Hermès expands its textile production site in the south of Lyon

After expanding its Saint-Junien glove and leather goods factory in Haute Vienne in June, Hermès has announced a new extension, this time in Rhône, in France. The French luxury house, known for its emblematic bags and silk squares, is expanding its historic textile site in Pierre-Bénite, in the south of Lyon, which will now be spread over three buildings and equipped with a new printing line.

Holding Textile Hermès (HTH), which was set up in 2001 to bring together all the group’s textile subsidiaries, including garment manufacturing, weaving, engraving and dyeing, has expanded its Pierre-Bénite workshops, which house printing, textile finishing and finishing expertise, into three buildings built around patios and linked by an aerial walkway.

The extension will see the installation of a new printing line, to be supplemented by a second line by 2024, “in order to continue the industry’s innovation drive and contribute to the development of printing expertise in the ‘Lyon-style’ setting that is emblematic of the House,” explains the company in a press release, pointing out that Holding Textile Hermès was awarded the “Living Heritage Company” label in 2022.

Entrusted to Lyon-based Unanime architectes, the project, which confirms Hermès’ territorial roots in the cradle of French silk, gives pride of place to light, offering the colourists, who work with natural light, a space with ample volumes equipped with bay windows. The building was designed to be bioclimatic, explains the saddler.

The Hermès Group’s textile subsidiary, which has its own training school, employs 950 people, including more than 600 craftsmen. Between now and 2026, the group plans to create nearly 120 jobs in the sector, driven by growth in the “clothing and accessories” category, where sales jumped 36% at constant exchange rates in 2022 to €3.15 billion, and in its “silk and textile” collections, with sales up 20% to €842 million.