Who are you and what do you do?
I am an engineer who makes soap. Over 25 years ago I learned to make soap and found it both interesting and a fun creative challenge. I still find it fun.
How did you get started in your business?
For 10 years I made soaps for my family. Because I like to experiment with scent and color, I made way more soap than I could personally use. I was giving away over 100 pounds of soap per year, and my wife and friends loved my soaps and encouraged me to sell it since I made so much.
Where did your business name come from? Is there an interesting story behind it?
After making different soaps for about a decade, creating new formulas every time I created a soap that made me happy! Very happy. I got out of my shower in the morning and told my wife that I nailed it and the soap made me happy in the morning. And my company is named a.m. soap company because of that day.
What valuable experience/knowledge did you have before starting your business?
I have a degree in engineering and worked as an engineer and as a research chemist. I developed good lab skills and good manufacturing practices and am comfortable with the science behind soapmaking.
What made you take this leap into being your own boss?
When the economy suffered in 2008 because of the housing collapse, I became unemployed. Jobs were not available in my town and I had children in school. My wife was working and I decided that I needed to make a job if I couldn’t find a job because it wasn’t going to be good role-modeling to my children if I sat at home unemployed.
Is this a full-time business for you?
Yes. I have done a number of different things in my working career, but soapmaking has grown to be a full-time endeavor.
Why did you start working in this field?
My parents told me at a young age that I have two hands and should use them to make things. My father was a designer, and draftsman, inventor and machinist. My mother was a phenomenal knitter and artist as well as a great baker and cook. I was invited to watch someone make soap in about 1996 and found the process fascinating. I started making soap within days of learning how it’s done. Commercial soaps had always made my skin dry and itchy and my first batch of soap fixed that problem. I’ve haven’t bought soap since.
Have you always been passionate about art and design?
Yes. Even while a full-time engineering student in the late 1970s I also made sculpture and ceramics. I love beauty and craftsmanship.
What do your customers love most about your product(s)?
My soaps are very gentle with great lather and leave the skin supple and soft.
Will you be featuring any special holiday items?
I typically have about 6 scents that are holiday themed and a soap sampler with those scents.
What do you think sets your designs apart from others?
I tend to use more color and scent than the average soapmaker and I think my soaps are made with higher quality ingredients than many use. Every soap I make is 50% olive oil because it is so good for your skin.
A.M. Soap Company
www.amsoapcompany.com
