Hermes International : Hermès continues to invest in its production capacity and announces the creation of a new leather goods workshop in Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes)

Paris, 19th April 2023

HERMÈS CONTINUES TO INVEST IN ITS PRODUCTION CAPACITY AND ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF A NEW LEATHER GOODS WORKSHOP IN CHARLEVILLE-MÉZIÈRES (ARDENNES), WITH 280 NEW JOBS BY 2027

To support the success of the leather goods and saddlery collections, Hermès consolidates its artisanal model: a source of quality, sustainability, creativity, and innovation. The house confirms its ambition to grow and continue the development of its production capacity with the construction of a new leather goods workshop by 2027. In time, 260 craftsmen and women will practice their know-how of excellence in the future workshop, located in Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes, France).

This new project is in addition to the three other sites under construction in Riom (Puy-de-Dôme), l'Isle d'Espagnac (Charente) and Loupes (Gironde), for which recruitment and training are ongoing.

Hermès reaffirms a dynamic approach for employment with a strong local anchoring

The maroquinerie de Charleville-Mézières, which will be inaugurated in 2027, joins the maroquineries des Ardennes hub. Made up of the maroquinerie de Bogny-sur-Meuse - present on the territory for almost twenty years - the maroquinerie de Sormonne in Tournes - inaugurated in May this year - and of the École Hermès des savoir-faire of Charleville-Mézières, the hub will eventually employ 800 craftsmen and women.

Strongly committed to building long-term relationships with its local partners, Hermès prepares its implementation in Charleville-Mézières by working in cooperation with the economic development agency Ardennes Développement, the Communauté d'Agglomération Ardenne Métropole, and the Conseil Départemental des Ardennes.

For the recruitment of its craftsmen and women, the house relies on its partnerships with the French employment agency (Pôle emploi), the Board of Education of Reims, and the Greta CFA des Ardennes.

A sustainable and responsible approach

In line with its sustainable development ambitions, Hermès will build its new leather goods workshop on a plot of land that belongs to the Deville wasteland, a former industrial jewel in the capital of the Ardennes.

Hermès confirms its commitment to education and apprenticeship

In a spirit of companionship which values the transmission of know-how and the artisanal culture, the site in Charleville-Mézières will rely on the expertise of the craftsmen and women from the workshops of the hub and the École Hermès des savoir-faire, accredited by French National Education authority as an apprenticeship training centre since 2022. The maroquineries des Ardennes hub therefore continues its growth with forty recruitments every six months.

Since 2010, Hermès has opened eleven leather workshops in France, bringing the number of saddler-leatherworkers employed by the group to more than 4,700. The maroquinerie de Charleville-Mézières will be the 26th leather goods workshop of the house, all located in France. Hermès continues to strengthen its role as a socially responsible company, creating high-quality jobs and reaffirming its desire to make a sustainable contribution to regional development.

Since 1837, Hermès has remained faithful to its artisan model and its humanist values. The freedom to create, the spirit of innovation, the constant search for beautiful materials, the transmission of savoir-faire of excellence, and the aesthetic of functionality all forge the singularity of Hermès, a house of objects created to last. An independent, family-owned company which encompasses 16 métiers, Hermès is dedicated to keeping the majority of its production in France through its 54 workshops and production sites and to developing its network of more than 300 stores in 45 countries. The group employs 19,700 people worldwide, including 12,400 in France, of which nearly 7,000 are craftsmen*. Axel Dumas, a sixth-generation family member, has been Hermès CEO since 2013.

Founded in 2008, the Fondation d'entreprise Hermès supports projects in the areas of artistic creation, training and the transmission of savoir-faire, biodiversity, and the preservation of the environment.

* As of 31st December 2022