Vermont Soap

What Vermont Soap does

Vermont Soap, founded in 1992 by Larry Plesent and headquartered in Middlebury, Vermont, is a privately held, bootstrapped manufacturer of certified organic personal care and household cleaning products. The company sells under the Vermont Soap and Vermont Soap Organics brands, operating from a single manufacturing facility in Vermont that is ISO Good Manufacturing Processes certified (via Underwriter Laboratories) and audited for USDA organic food-grade standards by Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF), a division of NOFA-VT. Its product portfolio spans approximately 175 SKUs certified annually, including handmade organic bar soaps, castile liquid soaps, body washes, foaming hand soaps, organic deodorants, moisturizers, pet and equine shampoos, green cleaners (multi-purpose concentrate, surface spray, produce wash, mat cleaner), bath salts, air fresheners, and bulk refill formats.

The company's underlying technology is a proprietary slow-cook saponification process that produces liquid soap bases certified to USDA organic food standards. Vermont Soap claims to be the first to bring natural gel soap to market (after 76 attempts), the first to bring natural foam soap to market in the USA, and the first to release a 95% USDA organic foam soap; the company has also developed natural body foamers that overcome the conventional surfactant-degreasing limitation. The business model combines four revenue streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce through shop.vermontsoap.com targeting consumers with sensitive/reactive skin, families, pet owners, and eco-conscious buyers; (2) wholesale to independent retailers, farmer's markets, co-ops, and natural product stores (minimum $75 order, free shipping over $350–$500 depending on segment); (3) white label/private label and contract manufacturing for B2B customers seeking custom organic branded products (500-piece stock minimum, 1,400-unit custom minimum, 50-gallon drum minimums, $100 yearly per-SKU organic certification filing); and (4) international distribution through Nagaki Corp in Japan (since 2004) and Felix Yeo's Castile Soap Shop in Singapore (since 2004), the latter operating a refill station and mobile 'Soap Van' for bulk refills. The company has 11–50 employees, no disclosed external capital, and no parent company.

Name

Vermont Soap

Legal name

Vermont Soap

Website

https://vermontsoap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vermont Soap, founded 1992 in Middlebury, VT, is a privately held USDA organic-certified manufacturer of natural bar soaps, castile liquid soaps, body care, green cleaners, and pet products, selling direct-to-consumer, wholesale, private label, and via international distributors in Japan and Singapore.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural and Organic Personal Care Products

NAICS

Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand Soap & Hand Wash (CRABAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dish Soap Refills & Concentrates (CRAJABAG), Dishwashing Bars & Solid Dish Soaps (CRAJABAD), Intimate & Personal Hygiene Washes (CRABAEAF)

Keywords

• Organic soap manufacturing
• Natural bar soap
• Castile liquid soap
• Private label soap
• Organic personal care

Headquarters

HQ city

Middlebury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Consumer Sales: E-commerce sales through shop.vermontsoap.com to individual consumers purchasing bar soaps, liquid castile soaps, body washes, deodorants, moisturizers, and cleaning products.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk sales to retailers, natural product stores, farmer's markets, craft shows, and boutiques with $75 minimum order requirement.
3. Private Label/White Label Manufacturing: Custom formulation, bulk soap bases, and contract filling services for businesses wanting branded organic products. Includes 500 piece minimum for stock products or 1,400 units for customized blends.
4. International Distribution: Partnership with distributors in Japan (Nagaki Corp) and Singapore (Felix Yeo) who purchase products for resale in Asian markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vermont Soap manufactures and sells a broad line of USDA organic certified bar soaps, castile liquid soaps, body washes, foaming hand soaps, deodorants, pet/horse shampoos, green household cleaners, salves, bath salts, air fresheners, and aromatherapy sprays under its own Vermont Soap brand. Beyond finished retail products, the company also produces custom-formulated organic soap bases and offers white-label/private-label contract filling for businesses, all made in Middlebury, Vermont using a proprietary slow-cook process.

