
About Us
prima materia
(noun): Latin for “prime matter”
A term from early alchemy. Coined by Aristotle, it is the formless base of all matter. As a literal concept, “prime matter” is a material that can convert whatever it touches into something perfect.
A magnum opus

We’re in the business of better beauty.
The beauty world is full of big ideas, but big ideas without the proper expertise to back them up fall flat. That’s where we come in. With the most experienced team and the best track record in the business, we do contract beauty manufacturing, but better. To us, that means beauty and personal care, made with care.
For the past forty years, we’ve based our operations out of Miami. But, with every client we’ve helped find success, we’ve grown ourselves as well, now with additional state-of-the-art facilities in LA and NYC.
Our mission is to be the most trusted product development and production partner for brands as they redefine the beauty industry. We consider ourselves lucky to work with incredible indie, emerging, and established brands to create award-winning products recognized by the media and loved by consumers.
We can’t wait to share what we’ve learned with you.
Our Story
1983
Our Start
Prime Matter Labs' journey began in Miami where our founders, Mark and Mohamed, were running an export business with their father. They soon joined forces with Frank, an experienced professional in hair care manufacturing. Together, they seized the opportunity to collaborate with a growing hair care brand, laying the foundation for what we’d become today.
1984
Building Chemistry
As it became clear we were here to stay, we stocked up on quality hardware to help us meet demand. A prodo-Pak form fill and seal machine we bought in 1984 continues to deliver outstanding results even today (with a few upgrades).
1991
A New Home
In 1991, after eight years of operating, we had completely outgrown our original lab in Medley. We decided to build a 50,000-square-foot facility in Miami Lakes, which still serves as our team’s headquarters.
1995
100 Strong
We staffed up to over one hundred people for the first time ever in 1995. And it’s a good thing we did, facing growing demand for our products and a newly minted deal for a global lifestyle brand that wanted to partner on a full set of skin care products.
1998
National Footprint
After more than a decade of helping brands grow and expand, we became the go-to manufacturer for some of the national players in the beauty space. Alongside some of the leading sun care brands in the world, we leapt into the new millennium.
2000
A Second Home
We couldn't stay away from Medley for long. Upon recognizing the opportunity to expand our business into aerosols and bag-on value products, we decided to build out our second dedicated facility, just steps from our original home.
2020
Prime Matter Labs Is Born
The manufacturing landscape has changes a lot since 1983, but our drive, innovation, and commitment to success have not. Amid the shifting landscape, we decided it was time for a new name and brand, looking to reach an even larger audience and show then what we can do.
2021
Growing West
We spread our operations nationwide by acquiring Cosmetic Development Laboratories (CDL) in Torrance, California. By extending out reach and capacity, we were then able to help even more customers realize their goals, grow their businesses, and achieve success.
2023
Amplifying Capabilities
We upgraded and scaled all our facilities to better service our customers on both coasts. In Miami, we completed the renovation of our Miami Gardens facility and added +12M units of bag-on-valve capacity to our Medley facility. We also doubled batching capacity at PML West in Torrance, California.
Our People
Leadership
CEOAaron Paas
After growing up in Canada, Aaron spent his career working in consumer packaged goods and technology. He spent several years working with Procter & Gamble across every stage of brand and product development, then moved onto Etsy where he built and launched software tools for sellers. Aaron is also a founder himself, launching a natural personal care brand, Wildist in 2017. He joined Prime Matter as CRO in 2020.
CSOJennifer Hurtikant
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jennifer brings over 20 years of formulation, development, regulatory, and manufacturing experience to our team. As Chief Science Officer, she leads our science organization across the company to realize our vision of making contract manufacturing better for brands.
CFOCong Wu
Originally from New York, Cong brings more than 20 years of finance leadership experience helping consumer products companies scale and transform. Throughout his career, he has supported organizations including L'Oréal, Maesa, several private equity-backed beauty companies, and leaders in the premium spirits industry through periods of growth, acquisitions, and operational transformation. As Chief Financial Officer, Cong leads Prime Matter Labs' Finance, Accounting, and Treasury functions, partnering across the business to drive financial discipline, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.
VP, PML EastAnwar Barakat
Local to Miami, Florida, Anwar leads all Prime Matter Labs Miami-based facilities as the VP, Prime Matter Labs East BU. With a background in business administration and experience with virtually every aspect of the process, Anwar is a great source for information and guidance for team members.
Sr. Director of OperationsNatalia Davalos
As our resident Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Natalia oversees the manufacturing operations of our facilities in Miami Gardens and Medley, Florida, providing her strong leadership and problem-solving skills to ensure high performance production processes and operational excellence. Raised in Havana and currently based in Miami, Natalia studied chemical process engineering in Moscow and has over 20 years of experience in chemical engineering and operations at CPG and cosmetic manufacturing companies.
Director, PML WestReinaldo Hernandez
After starting as a Compounding Lead at Prime Matter Labs several years ago, Reinaldo has progressed through various roles in the company, leading to his current role as the Director, PML West BU Lead for our facility in Torrance, California. His passion for the production process was developed throughout his career working at personal care contract manufacturers where he sought out a variety of roles and responsibilities that provided him with the experience to manage teams and an in-depth understanding of all aspects of the production process.
Chief of StaffJulia Barth
Originally from Minnesota and now based in New York, Julia is Chief of Staff at Prime Matter Labs, working closely with the Leadership Team to drive strategy and execution across the organization. She has spent her career in the consumer space, most recently at consumer-focused private equity fund Monogram Capital Partners.
Sr. Director of Supply ChainTamima Najmeddine
Throughout her tenure at Prime Matter Labs, Tamima has taken on various roles across teams which has provided her with the experience to deeply understand our brand partners’ needs and our responsibilities to them as a true supply chain partner. She plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth flow of materials, efficient production, and timely delivery of products, and works closely with all departments to guarantee brand partners can meet their commitments.
CTOAdam Price
Adam leads the technology team tasked with developing and launching software products and tools that enhance and streamline our manufacturing and client management processes. Originally from North Carolina, Adam joined Prime Matter Labs with previous experience managing engineering teams at WeWork and developing apps and websites at MTV Networks.
CCOAmanda Connelly
Amanda joins Prime Matter Labs with more than two decades of experience leading commercial organizations across the beauty and fragrance industries. As Chief Commercial Officer, she oversees the company's commercial strategy, working closely with brands to identify opportunities for growth and build long-lasting partnerships. Known for her collaborative leadership style, strategic mindset, and her ability to react quickly, Amanda has spent her career helping clients navigate evolving markets while delivering innovative solutions. She is passionate about building strong teams and creating meaningful relationships that support the continued growth of Prime Matter Labs and its partners.
Founders
- Founder & Board Member
Mohamed Barakat
Mohamed grew up between Lebanon, Canada, Colombia, and Brazil — ultimately settling in Miami. His global perspective guides us with a big picture point of view for managing our growing business.
- Founder & Board Member
Frank Linares
Frank was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami. He got his start at Cyclo Chemicals in Miami — specializing in raw materials synthesis and manufacturing for the personal care industry. After making his way up to Interim Technical Director, he left to found Prime. Frank instills in us the drive to take on the toughest formulation challenges and build for scale without losing sight of the goal.
- founder & board member
Maged “Mark” Barakat
Mark, like his brother Mohamed, has lived all over the world. Mark's operations experience fosters our own goals to always find a better solution or more capable supplier with every project we take on.



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