Hermès To Add New Printing Lines At Its Textile Site In Pierre-Bénite─The Cradle Of Its Regional Divison Of Excellence

PRESS ROOM

14 Jul

Written By Debbie Mckeegan

Hermès has announced the extension of its long-established site in Pierre-Bénite in the south of Lyon.

To support the success of the collections and the growth of the workforce, the Holding Textile Hermès, integrated textile division of the Hermès group, expands its work and production spaces and is equipped with a new printing line.

In the birthplace of silk and French textile, Hermès reaffirms its territorial anchor in the region and strengthens its textile division, which counts 950 employees, amongst which more than 600 craftsmen and women.

By 2026, Hermès Foresees The Creation Of Up To 120 Jobs In This Division.

The new printing line will be complemented by a second one by 2024, to continue the innovation process of the sector and to contribute to the development of the house’s emblematic know-how in printing ‘à la lyonnaise’.

The Pierre-Bénite workshop houses know-how such as printing and textile finishing.

The reconfigured site now comprises three buildings structured around courtyards and linked by an overhead walkway, promoting strong synergies between artisans and all employees of the sector.

This place of innovation embodies Hermès’ commitment to transmission and perpetuating exceptional know-how as well as its social and environmental ambitions.

The group strengthens its role as a socially responsible company, creating high-quality jobs.

A Dynamic Boost For Employment And Training With A Strong Local Anchoring

The Holding Textile Hermès, created in 2001 to bring together all the group’s textile divisions, masters all aspects of textile expertise - from manufacturing to weaving, engraving, dyeing, and finishing.

Thanks to this unique model of integrated métiers, Hermès is committed to preserving the artisanal dimension of manufacturing its printed silk objects.

For its development, the Hermès textile sector is pursuing a recruitment and training strategy in close collaboration with its local partners: the Pôle emploi employment service in Oullins and Bourgoin-Jallieu, the metropolitan employment integration centre (Rhône section), and several schools and colleges in the Lyon area (Lycée La Martinière Diderot, Maya Campus Roanne, Itech, Ecam...).

Established within the Holding Textile Hermès, the École du textile d’Hermès trains people of all ages and backgrounds, without qualifications or in conversion, for exceptional métiers such as weaving, engraving, dyeing, and printing, as well as manufacturing (edge-rolling and stitching).

Vocational training lasts twelve months for weaving and manufacturing, and three years for table printing, two of which are accompanied by artisan-trainers.

Transmission is at the heart of Hermès’ artisanal model: the artisans share their exceptional know-how with apprentices, on a mentoring basis. In 2022, the Hermès textile division obtained the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (Living Heritage Company) label.

This distinction recognises the company's commitment to conserving, protecting, and promoting heritage know-how.

About Hermès : Silk, A Canvas For Infinite Expression

Since its arrival in the house in 1937 with its first silk twill carré, Jeu des Omnibus et des dames blanches, the silk métier stimulates creative minds, deploys exceptional know-how and perfects innovative techniques.

The iconic 90 × 90 cm scarf has been joined by several other sizes and printed objects such as ties, shawls, ready-to-wear, and bath sheets.

This collective process of creation is the result of a dialogue between the artistic direction, Design Studio, artisans, and colour specialists.

To create theses colour schemes, Hermès craftsmen and women draw on a constantly expanding repertoire of gestures, including a colour library of over 75,000 shades.

The Hermès Group's textile subsidiary, which has its own training school, employs 950 people, including more than 600 craftsmen.