So I ran into an old friend recently, and it turns out the he's working at AoS corporate in Florida. I haven't seen him since I started DE shaving, so I took advantage of the opportunity to pump him for as much info as I could get.
Some good news, some bad news.
First off, he confirmed that AoS has on-staff soap makers who craft all their own products. They do source ingredients from different suppliers, but the final product is a custom-blend made exclusively by and for AoS. They get the base of their creams from a British manufacturer. Valobra does contribute a base for their soaps, but there are significant components supplied by at least 3 other companies.
No idea about any new developments on the razor/blade side, but there's going to be a new brush coming out - it'll be motorized and spin itself. Along the same lines as the Fusion that vibrates.
P+G rotates senior staff around their various divisions every 3-4 years for cross training and to give them a wider base of experience. The bad news is that AoS staffers are coming up for their first rotation, and starting next year a bunch of P+G corporate types are going begin moving in. Everyone is expecting them to bring a lot of whiz-kid ideas in with them and the 'craft' side of the company will suffer. Might be a good time to start stocking up......
Some good news, some bad news.
First off, he confirmed that AoS has on-staff soap makers who craft all their own products. They do source ingredients from different suppliers, but the final product is a custom-blend made exclusively by and for AoS. They get the base of their creams from a British manufacturer. Valobra does contribute a base for their soaps, but there are significant components supplied by at least 3 other companies.
No idea about any new developments on the razor/blade side, but there's going to be a new brush coming out - it'll be motorized and spin itself. Along the same lines as the Fusion that vibrates.
P+G rotates senior staff around their various divisions every 3-4 years for cross training and to give them a wider base of experience. The bad news is that AoS staffers are coming up for their first rotation, and starting next year a bunch of P+G corporate types are going begin moving in. Everyone is expecting them to bring a lot of whiz-kid ideas in with them and the 'craft' side of the company will suffer. Might be a good time to start stocking up......
