Rooted in craftsmanship, human values guide the company in its development: Hermès is committed to preserving resources, supporting the regions in which its manufacturing facilities operate, and ensuring the transmission of its exceptional know-how.
Job creation
The group’s development is accompanied by continuous job creation. Having doubled its workforce in the past ten years, in 2025, Hermès had nearly 26,000 employees worldwide, over 60% of whom are in France.
Hermès contributes to significantly regenerating the regions in which it operates. The resulting local socio-economic development makes it possible to provide staff with comfortable working conditions combining proximity with stable employment.
Production sites in France
The success of the collections is reflected in the sustained development of production sites. Production and training is carried out at 60 sites across France, organised into hubs in 11 different regions. This network is supplemented by 15 overseas production sites, located in Switzerland, Italy, the UK, the USA, Portugal and Australia.
In France, the leather goods workshops are designed on a human scale, each with the aim of ultimately creating around 300 jobs, of which 250 are artisan jobs.
Through its integrated production model, 55% of Hermès’ manufacturing is carried out in exclusive, in-house workshops, and 74% of objects are made in France, including 100% of leather goods articles. This unusual model of métier integration has been consolidated over time by the acquisition of longstanding partners, notably in leather, textiles, silk and tableware. The artisanal nature of this growth model generates a limited carbon footprint, while ensuring rigorous traceability of its raw materials and strict control of its supply chains and production.
Training and the transmission of know-how
Committed to preserving, transmitting and developing its excellence in craftsmanship, in 2021 the house opened the École Hermès des savoir-faire, which now runs 12 training schools across the regions and awards a CAP vocational qualification in leatherwork. Thanks to Hermès’ longstanding expertise in teaching its leatherworking know-how, this training leads to a national diploma certified by the French education department. In 2022, the École Hermès des savoir-faire was also certified by the French federation of leatherworkers to dispense the CQP professional certificate in cutting and stitching. By protecting the future of its exceptional know-how, this training programme offer supports the house’s growth.
Sustainability for the environment
Respect for nature – the source of its exceptional materials and the lifeblood of its sites – has been one of Hermès’ strongest and most abiding values. The group pursues a strict environmental policy, which aims to limit the impact of its operations in all sectors by introducing scientifically validated objectives in its immediate and wider sphere of responsibility. To reduce its impact on the planet, Hermès implements its commitments and initiatives by joining coalitions such as Act4nature International, and adhering to the leading international guidelines and benchmarks such as SBTN (Science-Based Targets for Nature).
To support its development, Hermès has created Harmonie, a set of guidelines that lays the foundations for responsible real estate based on demanding criteria. Certified in November 2022 by Bureau Veritas, it establishes guidelines for the construction of new production facilities, stores and other sites for the house, and contributes to reducing the carbon emissions of existing sites. This standard, which sets out construction specifications for high environmental and social performance, is based on five criteria: the use of local operators and know-how for building, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, guaranteeing healthy indoor air, preserving and improving the quality of the environment, and lastly, ensuring the health of living things. With this standard, Hermès is pursuing its commitment to providing sustainable and responsible real estate.
A group that supports its stakeholders
Proud to contribute to the expansion of sectors of excellence, Hermès cultivates long-term relationships with its suppliers and partners in all métiers, based on loyalty and high standards.
Hermès is committed to its suppliers and supports them in addressing the many ethical, social, economic and environmental challenges they must face. The company ensures that its entire value chain is involved in the key sustainable development issues. Support and mentoring programmes with certain partners contribute to maintaining and revitalising exceptional crafts in France, such as basketry, straw marquetry and cabinetmaking. Elsewhere in the world, the house calls upon rare and traditional skills such as lacquer work in Vietnam, bamboo in Japan, and cashmere in Nepal to produce certain objects to the required high standards, thereby contributing to the promotion and preservation of these crafts. The house pays particular attention to the quality of its relationships with suppliers – some of whom it has worked with for over 60 years. The mutual trust built up over time safeguards the robustness of the entire system.
The house’s many commitments have been depicted by documentary filmmaker Frédéric Laffont in his “Footprints Across the World” series of films. From a very human perspective, he walks the house’s path and gives free rein to his camera, driven by curiosity, navigating between narratives and portraits, carried by craftsmanship and places, taking his explorations to the four corners of the earth...
Six generations of artisans
Since 1837, generation after generation, Hermès has followed a dual thread – on the one hand the painstaking work of the craftsman in his workshop, and on the other the lifestyles of its customers.
Explore Hermès history through key datesHermès is also...