This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Kansas City’s best-known soap maker: Indigo Wild has manufactured its Zum line of goat’s milk soaps, body care, and home goods entirely in Kansas City since 1996, growing from a farmers’ market table to a ~$40M national brand — now majority-owned by Indianapolis PE firm HKW, with founder Emily Voth retained as a minority owner and creative lead.

Description

Indigo Wild is a Kansas City natural soap and personal-care manufacturer, best known for the Zum Bar — a handcrafted goat’s milk soap made in batches at the company’s Midtown facility on Wyandotte Street. The company was founded in 1996 by Emily Voth, who began making and selling soap at Kansas City farmers’ markets after her yoga instructor encouraged her to turn a hobby into a livelihood.1 The brand name “Zum” derived from an informal compliment — reportedly a wine-fueled observation that the product was “zum bar of soap” — which Voth adopted as the product line name.2

From that farmers’ market start, Indigo Wild grew into one of the most recognizable indie soap brands in the country, expanding distribution to more than 4,400 grocery and specialty retailers nationwide plus direct-to-consumer e-commerce.1 The product line has grown to include body care (lotions, lip balms, body scrubs), room and body sprays, candles, liquid hand soaps, and laundry detergent — all produced at two Kansas City facilities.23 The company sells approximately 2.5 million Zum Bar soaps annually and uses roughly 1.3 million pounds of coconut oil per year.2 As of the mid-2020s, Indigo Wild employs approximately 147 people, with roughly half having been with the company for more than five years.2

The Zum Factory retail store at 3125 Wyandotte offers walk-in shopping, scent testing, and access to exclusive and limited-edition products not available online — making it one of a handful of Kansas City maker-businesses where the public can shop directly at the production site.4 Curbside pickup is also available.4

Ownership and history

Timeline

PeriodOwner / OperatorNotes
1996 → 2018Emily & Todd Voth (founder-owned)Started in their KC kitchen; grew to $30–40M annual revenue.15
Aug 2018 → presentHKW (majority); Emily & Todd Voth (minority)PE firm Hammond, Kennedy, Whitney & Co. (Indianapolis/New York) acquired majority stake; Voths retained minority ownership and Emily continued as creative lead (“Head Zummer”).61

Founder background

Emily Voth is a Kansas City–based entrepreneur who started Indigo Wild in her home kitchen in 1996, initially selling Zum Bar soap at KC farmers’ markets.1 She and her husband Todd built the business over roughly 22 years before bringing in outside capital. In 2018, Voth chose to pursue a PE partnership to expand distribution and free herself from the administrative CEO role, stating: “I selfishly like to do what I like: product development, marketing.”1 Post-acquisition, she retained final approval on products and continued as the brand’s product development and marketing lead, while incoming VP of Global Sales Mike Stacy (formerly of Dr. Bronner’s) took on sales expansion responsibilities.16

Ownership detail

The August 2018 acquisition by Hammond, Kennedy, Whitney & Co. (HKW) — a private equity firm headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, with offices in New York — represented HKW’s first investment in the beauty category.5 Deal terms were not publicly disclosed; industry estimates at time of acquisition put annual revenue at $30–40 million.5 Emily and Todd Voth remained as minority shareholders and Emily retained a formal creative leadership title (“Head Zummer”).61 No subsequent acquisition, sale, or exit by HKW has been publicly announced as of June 2026. All manufacturing, operations, and the factory retail store remain in Kansas City.24

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

  1. Beauty Independent — “How Indigo Wild Founder Emily Voth Knew The Time Was Right To Sell Her Company.” https://www.beautyindependent.com/indigo-wild-co-founder-emily-voth-time-was-right-to-sell/ — Asserts: Emily Voth founded 1996 in KC kitchen; farmers’-market origin; sold to HKW 2018; Voths retained minority stake; Emily retained final product approval and creative lead role; Mike Stacy hired as VP Global Sales; Emily’s stated motivation (“I selfishly like to do what I like”). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  2. Indigo Wild — “About Us.” https://www.indigowild.com/pages/about-us — Asserts: founding story (1996, KC farmers’ markets); origin of “Zum” name; product lines; 2.5M soaps/year; 1.3M lbs coconut oil/year; ~147 employees; two KC facilities (3125 Wyandotte, 2800 Mercier). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. Thinking Bigger — “Indigo Wild to Add Second Plant in Kansas City.” https://ithinkbigger.com/indigo-wild-add-second-plant-kansas-city/ — Asserts: 2800 Mercier St, Kansas City (liquid products facility; 29,000 sq ft; $2.5M renovation); opened spring 2015; 12 employees at Mercier facility at opening. ↩

  4. Indigo Wild — “Zum Factory.” https://www.indigowild.com/pages/zum-factory — Asserts: 3125 Wyandotte St, Kansas City, MO 64111; hours Tue–Fri 10 am–5 pm, Sat 10 am–2 pm; curbside pickup; walk-in retail; phone (816) 221-3480. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. WWD — “HKW & Co. Acquires Indigo Wild.” https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/feature/hkw-co-acquires-indigo-wild-1202775102/ — Asserts: $30–40M annual revenue estimate at time of acquisition; Moelis advised; first beauty investment for HKW; HKW portfolio context (Panos Brands, Allied Vision Group). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. HKW — “HKW Announces Acquisition of Indigo Wild” (Aug 10, 2018). https://www.hkwinc.com/hkw-announces-acquisition-of-indigo-wild/ — Asserts: acquisition closed Aug 10, 2018; Emily Voth continues as “Head Zummer”; Voths retained ownership stake; HKW HQ Indianapolis and New York. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Kansas City–owned
  • Midtown