The Soap Factory

What The Soap Factory does

The Soap Factory is a privately held New Zealand contract manufacturer of bar soaps, liquid soaps, and body care products, headquartered at 22 Ben Lomond Crescent, Pakuranga, Auckland. The company traces its roots to McLeod Bros, established in 1869, and was rescued in 1989 by one of its own customers, continuing under The Soap Factory brand. In 2008, TSF integrated Soap Manufacturing Otahuhu into its Auckland facility, consolidating operations. It serves as a B2B manufacturing partner producing products under client brands for established retailers, startups, pharmacy chains, hospitality operators, and pet care brands. End markets span retail, pharmacy, e-commerce, and hospitality channels across New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Europe.

The company's core technology combines traditional soap-making craft with modern production capabilities, including triple-milled quality processing for uniform texture and richer lather, automated production lines integrated with hand-packing options, and flexible batch scaling from 100kg pilot runs to 10+ tonnes per batch. TSF holds a 150+ essential oil and fragrance library, an extensive custom mould library with embossing and stamping capability, RSPO Mass Balance palm oil certification, and BioGro organic certification (Licence 5789) maintained since 1998. The product portfolio spans body soap, hand soap, baby soap, natural soap, amenity soap, specialty soaps (shave, pet, souvenir), shampoo and conditioner bars, waterless wash formats, bath salts, bath balms, body balms, scrubs, and soap-free bars.

The revenue model is built on contract manufacturing services (full custom formulation through to finished packaged product), white label manufacturing with faster market entry, hybrid manufacturing integrating client-supplied ingredients, and a standalone shrink wrapping service for third-party food, beverage, and personal care products. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with minimum order quantities starting at 100kg (1,000 × 100g bars) and lead times ranging from 2-3 weeks for lab samples to 8-12 weeks for full production. Go-to-market is primarily enterprise field sales via direct engagement (phone, email, contact form) supplemented by content marketing through a Knowledge Hub blog, LinkedIn presence, and email newsletter. Distribution is exclusively B2B, with products reaching end consumers through client brand distribution networks at retailers including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Woolworths, Coles, David Jones, Myer, and Chemist Warehouse.

Name

The Soap Factory

Legal name

The Soap Factory Ltd

Website

https://soapfactory.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Soap Factory is New Zealand's heritage contract manufacturer (since 1869) of bar soaps, shampoo bars, bath products, and body care, serving global brands and retailers with custom formulations, organic and RSPO-certified production, and flexible batch scaling from 100kg to 10+ tonnes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pakuranga

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing: Full-service manufacturing where brands commission The Soap Factory to produce custom formulations under their own label. Company sources ingredients, formulates, produces, and packages products for clients ranging from boutique brands to major retailers.
2. White Label Manufacturing: Ready-to-go formulations customized with client brand identity for faster market entry.
3. Hybrid Manufacturing: Clients supply their own ingredients, fragrances, or packaging, and The Soap Factory integrates them into production.
4. Standalone Shrink Wrapping Service: Two automated shrink lines provide standalone shrink service for external food, beverage, and personal care products beyond their own manufacturing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Soap Factory is a B2B contract manufacturer of bar soaps, liquid soaps, shampoo and conditioner bars, bath salts, balms, scrubs, and related body care products. It offers end-to-end services including custom formulation, sourcing of NZ botanicals and certified ingredients, triple-milled soap production, custom moulding, automated and hand-finished packaging, and export-ready logistics for brands ranging from startups to major retailers.

