Hermès announces plans to open new workshop in Normandy, France

Almost 200 years ago, Thierry Hermès learned his trade as a saddler and harness-maker in Pont-Audemer, Normandy. In 2026, the group and the heirs of the founder of one of France's foremost luxury houses continue to nurture this special relationship with the region.

On January 30, the group, led by Axel Dumas, announced plans to open a new production site in the town of Les Andelys, in the Eure department.

The establishment of a new leather goods facility forms part of a long-standing relationship between the Parisian saddler and this region, where the group already operates workshops in Val-de-Reuil and Louviers, while preparing to open a site in Colombelles.

By choosing to redevelop a former brownfield site at the Holophane glassworks, Hermès also underscores its environmental responsibility, alongside its commitment to preserving artisanal know-how. The group regularly adopts this approach for workshop construction projects, which typically cost between €10 million and €20 million.

The company notes that the future workshop will ultimately employ 260 artisans, helping to revitalise the economy of a commune in the Eure department with fewer than 8,000 inhabitants, situated on the banks of the Seine. These future artisans will be recruited through a partnership with France Travail and the Normandy education authority, the group says, before being trained at its Louviers site.

Last summer, the group inaugurated its 24th French workshop in L’Isle-d’Espagnac in the Charente region, and is also preparing other sites in Loupes (Gironde) and Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes). Notably, Louis Vuitton has 18 sites in France and Chanel around ten.

This ongoing expansion reflects the sustained yet carefully managed growth of the group's leather goods and saddlery collections. This division remains the company's main engine, contributing around 41% of total sales of €15.2 billion in 2024.

To ensure production excellence, the house relies on the transmission of know-how through the École Hermès. Future employees will undertake a comprehensive eighteen-month apprenticeship, a paid, diploma-granting programme that enables candidates from diverse backgrounds to become accomplished artisans under the guidance of experienced mentors.

The group's financial health fully underpins these major investments. In the first half of 2025, Hermès once again demonstrated the robustness of its model, posting revenue of €7.5 billion, up 15% at constant exchange rates. This momentum, which attests to the undimmed desirability of its creations, will be detailed in full at the presentation of the 2025 annual results, scheduled for February 12, 2026.