SOJA&CO: candles, well-being and eco-responsibility

In recent years, Laurence Gaudreau-Pépin has really known how to make her brand known. SOJA&CO. are everywhere, both on social networks and in homes! The entrepreneur says it herself on her website: she wants to “become THE destination in Quebec for making and buying artisanal candles”.

The little story of SOJA&CO.

Launched in the summer of 2018, SOJA&CO. specializes in the sale of candles made from soy wax and wellness products, such as bubble baths, reed diffusers and essential oils. It is a team of fifteen people who work behind the Montreal company.

Opening a candlelight business was a project that Laurence had cherished for a long time, but she feared that the demand was not strong enough. “I often used it to calm my anxiety and it calmed me down instantly. However, there were not enough fragrances and Quebec companies that came to mind. So, I decided to go for it. »

Having studied business administration (e-commerce), worked in marketing and owned a restaurant with her brothers for almost ten years, the owner of SOJA&CO. has always had entrepreneurship in his blood. “I knew since I was a teenager that I was going to work in the business field. I didn't think I was running my own business full time, but I'm very happy with this leap and this accomplishment. »

A conscientious company

It's very important to Laurence that the entire creative process be done entirely in Montreal. By buying a candle, customers are guaranteed to get a local handmade product and encourage the local economy.

Respect for the environment is also an integral part of SOJA&CO's values. A tree is even planted for each order placed online! Whether in packaging, ingredients or shipping, the company takes concrete action to reduce its ecological footprint. In the manufacture of her candles, the entrepreneur uses only soy wax. In addition to lasting longer, candles emit very few polluting substances when they burn. Soy is also a renewable, biodegradable and vegan resource.

SOYA&CO. strongly encourages its customers to give a second life to the pretty amber glass jar of the candles and even offers tips for reusing them , even if they are recyclable. To mail the products, the company uses recycled kraft paper and, whenever possible, recycled cardboard boxes.

To see further

The year 2021 has not been easy for Laurence. The owner of SOJA&CO. launched its bath line during the summer, which includes shower gels, bubble baths, bath bombs and bar soaps. True to its ecological values, the products are presented in recyclable and reusable glass packaging and the ingredients remain as natural as possible.

A few weeks later, in September, the company opened its very first store in Quartier DIX30. Laurence mentions that she is very satisfied with this project and that having a storefront allows her customers to discover (and smell!) the different products in person.

Eventually, there could perhaps be other shops, but for the moment, the entrepreneur is concentrating on the possibility of exporting. “We are currently involved with a team of students from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières in order to potentially export our products to France and Belgium. We already sell in the United States in a few outlets. The goal in the coming months and the next year is to continue to break into Canada (including Quebec). »

Find SOJA&CO. on the Signé Local online store or, even better, go to Quartier DIX30 in Brossard to kill two birds with one stone by visiting the SOJA&CO stores. and Signed Local!

Reviewed by MF Editorial

cover photo credit: Rebecca Genesse photography