History of LAVO

The Spanish FYON family arrived in Quebec in 1898 with the brand La Parisienne and its bleach product based on the Parisian system of bleaching and staining linen and cotton linen without boiling it.

Creation of the LAVO company, which comes from the Spanish word for "I wash".
source: Redefining hygiene

The Bouthillier family acquires LAVO and installs its 1st automated plant in Montreal East in 1951.

Headed by Ernest Bouthillier, this was the beginning of LAVO as we know it today.

Since then, LAVO has refined its manufacturing and marketing methods.

LAVO focuses on research and technological development, replacing glass bottles with the first plastic containers. It manufactures its own polyethylene-based containers, thus initiating its vertical integration process.

The major grocery chains decide to sell bleach and fabric softener under their own brand names. LAVO wins most of the contracts, thanks to its new facilities, which enable it to respond adequately to retailers' needs.

Ernest Bouthillier's two sons take over management of the company: Guy becomes president and Paul executive vice-president.

The new team acquires a plant in Ontario and the Old Dutch trademark. Following the production model of the Montreal plant, Dutch Products Inc. quickly takes a major share of the Ontario market.

LAVO acquires the highly reputed Hertel brand, making the company the leader in the cleaning products category in Quebec.

In order to remain competitive and increase production capacity, LAVO's three plants are grouped together in a single location on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Boulevard in Montreal's east end.

LAVO inaugurates a brand-new 130,000 sq. ft. high-performance plant, one of the most modern and efficient in North America.

In response to consumer demand, LAVO is going green, making Hertel products biodegradable to OECD 301D standard.

LAVO takes sustainable development a step further by making all La Parisienne detergents biodegradable and phosphate-free.

Now it's the turn of fabric softeners to become biodegradable. Always with the environment in mind, this is also the year of more concentrated formulas for fabric softeners, detergents and La Parisienne bleach, reducing the amount of water used. This means more loads, less cardboard, less plastic and less transport.

With a view to eco-responsible consumption, La Parisienne has extended its range to include ultra-efficient biodegradable dishwasher cleaning tablets that contain no chlorine or phosphates.

LAVO acquires the Arctic Power and ABC detergent brands, expanding its laundry products portfolio.

LAVO is acquired by KIK, a company specializing in the manufacture of private-label detergents and cleaning products.

As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the complexities, LAVO has continued to supply products in high demand to help the people who depend on our products to disinfect and keep their clothes and homes clean. LAVO continues to work closely with its suppliers to ensure the availability of its products, considering the inflationary context that affects us all and the growing needs of the population.

LAVO celebrates its 75th anniversary!