There is turmoil at Myni, a Quebec manufacturer of ecological cleaning products: the company is moving to new premises where it can significantly increase its production and hopefully ensure a healthier future for the planet.
“It's funny to see so much dust in the offices of a company that specializes in household products!” jokes Myni's president and founder, Marie-Hélène David, as she shows the 1,600 square meter facilities in the middle of the construction site.
“Photo Didier Debusschere”
In 2020, the certified public accountant (CPA) was outraged to learn that a cleaning product was causing her kitchen pipes to corrode.
With the help of chemists, she set out to provide a non-toxic solution to what is normally found on store shelves.
Since then, Myni has become a leading provider of environmentally friendly cleaning products for the home and body. Its water-soluble tablets and concentrates are now sold in more than 1,150 retail outlets in Canada and the United States.
After Medicago ceased operations in 2023, the SME negotiated the lease of large premises, including a warehouse, laboratory and administrative offices. The modernization and renovation of the facilities required an investment of $1 million.
“We seriously ran out of space in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures,” admits the founder. We had to rent independent warehouse space in the industrial park where our offices were located, but that wasn't ideal. There the entire company will be gathered in one place, which was a perfect opportunity.”
Too big
The young entrepreneur makes no secret of this: the new headquarters is clearly too bulky for Myni's size, despite its meteoric growth.
“We have far too much production capacity. On the other hand, we are the only ones who make pastilles [de produits ménagers] in North America. Currently all pellets are made in Europe and imported here.”
“Photo Didier Debusschere”
Myni therefore decided to position itself as a manufacturer of non-toxic cleaning discs. Several major brands are looking to have their products made in Quebec.
“This allows us to fully utilize our production line,” argues Marie-Hélène David. Ultimately we hope that Myni will take up more and more space in our orders, but in the meantime it is a great opportunity to justify our investments while making the field more environmentally friendly with products that are not harmful to the environment.
Unexpectedly
As with any self-respecting move, there are a lot of boxes all over the Medicago warehouse on Watt Avenue.
Like a couch that doesn't fit through the door frame, something unexpected delays unpacking. When the journal was published, certain machine parts were still waiting.
“We were late in setting up the production line. It doesn’t look like it, but everything will be ready for the opening of our store by the end of March,” assures Ms. David excitedly.
One tablet at a time
On the other side of the warehouse door, Myni will open a physical store where customers can “view” the full range of home and skin care products.
“We want to attract curious people who have heard about us but are not yet convinced. We invite you to come by and try it out […] We have two new patents in our sights for 2024, so we will also be presenting new products,” emphasizes the mother of two small children.
While Myni's products are already well established in several independent companies and pharmacies, Marie-Hélène David and her team are in discussions with major natural food brands in Canada.
“We're releasing one tablet at a time, but there's clearly excitement about what we're offering in the market. At Myni we say it's small daily gestures for the planet, like choosing healthy products, that have a big impact in the long run.
MUCH
Entrepreneurship is… A chance to review pre-established standards to change things based on your values.
Who inspires you? My children. Myni was created primarily to provide them with a healthier planet. When I'm having a hard time, I think about the impact I can have on their future.
If you could change one thing in the world it would be… Global warming! It's so worrying what's happening and it's only going to get worse. It's fun, it's hot in February, but it's not normal.
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