“Since the 16th century, Grasse has been the cradle of perfumery and the
global guardian of its unique heritage. With Firmenich’s Naturals
Center of Excellence in Grasse, we are proud to be part of this
exceptional tradition,” said Armand de Villoutreys, President Perfumery
& Ingredients, Firmenich. “UNESCO’s world heritage status guarantees
that we can safeguard Grasse’s collective savoir-faire and natural
ingredients for generations to come”.
Grasse and its surrounding area offer a unique environment, from soil
quality and sunlight to temperature, ideally suited to nurture
exceptional flowers at the heart of perfumery creation. The area is
particularly world-renowned for its fragrant “Rose de Mai” (May rose)
and Jasmine, sustainably cultivated for Firmenich, as well as for many
French Luxury Houses.
“Having grown up in Grasse, the heart of perfumery, I carry with me a
deep respect and understanding of flowers and nature, and the beauty
they bring to fragrance”, said Fabrice Pellegrin, Perfumer, Firmenich.
“I love to spend time in flower fields to feed my inspiration, while
sharing the essence of Grasse with the next generation of perfumers to
keep the magic of Grasse alive”.
This celebration confirms the importance of Firmenich’s Naturals Center
of Excellence in Grasse, at the heart of the Group’s world-class
creativity and exceptional palette of ingredients, cutting across
naturals, synthetic and biotechnology. Utilizing state-of-the-art
technologies such as CO2 extraction and mastering traditional processes,
the Naturals Center leverages Firmenich’s leadership in research and
development, innovation, and sustainable sourcing. Each year in Grasse,
the Group processes around 500 tons of raw materials, sourced from all
over the world, including Rose, Jasmine, Mimosa, Lavender and Violet
leaves from the Grasse area.
Deeply anchored in the region, Firmenich is also a co-founder of GRASSE
EXPERTISE™, a hallmark of excellence to preserve the unique expertise of
the Grasse region at every stage of perfumery production and creation,
from flower cultivation and ingredient extraction, to scientific
research and supply.
About Firmenich
Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned perfume and taste
company, founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895. Driven by its purpose
to create positive emotions to enhance wellbeing, naturally, Firmenich
has designed many of the world’s best-known perfumes and tastes,
bringing delight to over four billion consumers every day. Renowned for
its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership in
sustainability, each year, Firmenich invests 10% of its turnover in
R&D to understand and share the best that nature has to offer
responsibly. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.7 billion Swiss
Francs at end June 2018. More information about Firmenich is available
at
www.firmenich.com.