In April 2018
Daabon’s first acquisition in the UK, of Soapworks Ltd, was completed.
Soapworks is the UK’s largest soap manufacturer, based in the
Easterhouse area
of Glasgow, Scotland.
Soapworks’s
relationship with Daabon goes back more than 10 years, as the
company has been
one of Daabon’s customers of soap base during this time.
Coincidentally, Manuel
Julian Davila, CEO of Daabon, had a casual meeting with Soapwork’s
founder
Anita Roddick during a sustainability conference in Asia, but who
could have
predicted that the two business leaders that bonded and shared the
same company
values, philosophy and vision for sustainability, were going to be
united so
many years later?
Soapworks was
founded in 1988 in one of the most deprived areas of Glasgow, where
employment
was almost non-existent. Since then, the company has had a huge part
to play in
the regeneration of the area. Over recent years, the company faced
significant
operating and financial pressures, as a result of which it was clear
that the
business would need to change. The risk of not doing so would
undoubtedly have
resulted in its closure and the loss of approximately 120 jobs.
Daabon’s investment
ensured that Soapworks is in a much stronger position. Not only is
the business
now financially secure, but it has also become the first soap
manufacturing
company to have a integrated and fully traceable supply chain – from
soil to
market – with all the unique characteristics of Daabon’s
sustainability
credentials, including RSPO IP/NEXT, Rain Forest Alliance, POIG and
KOSHER.
“This acquisition offers new
opportunities to
grow the business, Daabon’s investment will allow Soapworks to
diversify its
product range and to expand internationally, The Group will work
towards
providing longevity for the business and employees, while
maintaining the
values of its founder Anita Roddick, that have been in place for
30 years” says
Manuel Davila CEO of Daabon.