PRESS KIT - vdlv.fr
15
PRESS KIT 2018
Transcript of PRESS KIT - vdlv.fr
PRESS KIT
2018
About VDLV PresentationThe management teamKey data Our expertiseCreator and producer of quality e-liquids Our standards 1st laboratory certified by COFRAC1st European manufacturer of vaping-grade liquid nicotine2 brands for 2 vape conceptsExport areaAmerican offerJuke-VapesA committed playerA partner of LFEL
Contacts
3 4 5 6 7 8 8 910 10 11 1213
14
TablE ofconTEnTS
VDLV Press kit - 2
VDLV Press kit- 3
How did you discover the e-cig?I discovered the world of vape in 2011, while I was a research engineer in a laboratory in Bordeaux. Smoker at that time, I saw a keen interest for this reduction risks tool and an efficient alternative to the cigaret with combustion.
How did you get into the adventure?Seduced but cautious, I noticed that products available in France were mostly made in Asia without a real guarantee of quality. I realized that improvements and even innovations could be implemented, particularly in terms of composition and traceability of e-liquids.
With what did you begin?I have a traineeship in metrology and with the help of the network of university laboratories of Bordeaux, so I started a long phase of research and development ... which lasted one and a half year. My goal was to work with recognized agri-food flavorists but by applying them the requirements of specifications designed for products intended for inhalation. At the same time, I started looking for a brand name. I wanted a term that attracted curiosity, surprise but also offbeat. It was also important to put some of my person to humanize the whole. In April 2012, the project materializes with the formal establishment of the company VDLV, whose first offices are located in the European Institute of Chemistry and Biology in Pessac (University of Bordeaux I).
On 3 September 2012, I sold my very first e-liquid under the brand « Vincent dans les vapes » thanks to my online store e: www.vincentdanslesvapes.fr. Quickly, I had to recruit collaborators and set up production, analysis and packaging circuits. To answer to requests of specialized shops, I also adapted my processes. VDLV is now more than 80 employees for 900,000 bottles produced each month.
What surprises you most about this sector?The market is constantly changing. Consumers are ever more demanding. Also, regular questioning is essential to succeed. That is why, in 2014, I decided to complete my commercial offer by developing a second brand: CirKus to offer an intense taste power.
What differentiates VDLV from other market players?Since the beginning, VDLV products have met the rules of precise requirements on the composition but also on the choice of raw materials. All of these criteria have enabled VDLV to become the first French manufacturer AFNOR certified for the quality of its products. It is of course a personal pride but it is above all the recognition of the quality work carried out by a whole team for several years now. Because innovation is a tool that has always made the difference, today we focus our development in this direction so that VDLV becomes tomorrow, a total integrator of the products of the vape and a privileged partner in France and abroad.
Can you explain the principle of your latest innovation: vapology-grade nicotine?Nicotine is a molecule found naturally in tobacco leaves but also in certain plants such as tomatoes and eggplants. For many years, it is used for its insecticidal properties but also by the pharmaceutical industry in the manufacture of patches or chewing gums. Its application in the field of vape is fairly recent but it is an essential element in the composition of e-liquids. Traditional extraction methods use toxic solvents such as dichloromethane, a carcinogenic substance, to achieve higher production yields. This type of process involves an additional phase of nicotine purification. In 2013, our engineers worked on an extraction process based on green chemistry principles to obtain a nicotine specifically designed for inhalation... and produced in France: nicotine «vapological».This innovation for risk reduction is now reality, as we prepare to commercialize our e-liquid. In addition, to ensure maximum product traceability, we control our entire production chain: from the selection of plots where tobacco plants are grown to the final distillation.
