UPDATE 1-Nature's Gate shampoo, soap maker seeks bankruptcy

WILMINGTON, Del., Jan 27 (Reuters) - Natural Products Group, owner of the Nature's Gate line of organic shampoos and soaps, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday with the support of its lenders.

Natural Products Group was formed in 2004 to buy Arbonne International LLC, a direct marketer of a range of personal care products including aromatherapies and antiaging creams, and Levlad Inc, which owns the Nature's Gate line.

The company is owned by Harvest Partners LP, a New York-based private equity firm, which along with other investors provided $93 million of equity for the acquisitions.

Natural Products Group employs 867 people worldwide, according to court documents.

Arbonne has a direct sales network of 750,000 independent contractors.

Natural Products Group's annual revenues consist of $378 million from Arbonne and $73 million from the Levlad businesses.

(Reporting by Tom Hals; additional reporting by Santosh Nadgir in Bangalore. Editing by Robert MacMillan) Keywords: NATURALPRODUCTS/BANKRUPTCY ([e-mail]; 1-302-993-6283; Reuters Messaging [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.