The leather goods crisis (perhaps) is not the same for everyone. In France, the Manufacture du Cœur des Vosges (MCV), which belongs to Groupe SIS, has announced the construction of a new 8,000-9,000 square metre leather goods factory near Épinal. Over the next three years, the factory will house 350 people. SIS is a group of 1,800 employees working for the big luxury brands. In addition to its headquarters in Avoudrey, it has three factories in France and two production units in China and Madagascar.
The roots
Groupe SIS was created in November 1998 through the merger of three companies: Supercuir (watch straps and small leather goods), IWD (distribution of leather bracelets) and Softline Box (luxury leather goods). Clearly, the group is not only unaffected by the crisis in the sector but has very good prospects for the coming years. In fact, it has announced the creation of a new production site. Through its subsidiary Manufacture du Cœur des Vosges (MCV), it has rented the premises of a former 1,300 square metre supermarket in Chantraine, on the outskirts of Épinal. As France3 reports, 40 people, who had been out of work since September 2023 after the closure of the local production site of the lingerie company Alcée, will work there from next April.
From textiles to leather goods
“The industrial history of the Épinal area, linked to textiles, was a criterion for choosing the location of the new factory,” stressed SIS management. But MCV’s plans are more ambitious. It wants to build a new leather factory as close as possible to the centre of Epinal, with a nursery school, company canteen and gym. And within three years it intends to employ 350 people, thus demonstrating that it sees a more than rosy future in the industry.
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