“We still make everything by hand, it’s our DNA”: Bougies de Charroux, the flame of a family success made in France

It’s barely nine o’clock and already, a delicious smell wafts through the aisles of the brand new building in Saint-Bonnet-de-Rochefort (Allier), located in the heart of the Bourbonnais countryside. A coming and going of delivery men supplies the Bougies de Charroux workshops, which are running at full capacity. Rows of glass jars advance at a regular pace, expert hands busy sticking labels or filling the jars with melted wax, in an atmosphere of sweet perfumes. “We still make everything by hand, it’s our DNA,” says Pierre Corgnet, 40, general manager and son of the founders.

Jam jars as a trademark

However, the story begins very far from this big, well-oiled machine. In 2007, Joëlle, the mother, a former teacher, made her first candles in an outbuilding of the family home, in Charroux, a village classified among the most beautiful in France. The first models were poured into… jam pots, which became the trademark of Bougies de Charroux. The father sells, the mother produces. Word of mouth does the rest. “Very soon, people were coming on purpose to buy my mother’s candles. We understood that something was happening,” says Pierre, then a chemistry student.

In 2017, the son decided to give up everything to take over the business. He completed an MBA, invested massively, structured the company, digitized sales and professionalized production. The turning point is decisive. “Today, the group has nearly 30 million euros in turnover, 140 employees, 38 stores in France and Belgium and 2.8 million candles produced in one year,” underlines the manager, who has recorded growth of nearly 40% in one year. “We quickly went from a family small business to a real SME, without losing our soul. »

90 perfumes constantly renewed

The recipe for success? “Three key words: quality, traceability and French manufacturing”, chants Pierre Corgnet. “The waxes come from Europe, the perfumes from Grasse, the wicks from Germany. The company is also one of the few in the sector to hold the RAL label, guaranteeing safety and quality of burning,” explains the entrepreneur.

In an ultra-competitive market dominated by large international brands, the Bourbonnais SME stands out thanks to an accessible positioning: premium products at controlled prices (11 euros per jar on average), sold in human-sized boutiques. “We offer around 90 flavors and we are constantly renewing ourselves. »

The future looks as rosy as the windows of its stores. By 2030, the company is targeting a doubling of the network, an increase in power in Europe, a turnover flirting with 60 million euros and 250 employees, while maintaining production in Saint-Bonnet-de-Rochefort, in the middle of the fields.

“When I look in the rearview mirror, I tell myself that we have an incredible chance to experience this adventure. There hasn’t been a single morning that I haven’t gotten up without wanting to come here. I find it incredible that we achieved this collective victory and that this is only the beginning,” promises Pierre Corgnet. The little flame of the Bougies de Charroux is not about to go out.