VERMONT SOAPWORKS CELEBRATES
6 MILLIONTH BAR OF NATURAL SOAP
More New Products To Be Introduced
and Another Factory Expansion Being Considered
Middlebury, VT – Vermont Soapworks, the largest manufacturer of handmade natural soap in North America, announced today that it has produced its 6 Millionth bar of handmade natural soap. If lined up end-to-end, that is enough soap to stretch 350 miles from its factory in the Green Mountains of Vermont to the Atlantic Ocean. In less than a decade, the company has grown from a kitchen-size operation to the growing factory it is today. Vermont Soapworks expects to produce more than 1,500,000 bars of soap this year alone and the company is selling product in 43 countries under more than 40 in-house and private labels.
Sales at Vermont Soap have increased more than 35% in each of the last 5 years. With demand for natural products continuing to grow, Vermont Soap is bulging at the seams. Even though Vermont Soap expanded production capacity last year by 50%, the company is eyeing further expansion. ?Basically, we make legal, addictive substances for people with sensitive skin,? declared CEO Larry Plesent.
Though famous for mild, handmade bar soap bars, they also make a line of natural liquid soap products including liquid Sunshine – a non-toxic general use cleaner, Aloe Castile Liquid Soaps, and Wash dem Veggies – a fruit and vegetable rinse. Vermont Soap continues to expand their line by creating innovative products. Earlier this month, they unveiled a Castile-based bath gel at EX-TRACTS, an important cosmetics trade show in New York City. “This is the first natural, non-detergent gel on the market that we know of, I hope this will revolutionize the bath gel industry,” stated Plesent. “Imagine, a mild and gentle gel without any sulfates or foaming boosters,” he added.
Next on the Vermont Soapworks launch pad are non-alcohol face and body lotions, which should be ready for the market later this summer. For years, Vermont Soapworks has been testing botanicals for dry skin, and the company has already developed some innovative moisturizers for use in bar soaps. “It was a natural progression to add moisturizing lotions to our product mix,” Plesent explained.
All Vermont Soapworks products are made from all-natural vegetable and botanical sources such as: palm, coconut, and olive oils; liquid aloe; organic oats; exotic oils; and essential oils in aromatherapy blends. All of their products are free of artificial colors, fragrances, preservatives, and animal by-products and they are not tested on animals.
RELATIONSHIP WITH QVC SHOPPING NETWORK IS FUN AND FUELING SALES
More than 25 spots on QVC, the popular television shopping show, has helped fuel Vermont Soap's growth. Since winning the Best of Show award in November 1997 as part of the “Traveling Road Show,” Vermont Soap has sold more than a million dollars worth of soap through QVC. “What I enjoy most is that QVC presents our soap to mainstream people across the country that normally wouldn't be exposed to natural products,” Plesent noted. QVC is a great company to work with, they announced fourth quarter sales in 2000 exceeding $1 billion.
The loyalty of QVC customers is remarkable . Recently, the entire inventory of soap at the QVC warehouse sold out, without Vermont Soap even making an appearance to pitch the product. “Customers that we sold soap to on prior QVC shows are continuing to call up to get more,” stated Plesent. “Once you try it, you get hooked and come back for more,” he added.
VERMONT SOAP IS A LEADER CO-FOUNDING GREEN PRODUCTS ALLIANCE
?Natural? claims are popping up everywhere on supermarket shelves. The definition of ?Natural sets apart socially responsible companies from the rest. ?To some of the big corporations, 'natural' is just another marketing gimmick, not a way of life,? explained Plesent. ?Some companies add a trace of natural ingredients and claim the whole product is natural,? he added. Plesent has co-founded The Green Products Alliance with other leaders in the natural products industry to help consumers see through bogus natural claims and make an informed buying decision. The Alliance, a non-profit marketing and distribution organization for natural personal care businesses, also works to reduce the cost of products through group distribution and buying power. Visit www.greenproductsalliance.com. to learn more about the Green Products Alliance. For more information on Vermont Soapworks, visit the company website at www.vermontsoap.com, call them directly at 802-388-4302 or stop by and visit the factory outlet on Exchange Street in Middlebury, Vermont.
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