MEET THE MAKERS: How a NS hog farmer launched a line of specialty soaps and lotions

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaCape BretonEntertainment & LifeNewfoundland & LabradorNewfoundland And Labrador BusinessNova ScotiaAnnapolis ValleyNew GlasgowTri-CountyTruroValley Journal-AdvertiserPrince Edward Island MEET THE MAKERS: How a NS hog farmer launched a line of specialty soaps and lotions Nathan Pitman didn't set out to create soaps, but after looking for something to do with his hands, it's now a busy side business Author of the article: By Laura Churchill Duke Published Sep 15, 2026 Last updated 22 minutes ago 5 minute read Nathan Pitman says his inspiration comes from every thank you he gets and every look of amazement he sees when people try Mt. Thom Soap Company products. Contributed Article content Instead of it being a planned-out business, Nathan Pitman’s enterprise ended up being the byproduct of a perfect storm. Article content Now, six years later, this perfect storm is called the Mt. Thom Soap Company. Article content Article content Based in Mt. Thom, Pictou County, Pitman is the producer of high-end bath and body products using superior ingredients that have amazing benefits for the skin. Article content Out of everything they make, Pitman says hand lotions, especially the Scotian Sunset Hand Lotion, have become a very big seller for them, with their weekly revenues sometimes exceeding those of the soaps. Article content Article content Their products have gone all across Canada, Australia, Egypt, the UK, the US, and Germany, and Pitman is proud to say they have more of their Curly Conditioning Hair Mask going to Panama than are sold here. Article content How did he get started? Article content The story of the Mt. Thom Soap Company’s perfect storm goes back to when Pitman used to raise hogs. He had the meat smoked and sausages made at the nearby Whistleberry Market, so he got to know the owners pretty well. Article content As a recovering alcoholic fresh out of rehab, Pitman started looking for things to do sober because everything he used to do, he had a bottle in hand. That’s when he started making soap. Article content One day, he was chatting with the previous owner’s son, Nathan Zehr, telling him how he had started making soap with his kids. Article content “He asked to buy some, but I thought he was nuts. I was still making soap in a bread mold, just for fun. That’s all it was meant to be,” recalls…