MAITRE SAVON DE MARSEILLE is a brand marketed by La Savonnerie du Midi. The Savonnerie du Midi is one of the last remaining soap factories in Marseille that still uses the traditional expertise of a Maître Savonnier – a Master Soap Maker. The Savonnerie has been perpetuating time-honoured methods for 120 years and continues to make traditional Marseille soaps, boiled in a cauldron, with a passion.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND OUR SUCCESS

Since it was founded in 1894, the Savonnerie du Midi has always been based on a deep conviction: the greatest resources that an organisation has are the commitment and complementary expertise of the people who work there. When the Savonnerie set up on the Aygalades site, it made sense to consolidate its age-old know-how using the skills of the teams from the former mill and semolina factory in seed treatment, selection and storage, as well as in olive oil production (one of the historic activities of the Garbit company).

Nowadays the company has around twenty employees in three production workshops, including two soap workshops. Most of the staff have 20 to 30 years' service, and all share the same enthusiasm for their craft and the satisfaction of a job well done.

MASTER SOAP OF MARSEILLE PRODUCTS WITH THE ECOCERT LABEL

Ecocert is an inspection and certification body approved by the French Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment. The label guarantees that the various ingredients are collected, processed and extracted in accordance with procedures approved by Ecocert, and that they follow a production process and methods that are environmentally friendly. Manufacturers who are certified by Ecocert are checked twice a year by an independent Ecocert auditor.

PRODEF

The PRODEF group is a historic player in the hygiene and cleaning products industry, and has owned the Savonnerie du Midi since 2013. Since PRODEF was founded in 1924, four generations of directors have backed its growth based on a single ambition: to continually improve the quality of life of its fellow citizens, foreshadowing what we now call sustainable development.

By putting innovation at the centre of its strategy, the group has created or developed many historic brands that are familiar to the general public both in France and overseas. These include the Solitaire range of cleaning products, Lion Noir polishes, Ideal dye and Opalor, the first powder detergent for dishwashers.

PRODEF’s acquisition of the Savonnerie du Midi via Compagnie du Midi marks its commitment to cultural heritage and reinforces the values that have shaped its history spanning 90 years: innovating, acting on behalf of the environment and enhancing human expertise.

La Savonnerie du Midi is an active member of the Union of Marseille Soap Professionals. 

The last four remaining soap factories in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of France (including the Savonnerie du Midi) are awaiting draft legislation to define a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for their soap. In the meantime, in 2011 they decided to join forces to set up the Union of Marseille Soap Professionals (UPSM). They signed a Quality Charter that guarantees the composition of traditional Marseille soap as well as the process used to manufacture it and its geographical origin. Only products that strictly adhere to the specifications defined in the charter carry a registered logo.