Our Story
From field to shelf, no one knows peppermint better
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"Essex" is an acronym derived from Essential Oils and Extracts which fairly well describes the focus of Essex Laboratories, Inc. as a peppermint and spearmint essential oil house. Essex Laboratories was founded in 1992 in Salem, Oregon by a team of technical, production and field managers with more than 100 years of combined experience in the essential oil industry. Essex Laboratories is crafted as a founder operated company with a strong commitment to supplying customers with the highest quality peppermint essential oils and extracts supported by superior technical service and innovation.
In addition to processing peppermint essential oils produced in the United States, we also process dried mint botanicals through Core Botanica. Our field managers work closely with a diverse grower base to produce the finest quality mint at the farm level while our technical and production experts ensure that our customer’s specifications are precisely met. |
A Mint Oil Distillery
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Our blending, purification and fractional distillation equipment provide us the capabilities to provide unique peppermint essential oil products for our customer’s proprietary formulations. These systems also allow us to replicate any specific quality of mint oil which our customers may require.
We are constantly working to develop innovative processing systems as well as unique plant species to provide our customers the flavor and fragrance components which create competitive edges for their products in the food, confectionery, beverage, health, cosmetic and fragrance industries. We are proud of our corporate culture of excellence and professionalism. From the beginning, we have intentionally set a high bar for ethics and transparency: We never want to be simply another source of mint supply. Our goal is simple: Set the highest possible standard for mint ever seen in human history, challenging the traditional values, purpose and expectation of mint as it has been known, and leaving the category vastly improved as a result.
Commitment to Sustainability
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Essex Laboratories is committed to environmentally friendly practices and policies. One of our practices is the composting of the peppermint hay after oil distillation both from our oil distillation in the field and from our waste screenings from our dried herbal tea leaf operations at Core Botanica.
The mint compost adds humus to the soil and is a fertilizer supplement. We have had the mint compost samples analyzed and the results show that we are adding nitrogen, potash, and potassium back into the soil. This practice produces a healthier soil amendment, providing better water retention, and fewer chemical fertilizer applications to the fields. We have also developed a distillation process where the waste material can be processed extracting the oil out of the waste. |
"Sustainability is our contribution to future generations” – Mark Morlan |
Commitment to Innovation
"One should recognize and manage innovation as it really is... a tumultuous, somewhat random, interactive learning process linking a worldwide network of knowledge sources to the subtle unpredictability of customers' end uses." - James Brian Quinn, 1985 |
Innovation has been a part of Essex Laboratories since the beginning. We aren’t content with the traditional definition of innovation – or traditional approaches to production and formulation. For example, we work with customers to find cost saving formulation notes for incorporation with existing peppermint oil types – including the concept of alternative supply sources, creative processes and price assurance for substitute materials if and when short supply or crop failure affects productions.
We deliberately build in the possibility of alternative methodologies to protect your projections – and your margins. Customers turn to us for our unsurpassed ability to replicate the best characteristics and attributes of any breed of peppermint, regardless of availability or region of origin. Additionally, we support enhancement and with specially crafted components and processes to improve balance and complexity. These included patented leaf extraction methods and the use of materials both of which represent reduced processing in the form of whole oils. |
Commitment to Ethical Practices
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As a leader in the global peppermint industry, ethical practices are of great concern to Essex Laboratories. We make sure that the mint oil we import from overseas is ethically sourced and that the growers are using sustainable practices. One way we have ensured ethical sourcing is by building relationships with foreign growers. Over the last twenty years we have helped to implement modern growing and processing techniques across the globe.
Our success overseas comes from our commitment to maintaining the relationships we have built, with our customers and our growers. |
“All business relationships are based on trust.” – Doug Walker |