From Bath Bombs and Shower Fizzies to Body Butters and Shower Oils, Buff City Soap offers plant-based products that truly care for your skin sans harsh chemicals, detergents, animal fats, and sulfates. Consumers are drawn to the company because of its unique, high-quality product.
Starting in 2013 as a better alternative to commercial soaps, the Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Buff City Soap as a Top New Franchise changing the landscape of Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods.
The company presently operates more than 100 locations across the United States, and it intends to continue growing well into the future. To date, Buff City Soap has attracted qualified franchisees who have helped expand the brand’s footprint to more than 20 states and have shown a strong commitment to the Buff City Soap concept and its goals.
Brad Kellum, the company’s founder, was dissatisfied with the store-bought soap he was using, made with cow fat and synthetic components. His fiancée and co-founder, registered nurse Jennifer Ziemianin, began experimenting with a plant-based alternative, and the results were encouraging.
The couple originally started a brick-and-mortar shop in 2014 after selling directly to customers online and at a farmer’s market. A report in the Memphis Commercial Appeal claims that their first year’s sales reported $75,000+. Kellum hired Delaney to free him to work on new product development after revenues topped $20M last year.
Known as Buff City Soap after a name change, the plant-based home and personal care brand franchise has expanded to more than 100 locations in 20 states, with “substantial expansion anticipated for 2021 and beyond,” according to a recent announcement from the company.
According to the Daily Memphian, Buff City Soap uses Shea butter to make more than 250,000 gallons of its proprietary blend each year. Moreover, all of it is freshly prepared every day in stores.
General Atlantic, the private equity firm that invested in Buff City Soap, stated that the company’s handmade product line and emphasis on transparency had helped Buff City Soap build a devoted consumer base. General Atlantic believes there is a significant opportunity for Buff City Soap’s continuing growth through product, category, and unit expansion.
Consumers increasingly opt for high-quality home and personal care offerings that emphasize plant-based ingredients. With the help of Buff City Soap’s management team and existing investors, Crux Capital, and Guideboat Capital, General Atlantic hopes to expand their investment in the company significantly.
