This new project is in addition to the three other leather workshop sites currently under development in L’Isle-d’Espagnac (Charente), Loupes (Gironde) and Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes).
Hermès will open its tenth leather goods workshop in Colombelles, Calvados, by 2028, creating 260 artisan jobs.
This expansion supports its artisanal model and local employment.
It complements ongoing projects in Charente, Gironde, and Ardennes.
Training will be provided by École Hermès des savoir-faire, in partnership with local education and employment bodies.
Hermès reasserts its focus on local employment
The Maroquinerie de Colombelles is part of the development of a tenth regional artisanal hub for the Hermès group which currently has leather goods production sites in nine of France’s thirteen regions. Hermès is deeply committed to building lasting relationships with its local partners and is preparing for its arrival in Colombelles with the help of the Caen-la-Mer urban community, Normandie Aménagement, and the Colombelles town council.
The house will recruit its artisans with the support of the École Hermès des savoir-faire, the France Travail employment service and several local employment partners.
Hermès reaffirms its commitment to education and training
In a spirit of mentoring centred around the transmission of know-how and the house’s artisanal culture, the Colombelles site will draw on the expertise of the teams at the group’s leather workshops, and the École Hermès des savoir-faire. The school, which has been recognised as an apprenticeship training centre by the French Ministry of Education since 2021, will train new artisans in close collaboration with the Normandy regional education authority and local vocational training partners.
A sustainable and responsible approach
In line with its sustainable development ambitions, Hermès will build the new leather workshop on a brown- field site previously owned by the société métallurgique de Normandie (SMN), a former jewel in Normandy’s industrial crown that operated in the region from 1917 to 1993. Since 2010, Hermès has opened thirteen leather workshops in France. The Maroquinerie de Colombelles will be the house’s 27th leather goods workshop, all of which are located in France. Hermès continues to strengthen its role as a socially responsible company, creating long-term, high-quality jobs and reaffirming its willingness to contribute to regional development.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)