Bulgari's Expanded Factory will Double Jewelry Production

(IDEX Online) - Bulgari says it will double production capacity by 2029 with the expansion of its jewelry manufacturing site in Valenza, Italy.

The Rome-based jewelry and fashion house has more than doubled the size of Manifattura Bvlgari to what it describes as the "largest single-brand jewelry manufacturing site in the world". It was officially opened last week.

Bulgari was founded in 1884 in Rome by the Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari and acquired in 2011 by LVMH.  Last week LVMH announced a 1 per cent quarterly increase in revenue for its watch and jewelry division, although it did not provide a breakdown of each maison.

The Valenza site is now 33,000 square meters - up from 14,000 square meters. It opened in 2017 with 370 artisans and currently has 1,100. It will likely have 1,600 by 2029.

"We realised in 2020/2021 that our production site wouldn't be enough. Demand was high," said CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.

"With artisans from more than 30 different nationalities, Manifattura Bvlgari is a vibrant crossroads of cultures, fueled by a shared passion for excellence."

Bulgari says the newly-expanded facility will be carbon neutral. In a statement the company said: "The factory expansion incorporates geothermal and photovoltaic systems that cover up to 50% of the facility's energy needs, with the remainder supplied by 100% renewable energy sources."

Pic, courtesy Bulgari, shows works inside the newly-expanded facility in Valenza, Italy.