About Vantage Business Consulting
Vantage Business Consulting is a Phoenix-based go-to-market firm for supplement, CPG, beverage, food and home fragrance brands, led by Carlton Hawkins.
34 years
In consumer brands
2
PE-backed brand platforms built and sold
$100M
Acquisition of Pert Plus and Sure from P&G
$200M
Wallflowers sales in its first 18 months
Who we are
Vantage Business Consulting is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and works with consumer brands across the United States. We were formed in 1998 as an Arizona limited liability company.
We work on the commercial side of the business, from pricing and retail strategy to inventory and the P&L. We are not a creative agency.
Carlton Hawkins, Principal Consultant
Carlton has spent 34 years building, buying and repositioning consumer brands.
Built and sold
Co-founded Belae Brands and Innovative Brands, two private-equity-backed platforms, and took both through a sale, including the $100M acquisition of Pert Plus and Sure from Procter & Gamble. Today he advises PE and VC firms on consumer brand due diligence, under NDA.
Launched what sells
At Bath & Body Works he launched White Barn Candle Company and the original Wallflowers. At Healthy Lifestyle Brands he built the ecommerce platform that grew Vitamin Advisor from under $1M to over $10M.
Marketed under the rules
FDA monograph products at Dial, Medicare plans at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and mutual funds as Chief Marketing Officer of Longboard Asset Management.
Ran pro sports marketing
Led marketing for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Arizona Hotshots. At the Diamondbacks, attendance grew from about 1.6 million to about 2.4 million. See the Diamondbacks results →
Still teaching, still current
An active marketing professor and Co-Founder & Head of Marketing at Clear Discovery, an SEO, AEO and GEO firm in Gilbert, AZ, so our digital advice reflects today’s market.
What we do
We help CPG brands get to shelf and stay there. Every engagement is milestone-based, not an open-ended retainer.
- Go-to-market strategy. Positioning, channel plan and fractional leadership to launch, relaunch or grow.
- Retail readiness. Pitch decks, line sheets, trade shows and wholesale pricing for the move into retail.
- Pricing and forecasting. From shelf price back through every margin, with forecasts buyers and lenders can believe.
Who we serve
Consumer brands at every stage, from first product to post-acquisition, plus the PE and VC firms that own them. See who we help →
How to contact us
- Email: Carlton.Hawkins@vbuscon.com
- Phone: Call (602) 345-1522
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm Arizona time, closed on holidays
- Service area: Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona, and nationwide