LVMH strengthens its position in Italy with the new Fendi and Bulgari sites
LVMH continues to invest heavily in its production line in Italy without looking at the expense. Fendi and Bulgari especially are pursuing an ambitious programme. Firstly, Fendi, the Roman label known for its accessories and ready-to-wear, has just inaugurated two ultra-modern factories, one dedicated to shoes at Fermo, in the Marche region, and the other specialising in leather goods at Capannuccia in Bagno a Ripoli near Florence. Bulgari has also launched work to double the production capacity of its jewellery workshop in Valenza, in Piedmont.
The new production and development unit specialising in Fendi Factory leather goods opened its doors on Wednesday in the presence of local councillors, the brand's directors and Antoine Arnault, who was in Italy to launch "Les journées particulières". The 30,000 square metre factory is located on an eight-hectare site, which previously housed the Brunelleschi furnace. The site has been completely redesigned. The building, designed to limit its impact on the environment as much as possible, is surrounded by a large park with 700 olive trees, which will produce 900 litres of olive oil per year. The project was initially taken on by the Milanese architectural firm Piuarch, and then by Fendi's architectural department.
The investment amounts to more than 50 million euros, the highest made by the group in Italy for a single site. The facility plans to employ 350 people by the end of the year. This number is expected to double within three years. It houses all stages of bag and leather goods production, offices, a canteen and a training centre for young leather craftsmen. The Factory will expand Fendi's leather goods production capacity in Tuscany. Until now, the brand relied on its other site in Ponte a Ema, but its capacity was no longer sufficient.
The inauguration of Fendi's New Factory Shoes in Fermo took place in a more discreet manner on October 5. This time, LVMH invested 12 million euros to transfer the activities of its shoe production site in Porto San Giorgio, which it had been operating for more than ten years in the same Marche region known for its expertise in shoe manufacturing, to this new unit, which is also cutting-edge and designed to be sustainable.
The new factory, equipped with solar panels, covers more than 7,000 square metres and includes various production, office and warehouse areas. It is expected to eventually employ 300 people, compared to the 120 who worked at Porto San Giorgio.
In the north of Piedmont, the jeweller Bulgari is planning to further expand its Valenza factory, just five years after inaugurating in 2017 what was already considered the largest jewellery production site in Europe with a surface area of 14,000 square metres.
Work has recently begun to expand the building, which should reach a total of 17,500 square metres by the end of 2024, with the addition of two new buildings. The company plans to hire 650 people by 2028, who will join the 750 already working in the factory, while production capacity is expected to double.
"Developed by the Italian architectural firm Politecnica, the project has been entirely designed with a sustainable approach and following the principles of energy efficiency, not only to drastically reduce the environmental footprint of the site, but also to preserve the surrounding territory and its biodiversity," Bulgari said in a statement.
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