In Salon de Provence, the Marius Fabre soap company has devoted a space in its factory to the history of soap-making. It makes for an eye-opening stop, well-stocked in archives, explanatory panels, tools, stamps and old soaps. “The idea behind opening this space was, of course, to show the public the demands of our manufacturing process and the endurance of our know-how but also to give fresh impetus to the spirit of tradition that inspires us,” justifies Marie-Hélène Fabre, the hostess here, “for tourists as much as for the people of Salon themselves who don't all know about the industrial heritage of their city.”
At the Fabre company, you would think they were born soap-makers! Inheriting a business that had never left the family since its creation in 1900, Marie-Hélène Fabre manages it with her husband Robert Bousquet. “What's important for us is to perpetuate traditional manufacturing methods and to maintain the purity of our products. So, we choose with exacting care our raw materials and take the time to make the soap according to traditional practices”. Familiarity with the ingredients and the manufacturing stages is not enough. Only the secret of know-how, passed from generation to generation, can guarantee a quality soap.
Following the already familiar difficulties and upsets, the activity saw a renewal thanks to the ecological wave. “Our philosophy and our products correspond perfectly to the expectations of those consumers seeking for what's natural and authentic.” The opening of foreign markets also represents a major part of the turnover.
In addition to the company's Marseille soap in all its forms – olive and coconut oil-based soaps, black soap, cubes, gels and flakes, soap bars perfumed with essential oils - Marius Fabre has diversified its product range with fragrant candles, household linens, eau de toilette. The shop adjoining the factory is, by the way, enchanting.
With all this going for them, Marius' great granddaughters, Marie and Julie Bousquet, have picked up the torch and are continuing the family adventure.