A fourth factory in Allier
08/12/2008
Reports in France suggest luxury brand Louis Vuitton may be preparing to open a new leathergoods factory next year in the Allier department in the centre of the country.
Local media said the mayor of the town of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, Bernard Coulon, had hinted that a new facility, in addition to the three that Vuitton already runs in the area, could open in 2009.
The economy of Saint-Pourçain, a town of only 5,000 inhabitants, depended for centurites on wine-making. There was a footwear factory there, run by Bailly, but it closed in the 1980s.
In 1990, Vuitton decided to take advantage of the high levels of leather-sector skills in the town and set up a first factory there. And the set-up soon expanded to the extent that it now employs 650 people there across three sites, making small leathergoods such as Vuitton handbags as well as larger items such as suitcases.
The company has even set up its own leather training centre in Saint-Pourçain, making further expansion possible.
The mayor is reported to have talked of the fourth factory involving a further investment of around €300 million, but Vuitton sources have said it is too soon to confirm the news.
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