The extraction, processing, and marketing of the Luberon ocher took off considerably from the end of the 19th century, following the construction of a railway. Treatment plants were built near the quarries, and the first mining companies were established locally, like the SOF (Société des Ocres de France) that was already exploiting the Burgundy deposit, then the leading one in France. The production reached its peak in 1928 with 40,000 tons, 90% of which were destined to export.