About Kapra
Started by a chemist who wanted control of quality, service and cost.
Kapra Cosmetics, Inc. is a minority-owned personal care contract manufacturer founded by Rakesh "Rocky" Atreya in 1993 in Minneapolis. Today it has more than 65 employees and serves hundreds of customers from a 75,000 square foot facility in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
How Kapra began
Four decades in personal care before the first Kapra batch.
- 1968
Master of Science, Organic Chemistry. Rocky joins Modipon, a Rohm & Haas collaboration in India, as a junior scientist and spends three years on polymerization.
- EARLY 1970s
First chemist at Minnetonka Labs. He moves to the US and becomes the first full-time chemist at the company that would create Softsoap, learning personal care from the bench up.
- LATER 1970s
Medical diagnostic research. Working with drugs and hormones teaches him how a billionth of a gram can affect the body. He returns to personal care far more selective about every ingredient.
- 1991
VP of R&D at a Gillette division. He leaves that role to return to the Twin Cities as Technical Director, then partner, at Tiro Industries.
- 1993
Kapra Cosmetics is born. Rather than move his family, he starts his own company with full control over quality, service and cost. A daughter suggests the name: KAPRA holds the first letter of every family member's name.
- TODAY
65+ people, hundreds of customers. A newly expanded factory has raised capacity almost 300 percent, and products made in Brooklyn Park sit on shelves at national retailers.
Though many people think I am the boss, I in fact believe that our customers are the boss. They give us the opportunity to serve and they pay our salaries. At Kapra, we listen to our customers very carefully and always serve them to the best of our ability, because we firmly believe that if we provide quality, service and the best price, our customer would not look for another manufacturer.RAKESH "ROCKY" ATREYA · FOUNDER
Quality assurance
Tested in our lab. Tested again outside it.
Because of our commitment to excellence, every product is produced to the highest standard, and the checks are built into the process rather than added at the end.
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Sampled throughout the batch
Chemists frequently sample formulations during compounding, so a drifting batch is corrected on the floor, not discovered at fill.
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In-house and outside microbiological testing
All product batches are tested both at Kapra's lab and by an outside microbiological testing lab to maintain quality control and product specifications.
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QA at fulfillment and pack-off
Our production team applies a separate QA process during fulfillment and pack-off to ensure all product, packaging and shipping requirements are met.
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Confidential by default
Confidentiality and protection are provided for all private label formulas and proprietary information.
Certificates & commitments
Where we stand.
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Independent Beauty Association memberActive member in good standing, member ID 7210.
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Cruelty freeWe do not test on animals.
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Minority-owned businessFounded and led by Rakesh Atreya since 1993.
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International regulatory experienceKnowledge and experience formulating for international markets.
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Made in MinnesotaCompounded, filled and shipped from Brooklyn Park, MN.
Products we make are sold at
- Target
- Walmart
- Costco
- Ulta Beauty
- Sephora
- Nordstrom
- Macy's
- Neiman Marcus
- CVS
- Walgreens
- Kohl's
- JCPenney
- Lunds & Byerlys
Come see the floor.
We are twenty minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Ask for a tour, or start with a quote.