Can anyone confirm the existence of the Arbonne Institute of Research and Development in Sion Switzerland?

May 13, 2009 11:42 AM

Is there anyone here who lives in or around Sion Switzerland? I am looking for confirmation that the Arbonne Institute of Research and Development (AIRD) has a lab at "chemin des Orlons 10, 1860 Aigle, Switzerland‎."

I discovered that there is a different company at that address: FCC - Fragrances, Cosmetics and Consulting. I spoke to a man from FCC and asked about Arbonne and he didn't know what I was talking about. But when I emailed him, I was emailed back instead by a "Torre Fortunato" who said that yes in fact, there was an Arbonne AIRD lab there and that he worked for both companies. I believe that he is colluding with Arbonne International to perpetuate the lie that Arbonne has a lab in Sion Switzerland. I looked on Google earth for that address and found it is a field. It could be possible that the lab was constructed after the satellite photos were taken. However, I've seen the AIRD address in print in a blog comment in 2006. I assume that the satellite photos are more recent then that.

Any help that could be provided would be greatly appreciated.

posted by doppler68 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

I have lived right down the street in Sion and there is definitely an AIRD lab there. It's kinda hidden, not really noticeable, almost like they don't want people to notice it.

Anyways, I'm not surprised that you were denied on the phone - people get some bad vibes from it, almost like they're afraid to admit that it exists.
posted by unixrat at 11:54 AM on May 13, 2009

On Google Maps it looks like the marker is just a bit off, there is certaily the street there with a big industrial looking building on it.
posted by zeoslap at 12:12 PM on May 13, 2009

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US318&ei=3RoLSoXdLKH0tAOvxtznCA&resnum=0&q=chemin+des+Orlons+10,+1860+Aigle,+Switzerland&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=3xoLStezIoOitgPXkOzhCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Also Google states that both businesses are at this address.
posted by zeoslap at 12:13 PM on May 13, 2009

Response by poster: I found this article

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://archives.24heures.ch/VQ/LA_COTE/economie/article-2008-01-1686/la-jeune-societe-fragrances-cosmetics-and-consulting--fcc--ne-manque-pas-d-ambition&ei=JB0LSqvbIYX2tAOog-3fCA&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=4&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfortunato%2Btorre%2Bfragrances%2Bcosmetics%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive

It says that Torre Fortunato is the owner of Fragrances, Cosmetics and Consulting. Torre told me in email he was a chemist that works for both companies not owner. This article says that they make products for 25 companies. Sure sounds to me like FCC is the one doing the work for Arbonne. Though I am not denying what unixrat said. He has lived there.
posted by doppler68 at 12:29 PM on May 13, 2009

The folks here seem to think that FCC does the work for them but that they don't actually own a facility there.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g188097-i3897-k676122-Arbonne_Institute_of_Research_and_Development-Sion_Valais_Swiss_Alps.html
posted by zeoslap at 12:57 PM on May 13, 2009

On the Arbonne website, when you click AIRD and then view the photo gallery you can see FCC on the door :)
posted by zeoslap at 1:07 PM on May 13, 2009

The pic in question :)

Okay, I'm stepping away, far too many replies from me, but I do loves me a mystery!
posted by zeoslap at 1:09 PM on May 13, 2009

Oh, they put the AIRD logo on the door too :) That's it, no more responses I promise.
posted by zeoslap at 1:11 PM on May 13, 2009

Response by poster: Wow, zeoslap, thanks for pointing that out! I wonder if they painted that on the door for the tour. That was obviously an Arbonne sponsored tour to take reps to the facility, which means the whole thing coulda been staged. I think it's a scam. I wish I could find nail-in-the-coffin proof.
posted by doppler68 at 1:13 PM on May 13, 2009

This is a good article that pretty much explains the whole thing.
posted by zeoslap at 1:30 PM on May 13, 2009

Whether they have their own lab there or rent time at a lab there seems irrelevant to me: if it is a multi-level marketing company I'd agree that it is a scam. They are all really just pyramid schemes (and yes, as Arbonne points out Bill Gates makes the most money at M$, BUT he doesn't require all his employees to pay him money to work there - it sort of goes the other way 'round).
posted by cftarnas at 11:02 PM on May 15, 2009