Hermes to open 25th leather goods workshop in France by 2026

The Gironde hub will enable artisans to pass on the culture of the saddlery and leather goods metier and the house’s know-how. At the Ecole Hermes des savoir-faire, an apprentice training centre accredited by the French ministry of education and rolled out in the Gironde hub in 2023, Hermes artisan trainers teach the techniques of leatherworking excellence. As ministry-certified assessors, they award the French vocational CAP qualification in leatherworking and the CQP (certificate for professional qualification) in cutting and stitching, the company said in a press release.

For its recruitment needs, Hermes is working with local partners such as France Travail Nouvelle Aquitaine, as well as the GRETA-CFA Aquitaine adult education service, and the Charles Péguy high school in Eysines. The next intake will start their training in October 2024.

Hermes has strong roots in the region, with the Ganterie-Maroquinerie de Saint-Junien gloves and leather goods workshop (Haute-Vienne), and the Maroquineries de Nontron (Dordogne), Montbron (Charente), Saint-Vincent-de-Paul (Gironde) and soon, L’Isle d'Espagnac (Charente), which will open in 2025. The new Maroquinerie de Loupes will become Hermes Leather Goods and Saddlery’s sixth production site in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The house is strengthening its role as a socially responsible company, creating high-quality jobs and reaffirming its intention to make a sustainable contribution to regional development across France. To establish this new manufacturing site, Hermes worked with the Communaute de Communes du Créonnais and the Sysdau, a mixed syndicate in charge of l'Aire Métropolitaine Bordelaise local authority.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)