Hermès begins work on new leather goods site in northern France

Luxury group Hermès announced that it has started work on its 26th leather goods workshop in Charleville-Mézières, in the Ardennes region of France. This is part of Hermès’ development plan for manufacturing centres across France; the company also announced the creation of leather goods workshops in Colombelles (Normandy), L'Isle d'Espagnac (Charente) and Loupes (Gironde).

The Charleville-Mézières workshop is the third site in the Ardennes hub of Hermès Maroquinerie-Sellerie, following the openings of the leather goods workshops in Bogny-sur-Meuse in 2004 and La Sormonne in 2023. It will eventually accommodate 250 craftspeople. Its opening is scheduled for 2027.

Last May, the luxury group indicated that it had also begun work on the Manufacture Beyrand, a subsidiary of the group since 2017. The site will open in 2027, in Couzeix (Haute-Vienne) and will be dedicated to tableware.

Charleville-Mézières is also the location of Hermès' École Hermès des Savoir-faire. This school provides training for craftspeople in the Ardennes hub and conducts assessments for the Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnelle (CAP) in Leather Goods and the Certificat de Qualification Professionnelle (CQP) in Cutting. The brand relies on its own training site and a partnership with France Travail for the recruitment of its employees.

Hermès currently has 60 production and training sites, as well as a network of nearly 300 stores in 45 countries. It employs 25,185 people worldwide, including 15,556 in France (as of 2024). Hermès has been headed by Axel Dumas, a member of the sixth generation of the family, since 2013.

In 2024, the brand's consolidated revenue reached 15.2 billion euros, up 15 percent at constant exchange rates and 13 percent at current exchange rates compared to 2023.