But since the high-profile opening, the factory has faced a host of problems limiting production, 11 former Louis Vuitton employees told Reuters. The site has consistently ranked among the worst-performing for Louis Vuitton globally, “significantly” underperforming other facilities, according to three former Louis Vuitton workers and a senior industry source, who cited internal rankings shared with staff.
“The ramp-up was harder than we thought it would be, that’s true,“ Ludovic Pauchard, Louis Vuitton's industrial director, said in an interview on Friday in response to detailed questions about Reuters findings.
Errors made during the cutting, preparation and assembly process led to the waste of as many as 40% of the leather hides, said one former employee with detailed knowledge of the factory's performance. Industry-wide, typical waste rates for leather goods are generally 20%, a senior industry source said.
Pauchard acknowledged there had been such cases in the past, but said the issue had been resolved. “This dates back to 2018 and one particular manager who isn’t part of the company anymore,“ he said.
A former production supervisor who often travelled to the site, said Louis Vuitton mostly used the Texas plant for less sophisticated handbag models, producing its most expensive products elsewhere.
“Any bag that goes out of it must be a Louis Vuitton bag, we make sure it meets exactly the same quality,“ he said. “I am not aware of any kinds of issues suggesting the quality coming from Texas is any different from that coming from Europe.”
Perched behind a hill, the handbag maker's two production facilities were built on grounds near grazing cattle and a gas well. Louis Vuitton named the site Rochambeau in tribute to a French general who fought in the Revolutionary War.
LVMH declined to comment when asked which handbag models are fully or partially made in Texas but former workers interviewed by Reuters mentioned the Carryall, Keepall, Metis, Felice and Neverfull handbag lines among the plant's products.
Workers at the Texas facility, which includes dedicated floors for cutting and for assembly as well as a warehouse, were initially paid $13 per hour. As of 2024, base pay for a leather worker position at the plant was $17 per hour, according to two people who recently applied for positions. The minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 an hour.
“We were under a lot of pressure to make the daily goals,“ said the former worker, who left the factory at the end of 2019.
Another former leather worker said they'd seen people melt material to hide holes or other imperfections in stitching.
“There are artisans that we hire, who we train and who, after several weeks, or months, realize in light of the expectations, the level of detail that is required, they would rather work in other fields like logistics,“ he said. “Some people chose to leave us, because it’s true that it’s a job that requires a lot of savoir faire.”
“Knowledge of sewing on leather/canvas is a plus, but not required. We offer comprehensive training,“ the company said in a job posting for artisan positions in Alvarado published on its website in January.
Tax breaks
In its 2017 application letter for the tax abatement, obtained by Reuters through records request, LVMH said it was aiming to hire 500 people within the first five years of the plan. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2019, Arnault said, “We will create approximately 1,000 high-skilled jobs here at Rochambeau over the next five years.” Three former staffers, however, said headcount stood at just under 300 workers in February 2025, a figure Verbrigghe confirmed.
Pauchard said initial recruitment difficulties were largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that followed, adding that a decline in local demand also played a role.
At a town hall last fall, workers at one of two California production sites were told that it would close 2028 and they could move to Texas or quit, according to a former employee who was present.
Pauchard confirmed the town hall and said Louis Vuitton intended to streamline its California operations and transfer more skilled artisans to Texas - with so far limited success. Its executives, he said, “underestimated the fact that Texas is far away from California.”
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