Billions & Billions Sold!
(no disrespect to McDonalds)
........................................................................................
Although not everything R4 Innovations works on turns into billion dollar businesses,
we certainly have had several major marketplace winners over the years
including these real-world in-market examples that you can buy in a store today!
Developing & Patenting Wallflowers
#1 Home Fragrance Line at Bath & Body Works!
As Vice President at Bath & Body Works (a division of L Brands), Mr. Ruffolo was part of a 4-person team
that co-founded, introduced, and quickly grew the White Barn Candle Company retail concept and product line from start-up to over 125 stores in 3 years. The key innovation anchoring the success of this new retail concept was the Wallflowers electric home fragrance unit which he created and patented.
www.uspto.gov
Patent #: 6,236,807 Ruffolo May 22, 2001
Mr. Ruffolo led the team which launched the Company's single largest and most profitable innovation.
Since its national launch in January 2000, Wallflowers has been Bath & Body Works #1 best-selling home fragrance product form providing all-important ongoing repeat store traffic with its patented
"razor/razor blade" refill model and delivering in excess of $3 Billion in sales...and still counting!
#1 Home Fragrance Line at Bath & Body Works!
As Vice President at Bath & Body Works (a division of L Brands), Mr. Ruffolo was part of a 4-person team
that co-founded, introduced, and quickly grew the White Barn Candle Company retail concept and product line from start-up to over 125 stores in 3 years. The key innovation anchoring the success of this new retail concept was the Wallflowers electric home fragrance unit which he created and patented.
www.uspto.gov
Patent #: 6,236,807 Ruffolo May 22, 2001
Mr. Ruffolo led the team which launched the Company's single largest and most profitable innovation.
Since its national launch in January 2000, Wallflowers has been Bath & Body Works #1 best-selling home fragrance product form providing all-important ongoing repeat store traffic with its patented
"razor/razor blade" refill model and delivering in excess of $3 Billion in sales...and still counting!
O Christmas Tree!
Mr. Ruffolo was asked to step in as CEO & President of Enviroscent in 2017 and 2018 after having been a Board Advisor the previous 5 years to help the Company overcome cash flow and profitability concerns.
In addition to cutting costs, improving operational efficiencies, and instilling ROI discipline on key initiatives, he was able to grow the topline, re-define the Company strategies, deliver short-term profits, and establish an ongoing profitable business growth model yielding record sales and EBITDA. He leveraged his category knowledge, industry network, and marketing expertise to help the team establish new strategic partnerships, improve the retail sell-through of the Company's #1 brand (ScentSicles), and expand the Enviroscent brand into 30,000 additional retail locations.
Additionally, Mr. Ruffolo was successful at re-engaging the Board, retaining key team members, and attracting new talent to the organization in Sales, Marketing, and Operations. Beyond the positive business results, he is equally proud of the impact he had on the organizational culture as evidenced by
a +25% improvement in favorability ratings in the Annual Employee Satisfaction Survey from Dec 2017.
Mr. Ruffolo was asked to step in as CEO & President of Enviroscent in 2017 and 2018 after having been a Board Advisor the previous 5 years to help the Company overcome cash flow and profitability concerns.
In addition to cutting costs, improving operational efficiencies, and instilling ROI discipline on key initiatives, he was able to grow the topline, re-define the Company strategies, deliver short-term profits, and establish an ongoing profitable business growth model yielding record sales and EBITDA. He leveraged his category knowledge, industry network, and marketing expertise to help the team establish new strategic partnerships, improve the retail sell-through of the Company's #1 brand (ScentSicles), and expand the Enviroscent brand into 30,000 additional retail locations.
Additionally, Mr. Ruffolo was successful at re-engaging the Board, retaining key team members, and attracting new talent to the organization in Sales, Marketing, and Operations. Beyond the positive business results, he is equally proud of the impact he had on the organizational culture as evidenced by
a +25% improvement in favorability ratings in the Annual Employee Satisfaction Survey from Dec 2017.
Re-Igniting Innovation at Yankee Candle
Over $1 Billion in 5 Years!
As Senior VP of Global Brand, Marketing, & Innovation, Mr. Ruffolo re-invigorated, re-ignited,
and re-focused the Yankee Candle Brand delivering over $1 Billion in new product sales in less than 5 years. He increased total company new product productivity by +50% by initiating, designing, deploying,
and leading a sustainable, disciplined, consumer-centric stage/gate innovation and new product development process which established greater transparency, improved cross-divisional and cross-functional alignment, enhanced risk management controls, created a consistent pipeline of timely innovation, and delivered
higher new product sales and margins.
During Ruffolo's tenure, "innovation/new products" account for over 25% of net sales each year
and new product "stickiness" dramatically increased with over 75% of total Yankee Candle Company sales coming from new products launched in the previous 3 years!
Over $1 Billion in 5 Years!
As Senior VP of Global Brand, Marketing, & Innovation, Mr. Ruffolo re-invigorated, re-ignited,
and re-focused the Yankee Candle Brand delivering over $1 Billion in new product sales in less than 5 years. He increased total company new product productivity by +50% by initiating, designing, deploying,
and leading a sustainable, disciplined, consumer-centric stage/gate innovation and new product development process which established greater transparency, improved cross-divisional and cross-functional alignment, enhanced risk management controls, created a consistent pipeline of timely innovation, and delivered
higher new product sales and margins.
