Creative Laboratories, Inc.

family run manufacturer.

big capabilities.

Why Creative Labs?

Creative Laboratories is a 3rd generation family-owned manufacturing business located in St Paul Minnesota. Our 30 years of experience is focused in providing clients innovative health & beauty products with exceptional service. We pride ourselves in offering a full turn-key private label experience- taking an idea from a rough concept to a polished & completed shelf-ready product.

A “not too big, not too small, but just right” size allows Creative Labs the capability to excel at project sizes of 5,000 or 5 million pieces; all while providing an emphasis and detail to customer service that can only be described as Minnesota Nice. Your goals are our goals, and we consider your business as a partnership built upon a promise of Integrity, Creativity, and Innovation.

3 generations

A Family Business Built on Integrity, Creativity and Innovation

"A great reputation takes years to build, and seconds to lose. Don’t cheat the process.” Creative Labs is three generations strong and still living by my grandfather's words. From the first tanning lotion we brought to market three decades ago to the innovative beauty and color care products we produce today, we live by that mantra.

Creative Labs was born over a 1980's dinner table. It was the era of big hair and deep tans, and my grandfather, Ken Simmons, had an idea for a tanning lotion. In 1987, his sons, Gary and Dale Simmons, founded Creative Labs on that original formula. We started in a 4,000 square foot facility, with one production line, two compounding tanks and five employees. We sold our suppertime concept to the professional beauty industry, to beauty salons, tanning salons and health clubs. My grandfather immediately came on board to run the lab and develop new formulas.

Within three years, Creative Labs expanded to a full range of body care products, including moisturizers, aloe vera lotions, spf's and more. By 1991, we more than quadrupled our staff and production square footage to accommodate 12 compounding tanks, three more production lines, another chemist, an art department and opened off site sales offices.

Four years later, we were running seven production lines and offering a complete range of skin care products, sunless tanners and exfoliators. We added a warehouse and a 40,000 square foot distribution center and employed 35. I entered the picture then, a third generation Simmons, and brought with me a new focus to Creative Labs: Hair.

From Dinner Table to Corporate Table

Today, Creative Labs is a dynamic company of 80 with the creativity and production power to customize and bring to market any dream, big or small. Whether it’s the 80s tanning trend or today’s creative color craze, we still sit over the dinner table and brainstorm beauty. We’re still family-run, yet we’re continually cutting edge in an industry that never blinks. Become part of the Creative Labs family and let our integrity, creativity and innovation take your ideas from concept to shelf.

~ Brett Simmons