Product overview

Vermont Soap is an organic and natural soap manufacturing company established in 1992 in Middlebury, Vermont, offering a comprehensive portfolio of personal care and household cleaning products. The core product line includes handmade certified organic bar soaps (Aloe Baby, Blue Bar, Cranberry Orange, Green Tea & Peppermint, Lavender Ecstasy, Lemongrass Zen, Northern Woods, Oatmeal Lavender, Shea Butter, Tea Tree, Unscented), Castile liquid soaps, body washes, foaming hand soaps, pet shampoos (Pet Magic and Equine Magic), and organic deodorants. The home care range features Liquid Sunshine multi-purpose cleaner concentrates, surface sprays, produce wash, mat cleaner, and air fresh aromatherapy sprays. Vermont Soap also offers moisturizers including Arnica Salve and Green Gold Healing Salve, bath salts, and shea butter. A key differentiator is the White Label/Private Label division that provides custom formulation, contract filling, and bulk soap bases to businesses. Products are certified to USDA organic food standards, cruelty-free, GMO-free, and are available in bulk sizes for refilling programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Bar Soap Handmade certified USDA organic bar soaps in multiple scent variants for adults, babies, and households, available individually and in bulk, for sensitive-skin consumers and natural-product buyers.
• Castile Liquid Soap Multi-purpose concentrated liquid castile soap in eight scent varieties for body, hair, and household cleaning, targeted at sensitive-skin and eco-conscious consumers.
• Body Wash Certified organic body wash formulated for sensitive skin, including baby and kids unscented variants, in multiple scents.
• Foaming Hand Soap Certified organic foaming hand wash in four scent varieties including an unscented option, marketed as one of the first USDA organic foam soaps available in the U.S.
• Pet Magic Shampoo Non-toxic, certified organic pet shampoo made with organic rosemary extract for dogs and cats, targeted at owners of pets with sensitive skin.
• Equine Magic Horse Shampoo Certified organic shampoo formulated specifically for horses, available in bulk quantities.
• Liquid Sunshine Non-Toxic Cleaner Concentrate Multi-purpose dilutable cleaner and degreaser concentrate for household surfaces, dishes, laundry, and floors, marketed as the company's flagship green cleaning product.
• Liquid Sunshine Spray & Wipe Surface Cleaner Ready-to-use all-purpose surface cleaner spray for daily household cleaning.
• Produce Magic Fruit & Veggie Wash Natural wash for cleaning fresh fruits and vegetables.
• iZaroma Natural Sanitizer Natural hand sanitizer made with 70% alcohol blended with real essential oils for chemical-free germ killing.
• Organic Deodorant USDA organic certified deodorant made with organic coconut oil, cornstarch, and essential oils in multiple scents, including an unscented option.
• Pedifix FungaSoap Natural foot care soap formulated to soften and heal cracked heels and support foot health.
• Arnica Salve Moisturizing anti-aging salve formulated with potent anti-inflammatory botanicals including arnica for skin care.
• Green Gold Healing Salve Anhydrous (water-free) moisturizer/healer salve with Vitamin E and no preservatives, designed for natural skin healing.
• Bath Salts Aromatherapy bath salts formulated with magnesium sulfate, sea salt, and real essential oils for relaxation.
• Yoga & Exercise Mat Cleaner Natural spray cleaner formulated for use on yoga and exercise mats.
• Air Fresh Aromatherapy Spray Aromatherapy room and pillow mist in natural scents such as Lemongrass Zen for home fragrance.
• Shea Butter (Raw and Polished) Organic African shea butter sourced from Ghana in raw unrefined and polished (gently heat-treated with rosemary extract) forms for skincare use.
• White Label / Private Label Soap Manufacturing B2B contract-manufacturing service that produces custom-formulated, USDA organic certified bar soaps, liquid soaps, foaming soaps, body washes, spray cleaners, and bulk soap bases for businesses wanting their own branded natural soap products. Includes formulation, organic certification filing, and contract filling with minimum order quantities.
• Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards redeemable on the Vermont Soap online store for gifting purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 175 products certified through organic certification annually for themselves and clients
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Nagaki Corp (Japan)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004Emi Shobu at Nagaki Corp became Vermont Soap's first overseas registered agent in 2004. After visiting Vermont with her daughters, they established partnership. Products are sold through catalogs, hotels, gift venues, and organic products sector in Japan. Has brought products in front of royalty and educated consumers about truly natural and organic personal care.
• Felix Yeo (Singapore)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFelix Yeo distributes Vermont Soap products in Singapore through Castile Soap Shop Store (with refilling station) and a Soap Van for mobile refilling services. Business model focuses on refilling containers with bulk organic soap to reduce waste. Felix and his crew had an existing successful soap company before partnering with Vermont Soap.
• Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVOF is the certification program of NOFA-VT. Most Vermont Soap products are certified to USDA organic food standards through VOF. This third-party organic verification is essential to their product claims and brand positioning.
• Underwriter LaboratoriesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont Soap's manufacturing is ISO Good Manufacturing Processes certified and products are certified by Underwriter Laboratories.
• Agropalma (Brazil)majorOthersPrimary supplier of certified organic palm oil. Recognized worldwide for having the smallest carbon footprint of all palm oil producers. For every acre under production, 2 acres are set aside in a Nature Preserve. Won a Greenpeace award for their work. No orangutans in Brazil as they operate in South America.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Honest Company: Naturally-derived personal care, baby, and household brand co-founded by Jessica Alba. Comparable in targeting sensitive-skin, baby-safe, and eco-conscious consumers across bar soap, body wash, hand soap, and cleaning categories. Publicly traded and far larger than Vermont Soap, but operates in adjacent premium-natural positioning.
• Dr. Bronner's: The leading organic castile soap brand in the US, founded on similar multi-purpose castile soap heritage. Both companies make certified organic liquid and bar castile soaps, target natural/health-conscious consumers, and sell through DTC plus natural retail channels. Vermont Soap's private label and white label capability differentiates it from Dr. Bronner's primarily branded focus.