Product overview

The Soap Factory is New Zealand's leading contract manufacturer of bar soaps and body care products, offering a comprehensive portfolio of solid-format products including body soaps, hand soaps, baby soaps, natural soaps, amenity soaps, specialty soaps (shave, pet, souvenir), shampoo bars, conditioner bars, bath salts, bath balms, body balms, scrubs, soap-free bars, and waterless wash formats. The company operates as a unified contract manufacturing platform providing end-to-end services from custom formulation and bespoke mould creation through to packaging and finishing. Manufacturing capabilities include triple-milled soap production, automated and hand-finished options, and flexible batch sizes from 100kg pilot runs to 10+ tonne scale. The product portfolio spans the full spectrum from budget amenity formats (20g) to premium retail bars (300g+), serving clients across retail, hospitality, travel, and gifting market segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract Manufacturing Services Full-service end-to-end manufacturing from concept to finished product, covering formulation, production, and packaging for bar soaps, liquid soaps, shampoo and conditioner bars, bath salts, scrubs, and body care products. Flexible batch sizes from 100kg pilot runs to 10+ tonne scale for brands ranging from startups to major retailers.
• White Label Manufacturing Ready-to-go formulations customized with client brand identity for faster market entry into personal care categories.
• Hybrid Manufacturing Clients supply their own ingredients, fragrances, or packaging, and The Soap Factory integrates them into production for brands with proprietary formulations or specialist ingredients.
• Custom Formulations Bespoke formulation development using NZ botanicals, bee products, dairy, essential oils, or client-supplied ingredients, with formulation exclusivity guaranteed for established and emerging brands.
• Custom Moulding Bespoke mould creation for unique brand identities including standard bars, custom moulds, extruded bars, novelty and seasonal shapes, embossing, stamping, and surface finish options (smooth, matte, glossy, textured).
• Triple-Milled Soap Production Premium milling process ensuring uniform texture, even fragrance and additive distribution, richer lather, longer-lasting bars, reduced defects, and a smooth dense finish for a premium feel.
• Packaging and Finishing Complete packaging solutions including shrink wrapping, skin wrapping, paper wraps, labels, cartons, and hand-packed premium options for bar soaps and body care products.
• Compliance and Certification Support Guidance on sulphate-free, paraben-free, vegan, palm-free, and cruelty-free claims, plus allergen and ingredient documentation, INCI listings, SDS and compliance packs for export markets.
• Standalone Shrink Wrapping Service Two automated shrink lines providing standalone shrink wrapping service for external food, beverage, and personal care products beyond The Soap Factory's own manufacturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production scale flexibility from 100kg pilot runs to 10+ tonne batches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cosmax: Major Korean beauty ODM (Original Development Manufacturer) with global operations offering contract formulation and manufacturing for personal care brands — much larger scale and broader portfolio but operates in the same B2B contract manufacturing space.
• Kolmar Korea: Leading Korean beauty ODM providing contract manufacturing and formulation services for global personal care brands — broader portfolio and significantly larger scale than The Soap Factory but competing for the same contract manufacturing customer base.

Direct peers

• Oregon Soap Company: Oregon-based natural soap contract manufacturer with parallel positioning around natural ingredients, organic certification, and small-to-mid brand partnerships — directly comparable in terms of sustainable ingredient focus and contract manufacturing model.
• Stephenson Personal Care: UK-based specialty soap base and personal care manufacturer serving brands globally with a comparable contract manufacturing model focused on solid formats, natural ingredients, and custom formulations.
• Vanguard Soap: US-based contract soap manufacturer offering custom formulations, private label, and contract manufacturing services for personal care brands — comparable scale, customer type, and B2B service offering to The Soap Factory.
• Twincraft: Vermont-based B2B contract soap and personal care manufacturer serving brands from startup to global with custom formulations and full-service production — very similar business model to The Soap Factory including private label, custom moulding, and global brand partnerships.
• Bradford Soap Works: One of the oldest and largest US contract soap manufacturers (operating since 1876) with similar triple-milled capabilities and a contract/private label focus serving major brands across retail and personal care categories.

Emerging players

• Cosmetic Solutions: US-based contract beauty and personal care manufacturer with growing capabilities in solid formats, natural formulations, and full-service contract manufacturing for emerging and established brands — partial overlap with The Soap Factory's solid-format specialty.
• Bio Creative Labs: US-based contract personal care and beauty manufacturer serving indie and emerging brands with formulation, production, and packaging services — comparable B2B contract manufacturing model targeting smaller brand partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-soap-factory-new-zealand

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Soap Factory