During Ruffolo's tenure, "innovation/new products" account for over 25% of net sales each year
and new product "stickiness" dramatically increased with over 75% of total Yankee Candle Company sales coming from new products launched in the previous 3 years!
Creating True Blue SPA
The #1 SPA-At-Home brand in the world!
While at Bath & Body Works, Mr. Ruffolo led a cross-functional team and a network of key vendor partners
to research, develop, and launch the True Blue SPA brand. The line was created through primary field research designed to evaluate and benchmark/pattern the most unique SPA Treatments from the best SPAs in the world. Then, the most promising treatments, ingredients, and product forms were adapted for at-home use. Key products included paraffin hand lotions, shea butter body butters, raw ingredient-based body scrubs,
and island-inspired body lotions and body washes.
From its launch in 2003, the True Blue SPA brand was an immediate success with annual sales
in excess of $100 Million. It quickly became the #1 SPA-At-Home brand in the world.
In 2010 - True Blue SPA became another Billion Dollar innovation success story in Mr. Ruffolo's
consumer portfolio.
The #1 SPA-At-Home brand in the world!
While at Bath & Body Works, Mr. Ruffolo led a cross-functional team and a network of key vendor partners
to research, develop, and launch the True Blue SPA brand. The line was created through primary field research designed to evaluate and benchmark/pattern the most unique SPA Treatments from the best SPAs in the world. Then, the most promising treatments, ingredients, and product forms were adapted for at-home use. Key products included paraffin hand lotions, shea butter body butters, raw ingredient-based body scrubs,
and island-inspired body lotions and body washes.
From its launch in 2003, the True Blue SPA brand was an immediate success with annual sales
in excess of $100 Million. It quickly became the #1 SPA-At-Home brand in the world.
In 2010 - True Blue SPA became another Billion Dollar innovation success story in Mr. Ruffolo's
consumer portfolio.
Reinventing the Organic Personal Care Industry
Nourish...The Next Billion Dollar Brand?!?
In 2011/2012, Mr. Ruffolo was retained to create, develop, and successfully launch a first-to-market
USDA-certified organic personal care line. The work involved consumer research, competitive
benchmarking, packaging design and development, R&D formula development, clinical testing, and
ultimately, marketing and selling the line into the market.
Key marketing initiatives included: retaining actress and brand spokesperson, Christine Taylor,
and aligning with Whole Foods Market for an exclusive national brand launch in May, 2012 followed by
subsequent rollouts at Target, Wegmans, and Ulta Beauty. This successful launch helped change the
natural/organics industry, was very well-received by retailers, beauty editors, and consumers, and won
multiple innovation awards. Check out the line at www.nourishorganic.com.
Nourish...The Next Billion Dollar Brand?!?
In 2011/2012, Mr. Ruffolo was retained to create, develop, and successfully launch a first-to-market
USDA-certified organic personal care line. The work involved consumer research, competitive
benchmarking, packaging design and development, R&D formula development, clinical testing, and
ultimately, marketing and selling the line into the market.
Key marketing initiatives included: retaining actress and brand spokesperson, Christine Taylor,
and aligning with Whole Foods Market for an exclusive national brand launch in May, 2012 followed by
subsequent rollouts at Target, Wegmans, and Ulta Beauty. This successful launch helped change the
natural/organics industry, was very well-received by retailers, beauty editors, and consumers, and won
multiple innovation awards. Check out the line at www.nourishorganic.com.
Upending the Drain Care Category
The #1 Name in Professional Plumbing Services!
Mr. Ruffolo was retained by a PE firm in 2014 as CEO & President to help integrate the operations and turnaround 3 separate company acquisitions that were unprofitable and bleeding cash. Within 6 months,
the Company had begun its path back to solvency through a series of operational moves to improve efficiencies, changes to the selling organization to drive profitable topline sales, and brand re-stages and line extensions to re-engage retail customers and shoppers to the Company's brands including BIZ, Oxydol, Dryel, Mean Green, and Roto-Rooter.
One of the more notable contributors to the Company success was the "David vs. Goliath" challenge that
Mr. Ruffolo took on against the two industry giants in the Drain Care Category: Drano/SCJ and Liquid Plumr/Clorox. The Roto-Rooter product line launched with market-leading active ingredient levels,
a double-assurance performance guarantee (backed by the strength of Roto-Rooter professionals), and
expanded distribution from 3,000 to +20,000 stores helping Roto-Rooter gain share and momentum.
The #1 Name in Professional Plumbing Services!
Mr. Ruffolo was retained by a PE firm in 2014 as CEO & President to help integrate the operations and turnaround 3 separate company acquisitions that were unprofitable and bleeding cash. Within 6 months,
the Company had begun its path back to solvency through a series of operational moves to improve efficiencies, changes to the selling organization to drive profitable topline sales, and brand re-stages and line extensions to re-engage retail customers and shoppers to the Company's brands including BIZ, Oxydol, Dryel, Mean Green, and Roto-Rooter.
One of the more notable contributors to the Company success was the "David vs. Goliath" challenge that
Mr. Ruffolo took on against the two industry giants in the Drain Care Category: Drano/SCJ and Liquid Plumr/Clorox. The Roto-Rooter product line launched with market-leading active ingredient levels,
a double-assurance performance guarantee (backed by the strength of Roto-Rooter professionals), and
expanded distribution from 3,000 to +20,000 stores helping Roto-Rooter gain share and momentum.