Barbicide makers capitalize on fear of germs

updated 5:09 p.m. ET March 6, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Barbers have dipped their combs and scissors in it for six decades. Now the makers of Barbicide want masseurs, waiters and jail wardens to try a new form of the ubiquitous blue disinfectant.

The launch of wipes marks the first remake of Barbicide since its creation in 1947 by a high school science teacher in New York. New owners hope the public's fear of germs will give the product new life when the wipes start shipping this month.

The blue liquid in the tall glass jar is as much a part of the classic barbershop experience as the red-and-white pole. It's in more than 70 percent of the world's barbershops and salons that use disinfectants, said Alan Murphy, president of King Research, which makes Barbicide.

Now Murphy and Chief Executive Kevin Schuele, who bought the company with an investor group in 2006 for an undisclosed sum, envision the wipes used in hotels, spas, restaurants, schools and jails.

People are more concerned about germs — especially with news of a recent outbreak of the drug-resistant form of staph infection, Murphy said. They're asking service providers how they're keeping massage tables, arm rests, chairs and tanning beds germ-free.

"It has to come out of the background and into the forefront at those salons — the issue of disinfecting," he said.

The issue became more widespread — and even the butt of late-night jokes — in 2005, when singer and "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul testified before California lawmakers about a flesh-eating fungus that she acquired after a manicure in 2004. As for larger outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control said it doesn't track those in salons.

King Research won't release sales numbers, but Murphy said recent scares like the staph outbreaks helped push business up more than 25 percent in the past year, since King Research's production moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Milwaukee.

Ron Kuenstler / AP Chief Executive Kevin Schuele, left, and Alan Murphy bought the company with an investor group in 2006. They envision the wipes being used in hotels, spas, restaurants, schools and jails.

The company was run for years by Maurice King, who created Barbicide in 1947, and then by his son, Ben, after Maurice's death in 1988. Schuele was approached by a broker hired by King, whose family wanted to get out of the business, and decided Barbicide was a good fit. His own company, Pak Technologies does contract production of chemicals, personal care and other items, and he was looking for a recognizable, niche product with a strong market. Schuele decided to buy the company and then found the Milwaukee-area investor group including Murphy, appropriately, by talking to his hair stylist.

The products are only available to professionals, like hair stylists, through a network of 800 distributors and in national supply stores like Sally Beauty Supply.

In the consumer product market, the number of disinfectant products and their sales are exploding. According to research firm Mintel International, there were 1,610 anti-bacterial products — soaps, household cleaners and health care products — in 2006. That's up from 200 three years earlier. Sales of just hand sanitizers in the U.S. in 2005 were $67 million, up from $44 million in 2004, the most recent years available.

"Consumers in the U.S. seem to be very focused on germs and on eradicating them in every possible way," said Lynn Dornblaser, senior new product analyst at Mintel. The Barbicide wipes, she said, help professionals tap into that trend.

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