Presentation of the company by Vincent cuisset, founding President of VDlV
Corporate name: VDLV
Head Office: Château Bersol – Bâtiment 2 218 avenue du Haut-Lévêque 33600 PESSAC FRANCE
Laboratories located in-house
Registration of the Company: April 2012
VDLV Press kit - 4
KEY figuresWorkforce: more than 80 collaborators
Production capacity: 900.000 bottles /monthWorldwide locations: 40 countries
Shops: 1,500 located in France110 different flavours
President: Mr Vincent CUISSET CEO: Mr Charly PAIRAUD Human Resources Director : Ms. Laetitia CABAIL Sales Director: Mr Justin DUVIGNEAU-LOBRE Export Area Manager: Ms. Amandine BILLAUD Production Director: Mr Sébastien MONCLIN Nicotine AREA: Mr Cédric FRESSIN Communication Director : Ms. Aurélie LEFEVRE Marketing Manager: Ms. Marine DUPIOL Quality Manager: Mr Jacques CINQUIN Research and Development Manager: Mr Gilles NARDI Sales Administrator B to C: Ms. Aurore ROBERT IT service: Mr Alexis MEYNIEL Purchase Manager: Ms. Peggy FEBRER
The partners:
Mr Vincent CUISSET – Managing Director of VDLVMr Charly PAIRAUD – Deputy Director of VDLVMr Laurent DE CRASTO - Founder of WIT France Mr Gilles NARDI – Research and Development Manager for VDLV
ThE managEmEnT TEam
VDlV a REcognIzED ExPERTISE buT alSo a moTIVaTED TEam.
In 5 YEaRS VDlV haS maDE a namE foR ITSElf aS a DEfEnDER of ThE VaPologIcal DEmanD foR SafE VaPES.
VDLV Press kit - 5
2011
2012
THE BEgINNINg OF THE ADVENTuREResearch and development, market analysis.
INNOVATIONVincent dans les Vapes creates a third range with gourmet fresh and fruity flavours: Les Grands
INNOVATION ... againVDLV become the first french manufacturer of vaping-grade liquid nicotine and ...
... the first independant laboratory certified by COFRAC to dermine
nicotine concentration of 0 to 100 mg/ml on liquid samples using HPLC (UV-VIS detection) method.
CREATION OF VDLV � with 33 m² of headquarters in the Euro-
pean Institute of Chemistry and Biology in Pessac (FRANCE).
� First VDLV brand: Vincent dans les Vapes � Opening of the e-shop:
www.vincentdanslesvapes.fr � first BtoB contracts.
2013
2014
DEVELOPPEMENT � Head office moves to 218 avenue du Haut-
Lévêque in Pessac (FRANCE). � Very strong growth and acquisition
of the HPLC chromatograph and a mass spectrometer for in-house analyses
� Acquisition of an automatic packaging line (production capacity: 3000 bottles/hour). 1000 m² of laboratories and offices.gROWTH
� Creation of an export section for interna-tional sales.
� Launch of a second commercial brand: CirKus (Authentic & Black) with natural and artificial aromas of high vapo-logical quality.
2015
2016
FIRST IN FRANCEVDLV’s e-liquids are certified.
Lauch of a new range with gourmet tobacco flavours: The Classics Wanted by CirKus
2017
To be continued ...
VDLV Press kit - 6
Since 2012, VDLV has devoted itself passionately to creating and producing e-liquids for electronic cigarettes. From product design to sales, VDLV applies precise safety rules to provide optimal protection for consumers.
THE PRODuCTION WORKSHOP
Nicotine base and aroma production
laboratory
2 labelling and graphic publication
rooms
1 grey room for completely automa-
tic packaging
4500 btls/hour
1 grey room for semi-automatic series
packaging
3 rooms for packa-ging and preparing
orders
Toll production laboratory
VDLV production workshops
HPLC Laboratory / Mass Spectrometer
cREaToR anD PRoDucER of QualITY E-lIQuIDS
WhaT Do ouR E-lIQuIDS conTaIn ?
For client safety, we perform numerous analysis to guarantee the quality of our products: ; Systematic control of the nicotine bases throughout production, performed in-house, by means of HPLC chromatography (analytic
separation technology).
QuALITY COMMITMENT :
CONSTANT INNOVATIONSince 2012, VDLV has always been innovative through the creation of e-liquids but also in the field of vaping. Creator of Juke-Vapes, the first non-contact e-liquid test device, the leading European producer of vapological nicotine, the first certified e-liquid manufacturer, by AFNOR Certification, VDLV is reinventing itself on a daily basis and constantly to go beyond the expectations of its consumers.But VDLV is also preparing for its development by supporting related projects such as the growing of tobacco plants in Bergerac, the production of bio-pesticides based on micro-algae (ImmunRise) or the production of bio-ethanol of the second generation (ABnova).
