Celine’s production plant Manufacture dedicated to bags and leather goods for both men and women, was inaugurated on October 17, in Radda in Chianti (Siena), but has been in activity since the end of August. The French brand has invested over 20 million euros for a building occupying an area of 5,200 square meters, and where 129 people currently work (117 of which are leather artisans), with the aim of reaching 280 employees in two years. The entire process takes place inside the plant, from the industrialisation of the product to the cutting of leather and the assembly of bags. About fifteen lines of bags and small leather goods are produced here, a sector that generates more than half of Celine’s revenues.
Investments
For the LVMH group’s brand it is the second production plant in Tuscany after the one in Strada in Chianti (Florence), also dedicated to leather goods. “Production began at the Strada plant in 1979, then purchased in 1994. Today, 300 people work there and it also host our training school”, says Jean-Marie Tizon, Celine’s industrial director in Italy (source Fashion Network France).
The presence in Italy
Celine employs around 400 employees in Tuscany. For LVMH it is plant number 30 in Italy, a country where it employs about 11,000 people. A number that has doubled in the last five to six years. MFF notes that the luxury conglomerate is building a second Scandicci with the Bulgari plant in the souther area of Florence, and the Fendi hub in Bagno a Ripoli, which will be ready to operate next year, and the two Celine plants.
Time factor
“The increasingly rapid reaction times required by the market dictate the need to control the supply chain as much as possible”, said Toni Belloni, general manager of LVMH, who goes on: “We are planning (in addition to the initiatives already mentioned, ed) the expansion of the leather manufacturing of Loro Piana in Florence, as well as three or four other projects to incorporate some of our historic leather goods partners”.
Image from Celine’s Facebook account
