Who Owns Design Essentials?
Updated onExplore the ownership hierarchy of Design Essentials. See parent companies, holding structures, and ultimate controllers.
Ownership Chain
Design Essentials
Design Essentials is a Black-owned, science-driven hair care brand founded in 1990 by Cornell McBride Sr. that offers salon-quality products for textured and diverse hair types worldwide, with retail pricing starting around $9 per product.
Starts at $8.99 / product
McBride Research Laboratories
McBride Research Laboratories is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of professional and retail hair care products, best known for its Design Essentials brand.
Design Essentials
Design Essentials is a Black-owned, science-driven hair care brand founded in 1990 by Cornell McBride Sr. that offers salon-quality products for textured and diverse hair types worldwide, with retail pricing starting around $9 per product.
Starts at $8.99 / product
McBride Research Laboratories
McBride Research Laboratories is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of professional and retail hair care products, best known for its Design Essentials brand.
Major Shareholders
McBride Research Laboratories
Major Shareholders
| Name | Type | Ownership | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
McBride family Privately held, family‑owned and Black‑owned hair‑care manufacturer founded by Cornell McBride Sr. and now led by second‑generation president Cornell McBride Jr.; public profiles and Georgia corporate filings list McBride family members as the key officers and repeatedly describe Design Essentials/McBride Research Laboratories as an independent, family business with no disclosed venture‑capital or private‑equity investors, strongly indicating that the McBride family collectively holds the controlling equity in McBride Research Laboratories, although exact ownership and voting percentages are not public. | Family | — | Dec 2025 |
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