All our products are manufactured and analysed in our production laboratory located at Bordeaux, France. All VDLV suppliers provide the company with EP quality (European pharmacopeia) raw materials, including liquid nicotine, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, as well as food enzymes and flavourings meeting all applicable European standards. We favour raw materials produced in France or the European Union (with the exception of some of our liquid nicotine, which comes from India). It should be noted that we produce our own vapological nicotine in France, which is currently only available in our Origin NV e-liquid range. Our products are supplied with safety data cards, quality certificates and also undergo a large number of in-house analyses.
FRENCH PRODuCTION
The 9th September 2016 : VDLV was officially AFNOR certified for its e-liquids. It’s a first as the company is committed to manufacturing high quality, safe e-liquids and has done its very best to inform consumers.
This certification represents a significant step in the implementation of standards regarding the composition of e-liquids. At present VDLV remains very active into European (CEN) and worldwide ( ISO) standardization works.
; Regular controls of the nicotine contents of our e-liquids by our COFRAC-accredited in-house laboratory (accreditation no. 1-6154).
; Regular random sampling microbiological analyses of all our e-liquids by a COFRAC-accredited laboratory (accreditation no.1-0797):
- Micro-organisms at 30°C – Presumed enterobacteria – Coagulase positive staphylococci. - Yeasts and moulds – E. coli – Salmonella.
; Regular heavy metals analyses (antimony, arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium), aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein), diacetyl and parabenes.
VDLV Press kit - 7
ouR STanDaRDS
VAPOLOgY gRADE FLAVOuRS
VDLV selects alimentary quality natural and synthetic aromas with great care, but the respiratory system is not equipped with powerful enzymes and the metabolic detoxification pathways which are present in the digestive tract. Food enzymes and flavourings may also represent a potentially toxic effect upon inhalation. This is why VDLV has drawn up a strict specification sheet for the selection of its aromas, based on scientific research: this is what we refer to as the vapological requirement!
In Mai 2017, VDLV obtained COFRAC accreditation (accreditation no. 1-6154) for the company’s determination of the nicotine concentration from 0 to 100 mg/ml on samples in liquid form by HPLC dosage method using an UV detector.
This accreditation was the result of a voluntary approach. It should be stressed that VDLV is the first independent laboratory accredited for the establishment of nicotine concentrations. This result is the result of work begun before COFRAC two and a half years ago. Over the course of this period, VDLV was audited several times by assessors and technical experts, who permitted the implementation of even stricter quality controls.
VDLV Press kit - 8
1STlaboRaToRY cERTIfIED cofRac foR nIcoTInE analYSIS
About COFRAC
COFRAC is the French national accreditation instance. COFRAC accreditation is equivalent to true recognition of an activity in the general interest. To ensure independence and impartiality, all the interests involved are represented on the
decision-making levels.
VDLV has always been particularly attentive to the quality of raw materials. Nicotine is, of course, an important component. It’s a molecule which occurs naturally in tobacco leaves as well as in certain plants, such as tomatoes and eggplants. A member of the alkaloid family, it is a natural insecticide and a cardiac stimulant in small doses. Rapidly eliminated by the body, nicotine is non-carcinogenic but toxic in heavy concentrations. It may generate dependence in the case of regular consumption. In an ordinary cigarette, it is the principal reason why smokers get addicted to cigarettes, but, contrary to popular misconception, it is not harmful in this form, which is not the case with the tars and other additives added by cigarette manufacturers. In an e-liquid, its presence provides the perception of the “hit” (contraction of the larynx during the passage of the smoke or vapour) craved by smokers.
For many years, nicotine has been used for its insecticidal virtues, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of patches or chewing gum. Its application in the vaping industry is rather recent. Manufactured in China, India or the United States, its methods of industrial extraction employ toxic solvents such as dichloromethane, a substance classified as carcinogenic, to obtain greater production yields. This type of process involves an additional purification phase for the nicotine.