Emerging players

• Everyone Soap (EO Products): California-based natural personal care brand making certified organic bar and liquid soaps, body care, and essential oil products. Closely comparable in product mix (bar soap, foaming hand soap, body wash, deodorant) and in natural/sensitive-skin positioning, with broader retail penetration including Target and Whole Foods.
• Attitude (Bio Spectra): Canadian natural personal care and household brand with EWG certification and focus on hypoallergenic formulations. Comparable in natural/clean ingredient positioning across bar soap, body wash, baby care, and cleaning categories, and operates with similar sized operations across North America.
• Puracy: Plant-based natural cleaning and personal care brand focused on households with sensitive skin and babies. Directly comparable to Vermont Soap's green cleaners, foaming hand soap, and body wash positioning, though more digitally native and with stronger Amazon presence. Comparable size bracket and target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day: SC Johnson-owned natural household cleaning and personal care brand with extensive mass-market retail presence. Overlaps with Vermont Soap's green cleaners and foaming hand soap lines, but priced for mainstream consumers and distributed through grocery and mass channels where Vermont Soap has limited penetration.
• Seventh Generation: Unilever-owned natural household products brand covering cleaning, laundry, and personal care. Comparable in plant-based and USDA-certified positioning but operates as a national CPG brand across major retail channels. Demonstrates the scale ceiling and competitive dynamics Vermont Soap would face at national distribution.
• Sundial Brands / SheaMoisture: Natural personal care brand portfolio (now Unilever-owned) with deep penetration into mass retail including Target and Whole Foods. Comparable in targeting sensitive-skin and natural-leaning consumers, but operates at much greater scale and with broader distribution across body care, hair care, and bath categories.
• Tom's of Maine: Colgate-Palmolive-owned natural personal care brand covering oral care, deodorant, and bar soap. Comparable in natural ingredient positioning and USDA-style certifications, but with vastly broader national distribution and category breadth including oral care where Vermont Soap does not compete.

Regional players

• Dr. Woodson's Naturals: Smaller natural soap brand operating in the natural and organic personal care niche with bar soaps and body care. Comparable artisanal positioning to Vermont Soap's craft-organic identity but at a smaller scale and with different geographic concentration, illustrating the fragmented competitive set in the organic bar soap category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Vermont Soap