Bristle Group names CEO, CFO amid plans to scale
by July 14, 2025 6:45 pm 729 views
Bristle Group, a Bentonville-based consumer product and technology company, announced Monday (July 14) new leadership as it looks to grow through investment and acquisition.
Erik Hawkinson is CEO, and John Valentino is chief financial officer, according to the news release. Louie Graham of Bentonville and Steve Fortner are the founders. Graham invented a range of patented and patent-pending razor cleaning products that help people shave. Graham founded a separate entity in June 2018 for the products.
“Having this leadership in place at this phase of our journey sets an even better sail and positions us well to not only maximize returns on investment but also achieve the vision and impact we set forth,” Graham said. “With our proven team, technology-forward strategy and product-market alignment, the future for Bristle is wide open.”
Bristle Group’s leadership team has experience in retail and consumer products, including executive experience at Gillette, Unilever, Harry’s, Walmart and Target.
“Our team’s experience with iconic retail and consumer product brands gives Bristle an immediate edge in how we innovate, commercialize and scale,” Hawkinson said. “We are not just a product company. We are a tech innovation platform that enables breakthrough pipeline opportunities for licensing, partnerships and brand acquisition … We built Bristle to be retail-ready from day one — IP-protected, performance-driven and positioned to scale through both licensing and acquisition.”
Over the past 18 months, the company has received support from small and midsize investors. It recently has been talking with “major industry players and institutional investors,” the release notes.
“After decades working with some of the most trusted names in consumer products, I recognized a simple truth,” Fortner said. “Most innovation overlooks the small, everyday problems that truly matter to people. Bristle solves one of those pain points in a brilliantly effective way. Our team knows how to take products from shelf to scale, and we’re doing just that — smarter, faster and with real consumer value at the center.”
Valentino said Bristle Group’s “financial discipline and collaborative culture” make the company “an attractive opportunity for strategic investors and potential acquisition discussions with industry leaders.”
Founded in 2022, Bristle Group plans to bring to market its mix of filed, patent-pending and patented products globally, along with digital enablement. The company has eight employees, including six in Northwest Arkansas.