Since 1963

A french « Success story »

In 1951, Marcel Vignault, a leather goods maker in Tours (Indre-et-Loire, France) designed, manufactured and sold leather and travel goods, even selling his wares on market stalls. He was so successful that he opened a production workshop which kept on expanding until creation of SAVEBAG Company in 1963.

SAVEBAG experienced 3 main development phases :

1. Spectacular expansion :

The Company grew and its production sites multiplied. The Perrusson headquarters, the factories in Tours, Génillé (Indre-et-Loire), Niort (Deux-Sèvres), Pordic (Côtes d’Armor) employed 485 people in 1974. SAVEBAG then diversified its markets, producing luggage, bags and school bags.

1976 was about establishing a reputation. The Company sealed a contract with the prestigious Yves Saint Laurent couture house for the manufacture of luggage and leather goods under the YSL name.

2. Concentration :

Not spared by the oil crisis of 1973 and 1979 and faced with growing competition from Far East countries, SAVEBAG had to close several sites and concentrate its production at the Company’s headquarters in Perrusson.

In order to save the company and jobs, the management team streamlined the production system i.e. increased productivity, introduced computers and automation to lower cost prices.

Owing to its internal design office and flexible production system, SAVEBAG was then capable of rapidly anticipating trends and strengthening its position on the luggage and schoolbags markets, in the 2000s.

The greatest proof of this success is that SAVEBAG is still a financially independent Company, although this sector has experienced waves of mergers and bankruptcies.

3. SAVEBAG today :

The Company is now tackling the future with new goals :

• Perpetuate the Know-how : The learning curve is now at its optimum. Technical excellence has been maintained by a management style that pays a great deal of attention to human resources i.e. staff training and know-how passed on by employees approaching retirement, etc.
• New marketing considerations for managers i.e. Communication policy aimed at improving SAVEBAG brand image : creation and filling of new trademarks, new selling web site, development of new ranges, social networks, market places, etc.
• Expanding work performed under licence (manufacture and distribution) to new big french brand names known throughout the world. In july 2014, SAVEBAG got a rewarding label from the French government : “EPV”, meaning “Business Living Heritage”, for the quality of its know-how.