A French, family-owned SME created in 1924, the Prodef Group has flourished across the decades thanks to its medium- and long-term vision and a determination to stand the test of time and pass on a sound business to future generations.
This vision coupled with this determination are twin dimensions that form an integral part of the DNA of our family-run company, and naturally find their meaning as part of the CSR commitment which has gradually established itself and taken shape in recent years.
Our Group has a firm regional foothold, with three production facilities, one in Burgundy, Hygiène et Nature, where maintenance, hygiene and disinfection products for professional and general public use are manufactured, and the other two in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region, one near Nice, making sponges and a product dear to all lovers of classy cars, the Nénette, and the other in Marseille, the Savonnerie du Midi, whose origins can be traced back to 1894. With our 120-strong workforce, we have developed a French and international clientele, achieving sales in more than 38 countries.
It is against this industrial, geographic, human and economic backdrop that our CSR approach has advanced for a number of years, built around four main areas, and many of its initiatives have been recognised and rewarded:
Respect for the rights of our employees at our various production facilities is expressed in multiple ways: health, safety and well-being at work, skills development, involvement in the geographical areas of activity where we operate, highlighting of our activities through cultural spaces. All of these actions enabled us to receive the SME+ label as early as 2015.
The preservation of the environment, via the eco-design and labelling of ecological and innovative products, the desire to gradually move towards zero plastic and paper/bulk packaging, the reindustrialisation of our sites while respecting the surrounding environment, and continuous measures to ensure cleanliness. Many of our products are Ecocert certified, including our Marseille soap, which is the first made in Marseille to have received this stamp of approval.
The transparency and efficiency of our corporate governance, via the responsible development of certified products, a charter of requirements vis-à-vis our suppliers (CSR status, supplier charter), and gradually raising the awareness of our employees.
Taking into account the interests of our stakeholders, whether at the local level (signature with the State of the PAQTE – Pact With Neighbourhoods for All Companies) and with our consumers (opening of a museum and store, development of our consumer services). The rehabilitation of our industrial site in Marseille, while respecting traditional production tools, has therefore been a major focus of the Group’s investment. In this respect, the Compagnie du Midi (bringing together the Savonnerie du Midi and the Alpes Maritimes site) was awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label in 2020.
Beyond the programmes undertaken for several years, the awards received and certifications obtained, the Prodef Group, although it is not required to do so by law, intends to acquire a raison d’être, in the context of the PACTE law on business growth and transformation. It is in the spirit of getting our employees involved and raising their awareness that they have contributed to its formulation:
The raison d’être of the Prodef Group
“Faithful to its century-old history, the Prodef family group designs and manufactures natural and effective hygiene and cleaning products in France, allowing everyone to progress in a healthy environment, while respecting the planet’s resources. The Group’s various production facilities, committed to their regions, are building their sustainable growth as part of a medium- and long-term vision. They combine the transmission of age-old know-how and technological innovation.
Collectively driven by a will to win, the Prodef Group aims to be a showcase for the quality and know-how of our country both in France and internationally.” »
Respect for this raison d’être and the principles it implies will enable the resources allocated to carrying out and developing the Group’s activities at all levels to be overseen.
This raison d’être will therefore be inseparable from the continuation and improvement of our CSR approach, at the service of our employees, with the aim of preserving the environment, adopting transparent and efficient corporate governance, and factoring in the interests of our stakeholders.
A cosmetic range, with soaps from Marseille, Provençal soaps and liquid soaps, as well as a range of products for the house and for washing clothes (most of which bear the Ecocert label). Available in large stores.
A body-care line inspired by the East: soaps from Aleppo made from argan oil, scented massage oils, etc. Available in large stores.
The historic Savonnerie du Midi brand, which has been in existence since 1894, offers products made of 100% vegetable oil. Available in chemists.
Marseille has been the home of natural soap made from olive oil for more than 800 years. The town had several manufacturers as far back as the 12th century, with the soap being made using oil extracted from olives harvested in Provence and natural ash derived from plants grown in saline environments in the Camargue. With its hot weather and its famous wind, the Mistral, Marseille’s particular climate is also conducive to drying soaps.
Crescas Davin was Marseille’s first official soap maker in 1371. The earliest industrial factories appeared in the 15th century, and soon began to export their products to Europe and across the Mediterranean region thanks to the city’s geographical location and its historic activities as a port. Marseille soap was sold in the form of green bars weighing 5 kg or more.
There were seven soap factories in the city of Marseille in 1660. Louis XIV decided to support the development of the industry by publishing an edict in 1688 (via his Minister, Colbert) regulating the manufacture of soap and its constituents: ‘When manufacturing soap with saltwort, soda or ash, no fat, butter or other materials may be used, but only pure olive oils, and without mixing in fat, under penalty of confiscation of goods.’ In addition, to ensure optimal quality levels, production had to be halted during the three summer months due to the intense heat.
The number of soap factories in Marseille had risen to 62 by 1812. Napoleon, aware of the benefits of traditional Marseille soap, adopted a decree in December 1812 that established a special trademark for the now-famous bars of soap ‘in the shape of a pentagon, in the middle of which shall be inscribed the words “Olive oil”, followed by the name of the manufacturer and the city of Marseille.’ The decree ended with a warning: ‘Any citizen residing in a town other than Marseille who shall partake in the selling of soaps bearing the registered trademark shall be punished by a fine. The soaps, moreover, shall be confiscated.’
The early 20th century was a period of great prosperity for the Marseille soap industry, which boasted 90 factories at the time, before experiencing an initial downturn during the First World War. Marseille soap was redefined as a product made exclusively from vegetable oil (72 % minimum) in 1927 by the Court of Appeal of Aix en Provence, and in 1928 by the Court of Cassation. Production recovered after the war, reaching 120,000 tonnes in 1938, driven mainly by advances in mechanisation. Following a new dip in business during the Second World War, the soap industry in Marseille suffered a sharp decline as it was hit hard by the competition from synthetic detergents.
Marseille soap has undergone a genuine revival since the 1980s in response to increasing consumer demand for natural and authentic products. The Savonnerie du Midi is particularly proud to have been carrying on this tradition for 120 years.
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