The history of Nature & Stratégie began in Somloire, in the French region of Anjou. A search for alternatives to products made with petrochemical-derived or synthetic ingredients led to the launch of the first plant-based home and personal care products in 1985.
1985
Jeanine Gabory started to champion the natural cause by selling plant-based products that respect people and the environment on a door-to-door basis. After Fleur des Mauges bought Armille in 2011, the two companies merged to give rise to the Fleur d’Armille door-to-door distribution company, operating under the brand name PURE. The marketing, sales and logistics departments can be found in Chemillé-en-Anjou.
1995
The laboratory was founded by her children Samuel and Bénédicte, who would offer eco-friendly home cleaning products under the Étamine du Lys brand, sold exclusively in organic stores.
2003
Coslys was founded following the implementation of the COSMEBIO charter, which Samuel Gabory helped to write. The brand of organic cosmetics for the whole family is sold in organic stores.
2005
Founding of Comptoir des Lys, a distributor of brands in organic stores. The marketing, sales and logistics departments can be found in Cholet.
2008
Creation of the Nature & Stratégie group, which brings together all the business operations. From growing organic plants to production and commercialisation, the group has control over the entire product lifecycle.
2017
Situated in Somloire near the production site, more than 5 hectares of organic medicinal plants are grown on a very biodiverse site with 419 species of flora and fauna recorded (crops excluded).
2019
Founding of Laboratoire B.Blanche, a company that markets organic cosmetics and eco-friendly household cleaning products in large and medium-sized retail outlets under the Jardin d’Apothicaire and Doux Logis brands respectively.
2020
The Alvend laboratory was extended from 3,800 to 7,813 m² to offer increased productivity and comfort. More space was made available for new machines and to improve working conditions for staff.
Since the beginning, Nature & Stratégie has operated with the environment in mind, designing products to strict environmental specifications and choosing to use organic ingredients. It ensures its products benefit people and the environment by taking a precautionary approach to controversial ingredients.
To ensure a product complies with Nature & Stratégie’s vision, all the stages in the product lifecycle are carried out in-house via specific companies; firstly at the Alvend laboratory, which is responsible for design, innovation, production, packaging, analysis and quality control.
Then, for each sales channel, a distribution company is responsible for door-to-door selling, specialist organic retail, online sales, and large and medium-sized retail. Each company has a dedicated team of marketing and commercialisation experts, who work to ensure the products are as visible as possible.
Since 1985, the mission of the Nature & Stratégie group has been to educate, raise awareness, and build connections on shared values of respect and biodiversity.
Today, the Nature & Stratégie group is made up of 165 employees and 650 advisors and recorded a turnover of €31 million in 2021.
Since the beginning, Nature & Stratégie has helped promote the plant-based sector. Samuel Gabory was one of the founders of the Cosmebio charter in 2002.
He is a very active member of the French organic cosmetics organisation and is currently its vice-president.
Nature & Stratégie is also a partner of CPIE Loire Anjou: a local centre for environmental initiatives. This Mauges-based organisation positions itself as an instrument of social connection and development. It brings all the local stakeholders together to build its future, while being active in fields as varied as tourism, culture and the environment. With CPIE Loire Anjou, Nature & Stratégie has implemented a biodiversity appraisal of Ferme de la Chaltrie. This farm situated next to the Alvend laboratory in Somloire grows plants intended for use by the group. More than 80 varieties of plants are grown there using organic practices. Some of them are then used in the formulas of PURE’s products or La Chaltrie’s soaps.
Nature & Stratégie is also a partner of Camifolia: a garden of medicinal and aromatic plants in Chemillé. It has over 500 different species of plants. Visitors can look at, touch and smell the plants, learn about them and even picnic in this marvellous setting, which showcases the wealth of plant life found in the Chemillé region.