Ex-Payet Import, the family business founded in 2017 by Florent Payet, known for its GAYAR brand of laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid, made a radical shift last year by abandoning trading to manufacture its own products under its new entity : Payet Industrie.
Under the name Payet Import, the company founded in 2017 first made itself known by importing cleaning products for organic linen and dishes from the L’Artisan Savonnier brand.. The organic hygiene market being too limited locally, Payet Import has expanded its activity to conventional detergents. To stand out from import, she created the GAYAR brand with its Creole connotation. Large retailers welcome the brand which targets family customers with its 5 L format, but local display is debated, the product is not manufactured in Reunion. “From there was born the thought of going to the end of our message by manufacturing right here, in Reunion”, explains Florian Payet. Consequently, since mid-year, all products in the GAYAR range are manufactured on the company’s former storage site, transformed into a production site, in La Mare.
“Products made by and for Reunion Islanders”
The cause of local production is found in Florent Payet and his daughter, Emma Payet, sales manager, resolute supporters ; all the more convinced that this support comes from a questioning. The case is not unique, but rare indeed in Reunion, of the transformation of a trading company into an industrial company. And this is how Payet Import became and gave meaning to Payet Industrie at the end of 2024. This shift is all the more important for the family SME as it is a renaissance that Payet Industrie is experiencing in this transformation. Florent and Emma Payet tell the story with undisguised pride, living this adventure “products made by and for Reunion Islanders” as a real challenge marked by a particular current economic context.
A united and motivated team
Payet Industrie now produces and markets a complete range for laundry, but also for dishes, in different formats under the GAYAR brand. Taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase a second-hand industrial tool, the company therefore not only resumed local production of the products it already offered, but it has broadened its scope of activity to include automobiles. The Lo’car brand is dedicated to maintenance products for vehicles (coolant, windshield washer, car detergent…). In total, six months of work were necessary to reconfigure the premises of La Mare to accommodate the production and packaging workshops. Became a local manufacturer, the small business has grown in size. In a few months, she doubled her workforce, four other employees joined the adventure, including a QSE manager. “We are all very united and motivated”, testifies Florent Payet.
A paid choice
“Focus on local manufacturing, above all, it’s about choosing flexibility and proximity”, explains the manager of Payet Industrie. “This allows us to innovate more freely and quickly adapt our ranges to the needs of the Reunion market., in a context where the high cost of living is a daily reality. » The company also claims a strong commitment to quality and sustainability : “By producing ourselves, we control each step, from formulation to packaging, to guarantee our customers and consumers reliable products, accessible and designed here, in Reunion. » An assumed positioning, which makes local production not only a lever of competitiveness, but an act of confidence in the territory and its economy. Large retail brands, in the vast majority, appreciate the approach. The company is now targeting other distribution networks, and there is no shortage of development projects, starting with that of a “100% natural range”.