Based on the principle of green chemistry, VDLV has perfected a completely new method of extracting nicotine from tobacco leaves. It is called vapological because it is the first time that nicotine has been especially produce for inhalation. It is now produced in our pilot unit located at Bordeaux, south-west France.
VDLV has now become the leading European manufacturer of vaping-grade liquid nicotine, with the aim of obtaining greater control over production and improving consumer safety.
1STEuRoPEan manufacTuRER of VaPIng-gRaDE lIQuID nIcoTInE
Specifically designed for inhalation, VDLV’s «vapological» nicotine does not require the use of toxic solvents for its manufacture. From the selection of the land parcels where the tobacco plants are grown to final distillation, VDLV is the complete master of its chain of production and guarantees excellent product traceability.
This facility will manufacture several types of products:
• pure, French, vaping-grade nicotine,• non-aromatised nicotine bases for the preparation of e-liquids, consisting of mixtures containing varying proportions of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG).
In 2018, all VDLV e-liquids containing nicotine will be based on this new technology.
Thanks to this innovation, VDLV, the leader in vapological excellence, will also become a fullintegrator of vaping products and a privileged partner in France, as well as on export markets.
VDLV Press kit - 9
2TRaDEmaRK foR 2 VaPE concEPTS
What makes Vincent dans les Vapes special is the fact that it uses exclusively natural aromas for its e-liquids in order to subtly render the authentic expression of these flavours.
With more than 50 naturals flavours, Vincent dans les Vapes as a pioneering e-liquid french brand.
CirKus e-liquids are based on natural and artificial aromas. It’s a spirit of the circuses of the Belle-Epoque, with fantastic vintage images associating the authenticity of natural flavours with
the taste sensation of synthetic aromas in its e-liquids.
VDLV Press kit - 10
aRounD ThE WoRlD
cONQuERINg NEW MARKETS: VAPOLOgY STORY
In France, our products are selled in more than 1,500 shops and on numerous e-shops specialising in vaping products. But VDLV products are also sold all over the world, since we are distributed in
40 countries.
Last September 3rd 2015, VDLV’s American dream came true. In association with Mr. Jean-Christophe Le Feuvre (co-founder), VDLV opened its first flagship store in the Unites States, named “Vapology Story”. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, on Wilshire Boulevard – Beverly Hills - , this first store reflects the determination of VDLV to invest massively in new markets and in particular in the American one.
This opening is the beginning of a long series of stores. A second one will open soon in California too.
Despite the many juices manufacturers in the US, the American e-liquids market is mainly focused on expert vapers rather than on new vapers.
With Vapology Story, VDLV adapts its strategy by offering a higher Vegetable Glycerin ratio than the standard one on the French market. Moreover, VDLV brings to America its own vision of vaping: an expression of natural flavorings and new sensory horizons, associated with the know-how and a recognized expertise.
VDLV launched in the US 70 juices under the brands “Vincent dans les Vapes” and “Vapology Story”. This last one was entirely created and manufactured in VDLV’s laboratory, always following the highest quality standards. All these juices can be tasted in our shops by using the Juke-Vapes: a practical and funny patented device to taste e-liquids flavours without mouth contact with the clearomizer.
To conquer the American market, Vapology Story offers through its e-shop a large range of devices and also its big variety of juices, providing a shipping service across the US area.
All information is available on the Vapology Story website: www.vapology-story.com
VDLV Press kit - 11
juKE-VaPES
The juke-vapes® by VDLV is the 1st contact-free patented e-liquid tasting bar.With this system, VDLV progresses its quality procedure and vapologicalexpertise by offering innovative test equipment designed to preserve our
products fully intact until tasted in the boutique.
20 points
10 points
VAPEREXPO 2016
VDLV Press kit - 12
commITED PlaYER
ON A LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Ever since its creation, VDLV has constantly committed to developing a real trade sector for electronic cigarettes in order to promote and protect vapology but also to advance the debate on the safety of vaping (composition of e-liquids, choice of aromas).
Based in the Gironde department in France, VDLV established from its inception a strong partnership with Bordeaux University analysis laboratories. This partnership still lives on: VDLV created a research centre (the LFEL) and recruits student researchers from the university to conduct in-depth studies in optimal conditions of all the elements involved in vapology.
