This is expected to help the company enter the North American market successfully.
Yongchul Hur, the new CEO of Kolmar North American subsidiaries, brings a wealth of experience in the global ODM business, having overseen production of Kolmar Korea’s skincare and makeup products. He has previously served as president of Kolmar Beijing and Kolmar Wuxi, driving significant growth in Kolmar’s Chinese operations. Prior to his tenure at Kolmar Korea, he held prominent positions in the cosmetics manufacturing industry, including factory manager at Amore Pacific and CEO of Cosvision. President Hur intends to leverage his decades of industry experience to steer local business in North America.
Philippe Warnery, newly appointed as Global Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO), is an expert in the global cosmetics market. His prior roles include CEO of Intercos North America, an Italian cosmetics ODM, and President of the UK & Ireland Region and General Manager of the Canadian Affiliate at Estee Lauder. With 25 years of experience in the global cosmetics industry, spanning both brand companies and ODM companies, his extensive network is a key competitive advantage. Warnery aims to focus on securing significant sales from major global brands as well as indie brands and recruiting influencers that are gaining popularity worldwide.
George Rivera, appointed as Chief Science Officer (CSO) of Kolmar North American subsidiaries, is an expert with over 20 years of R&D experience at global cosmetics companies such as L’Oreal USA and Intercos. Most recently, he led process and technology innovation as president of Kolmar USA. CSO Rivera, in collaboration with Inki Park, head of the North American R&D Center, plans to concentrate on research and development tailored to the local market’s needs.
Center Head Park, a research expert with 18 years of experience, is responsible for adapting core technologies developed at the Kolmar R&D Complex, the Kolmar Group’s global R&D hub located in South Korea, to the local market. Utilizing data accumulated at the Complex, including color, formulation, and scent, Park’s team will analyze the needs of overseas markets and focus on developing customized formulations.
Kolmar Korea intends to leverage this strategic hires to maximize the operational capacity of its North American production facilities, including the first U.S. plant and the second plant under construction. The company aims to achieve $100 million in sales in the next five years. To this end, it plans to aggressively expand its sales network not only in North America but also in Central and South America. Moreover, with the rising popularity of K-beauty in the U.S. market through global distribution channels such as Amazon, the company plans to actively promote ODM sales that emphasize market accessibility and logistics efficiency for small and medium-sized Korean indie brands seeking entry into the U.S. market.
A representative of Kolmar Korea stated, “This appointment underscores our commitment to gaining new momentum in the North American market by placing industry experts at the forefront. Kolmar Korea will focus on fostering growth through the synergistic collaboration of sales, production, and R&D and expanding its influence beyond North America to Europe.”
Understanding the importance of the North American market, Kolmar Korea has acquired Kolmar USA (formerly known as PTP) and Kolmar Canada (formerly known as CSR) in 2016 preemptively establishing a foundation for global expansion. In 2022, Kolmar Korea acquired 100% of the ‘Kolmar’ brand trademark rights, securing exclusive rights to the brand and enabling unrestricted business operations in the U.S. and global markets. The company is expanding its sales network with the recent opening of the Kolmar Innovation Center in New Jersey, USA.
Contacts
Kolmar Holdings
Jang Woo Lee
jay.lee@kolmar.co.kr