Created 105 years ago in Saint-Brieuc, the Briochin brand has sales in its sails. Business is going so well that the owner company Altaïr wants to increase volumes. The other side of the coin is that management will repatriate production to the north of France and close the Breton factory.
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The announcement was a real blow for the company's employees, but also for the region's elected officials. The Altaïr group, owner of the Harris-Le Briochin brand, announced the transfer of production activities to the North and the consequent closure of the Costa Rican sites of Saint-Brandan and Plaintel.
“It was a big surprise to learn it, reacts the mayor of Saint-Brandan. Neither the municipality nor the city services were informed of this dramatic closure for the area.
The manufacturer of household products employs 59 employees and also collaborates with numerous suppliers in the region. “They worked with all the companies located around them, whether in transport, plastic, cardboard, details the councilor of the small town. It’s a big loss for the local fabric.” laments Christian Jolly.
François-Xavier Apostollo, the factory director explains that “The dilapidation and ergonomics of the installations present risks for employees, for the neighborhood and for the environment. It is difficult to promote an eco-certified brand and turn a blind eye to the environmental risks of our production site.”
The ownership group says it wants to find a solution for all employees by offering them a position in the North, or by reclassifying them in other companies in the region.
However, the pill is having difficulty passing. “It’s a brand from Saint-Brieuc, and making Briochin products in Hauts-de-France is a bit surprising.” declares the mayor of Saint-Brandan.
The hardest thing for employees to accept is, perhaps, that it is to continue to develop that the owning company has decided to relocate.
In just a few years, the Briochin brand has become a benchmark in the world of eco-certified household products. Its success is based on “vintage” marketing. The packaging, the old-fashioned font, the slogans “the traditional French drugstore”, everything is designed to support the commercial strategy based on the good recipes of yesteryear. And the history of the brand is its foundation, because Briochin has existed for more than 100 years.
It was in fact on January 8, 1919 that Raoul Renaud, a wax merchant in Saint-Brieuc, registered the Le Briochin brand for his soaps and cleaning products.
Originally, the drugstore's stain remover products were intended for professionals, but in 1995, the company decided to open up to individuals and reached the shelves of major retailers.
In 1919, Raoul Renaud registered the Le Briochin brand in Saint-Brieuc
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© C.Bazille / FTV
Black soap was invented under Louis XIV, and nothing has changed since then. Linseed oil, potash and water. It is from this basic recipe and the name Briochin that the company will prosper.
Because the times are natural. Consumers, concerned about their health, are increasingly turning to so-called natural products, deemed healthier. Briochin household products based on black soap, vinegar or sodium bicarbonate are benefiting from the trend, especially since 80% of the range is Ecocert certified.
The company markets no less than sixty different products, and exports to China, Japan and Korea.
In 2024, its turnover should reach 45 million euros, when the same activity generated 23 million turnover in 2018. An increase of almost 100% in 6 years.
Currently, Briochin occupies 6th place in the ranking of the best-selling household cleaners in France with 4.5% market share.
In 2021, the SME was sold to the Altaïr group, specialized in maintenance, renovation and protection products. Since then, the success of the Briochin brand has continued unabated and the owner company wishes to continue its development by increasing production.
This Tuesday, November 19, 2024, it formalized its decision to repatriate production to Noyal-Lès-Seclin (59) where its head office and other production site are based.
In March 2025, logistics should therefore close in Plaintel. Production will follow in September. The group announces that it wants to maintain a research and development team in Saint-Brieuc, as well as its offices in Saint-Malo and Rennes.