By increasing its links with universities and institutions, VDLV has established a vast network to enable a maximum number of people to benefit from its know-how and expertise. Moreover, the company is engaged in the AFNOR standardization process in order to establish a French standard for electronic cigarettes and e-liquids in collaboration with the FIVAPE*.
*Collective of the Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la Vape (Inter-professional Federation of the Vape):
To assert the rights of the profession but also to push the legislation to develop toward a true recognition of e-liquid manufacturers and distributors in France, VDLV is part of the Inter-professional Federation of the VAPE (FIVAPE). Moreover, Charly PAIRAUD, Deputy Director of VDLV, is the secretary general of the manufacturers in the federation, for France but also internationally.
With ongoing debates in the European Union and France concerning the supervision of electronic cigarettes and vape products, the FIVAPE proposes to contribute to elaborating regulations that take the reality of the sector and its issues into account, for the benefit of distribution players and, by extension, consumers. It also asserts the fact that vape products are neither a tobacco product or a medicine. The FIVAPE also tries to combat the disinformation in certain media concerning the potential risks linked to the use of electronic cigarettes.
Thanks to its network, the company is now present in 600 points of sale in France (specialized boutiques and Internet sites).
VDLV exports internationally and is currently present in 31 countries (in Europe and throughout the World).
Charly PAIRAUD, Deputy Director and Vincent CUISSET, President
The first LFEL domain is based on providing services consisting in:
1- creating custom-made e-liquids 2- producing and packaging e-liquids 3- analysis in the interest of consumers and distributors. 4- helping to prepare e-liquid compliance
The second domain is organized around research and development.
A Research and Development Department which belongs to the LFEL, aims at observing and understanding the physico-chemicals parameters linked to the vape products. While supporting research, VDLV contributes to creating an area of scientific expertise dedicated to research about the composition of E-liquids and flavours.
AN ORIgINAL PLAYER IN THE TRAININg CENTRE FOR ELECTRONIC CIgARETTES AND VAPOLOgY SKILLS (FORVAPE)
The French E-liquid Laboratory (LFEL) was founded in April 2014 on the initiative of VDLV and a private partner. The LFEL is nevertheless a totally independent organization, apart from certain equipment that is shared (packaging line, means of analysis). The team consists of 20 collaborators (production, development, analysis, research) in two domains.
In 2014, Forvape offered two training programmes :• A professionalization contract for business leaders wishing to recruit future Electronic
Cigarette sales-consultants, • Ongoing training (short modules lasting a few days) targeting the «heart of the trade»,
specially designed to develop the skills of professionals already working in the sector.
In 2015 Forvape joins the FIVAPE.
VDLV participated in a module devoted to e-liquids, market analysis and regulations.
Anxious to create a genuinely responsible sector with regard to end consumers and to complement the training provided internally for its employees, in June 2013 VDLV and one of its sales partners created FORVAPE which became the first Training Centre for Electronic Cigarette and Vapology Skills (a discipline devoted to studying and learning more about e-liquids).
u-SaV
In order to analyse the substances inhaled by consumers, but also by those around them (passive vapers), the LFEL laboratory reproduces the vapour linked to real consumption of e-liquids and the ongoing
development of vaping equipment.
To conduct a quantitative and qualitative study of the vapour produced by the use of electronic cigarettes (in conditions of regular usage), the LFEL set up a universal system for analysing Vape, or Universal System for Analysis of Vaping: the U-SAV vaping
machine.
u-SAV enables them to reproduce vaper behaviour, to measure the influence of each parameter (the heating element, battery, wick, puff time) when vaping in order to study the composition of the vapour. But it should also enable them to conduct comparative studies and to present long-awaited conclusions of capital importance for the public and for institutions.
With the help of this scientific knowledge we will be able to establish the bases for a comparison of products and, above all, to provide answers concerning the toxicity of vapour and the potential
risks linked to the use of electronic cigarettes.
Jérémy SORIN, analyst for LFEL
expertise
VDLV Press KIT - 13
STANDARDIZAT ION
DEVICES
BEH
AVIO
URS
ANALYSIS REPORT
STAN
DAR
DIZATION
PaRTnER of ThE fREnch E-lIQuID laboRaToRY (lfEl)
