Case studyConfirmed by an official source

Scheme status not verified

Sun-Belt: 1,175 M€ in FEDER funding to scale up a leather goods workshop

Occitanie· Cuir, maroquinerie et chaussure

Sun-Belt is a family-owned company specializing in the manufacture of high-end leather goods for major French fashion houses. Founded in 1989 in Mazamet, the company has grown around a demanding artisanal know-how: bag-making, leather assembly, stitching and finishing. With the acceleration of its business and new orders, the company had to consider transforming its industrial facility to increase its production capacity — a project supported by 1,175 M€ in FEDER funding, as part of the European cohesion policy implemented in the Occitanie region.

Funding obtained

€1,175,000

Total project cost

€4,400,000

Funding rate

27%

Instrument

Grant

The company

Sun-Belt is a family-owned company specializing in the manufacture of high-end leather goods for major French fashion houses. Founded in 1989 in Mazamet, the company has grown around a demanding artisanal know-how: bag-making, leather assembly, stitching and finishing.

Its registered head office is now listed under the name L'Atelier de Maroquinerie Sun-Belt in Aussillon (81200), in the Castres-Mazamet urban area.

With the acceleration of its business and new orders, the company had to consider transforming its industrial facility to increase its production capacity.

The initial need

Sun-Belt's commercial growth revealed several needs. The project therefore did not consist solely of expanding the premises: it was about scaling up industrially, while consolidating a historic regional industry.

  • Increase production capacity to meet new orders.
  • Build a larger, better-suited industrial workshop.
  • Invest in more efficient, digital production equipment.
  • Recruit and train new leather goods artisans.
  • Redevelop a former industrial brownfield site to host the project.

The funded project

The project received support from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), as part of the European cohesion policy implemented in the Occitanie region. This funding contributes to financing a new 3 600 m² workshop, the modernization of the production facility, and the development of the Textile, Wool and Leather industry. The investment is intended to allow the company to meet the increased quality, volume and lead-time requirements imposed by its luxury-sector clients.

  • The construction of a new 3 600 m² leather goods workshop.
  • The installation of new production resources.
  • The modernization of equipment and processes.
  • The creation of an industrial environment suited to the company's ramp-up in activity.
  • The redevelopment of a former industrial brownfield site.

Funding plan

Total cost

€4,400,000

Public funding

€1,175,000

Rate calculated from the amounts published by Europe en Occitanie (1 175 000 € / 4 400 000 €) — the project's other sources of funding (self-financing, other grants) are not published and are therefore never deducted here.

The scheme used

FEDER is an instrument of the European Union's cohesion policy. In Occitanie, it is deployed by the Region to support structuring industrial projects such as Sun-Belt's, which contributes to the development of the regional Textile, Wool and Leather industry.

Results and outcomes

  • Stated objective

    Hiring target of up to 150 jobs at the new site, according to the project's institutional communications.

    source

  • Achieved

    85 employees and 3,80 M€ in revenue in 2023, as part of an overall investment project of around 10 M€ announced by the company.

    2023 — source

  • Forecast

    Regional business press points to a longer-term growth trajectory for the company.

    source

Results are distinguished by nature (achieved, stated objective, forecast, estimate) — never presented as certain without this distinction.

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Sources and transparency

  • The Sun-Belt project supported by Europe and the Region — Europe en Occitanie

    Confirms the FEDER amount (1 175 000 €), the total project cost (4,4 M€), the size of the new workshop (3 600 m²), and the beneficiary's name (Sun-Belt).

  • The Sun-Belt leather goods workshop changes scale — Le Journal des Entreprises

    Confirms the company's business (historic subcontracting for Chevignon), its headcount and 2023 revenue (85 employees, 3,80 M€), the hiring target (150 artisans), and the overall investment project (~10 M€).

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