Sustainability

Responsible manufacturing

Place of manufacture.

When we started this project in 2015, we had absolutely no desire or intention to manufacture in Asia. For us, it wasn't even on the table. We thought we could still find bag manufacturers in France, or at least in Europe. And we did. We managed to convince one of the very last factories in France still making "technical products". The factory was also located right near our office. A good sign!

So we started working with this manufacturer in Annecy. Together we developed our first bag (three rounds of prototypes) and launched our first batch of "Made in Europe" products. A momentous occasion. This was in 2016.

We sourced all the materials in France, Italy, Belgium and Portugal. Everything was cut in Annecy, but assembled in Slovakia (at another workshop run by our French supplier), since we simply couldn't afford French labour costs (our first big disappointment).

We're not saying it's impossible to manufacture in France. But with labour costs so high, you've really got two options: either make simple products that need little assembly time (T-shirts, jeans, shoes, underwear and so on), or sell your products at a much higher price to cover the cost of materials and production, the way luxury brands do. But who wants to pay €400 for a MeroMero backpack? We certainly didn't want to charge that much.

So after nearly bankrupting the company (not enough margin, a selling price that was too high, and a brand positioning that was perhaps a little too ahead of its time…), we made the difficult decision to manufacture our products in Vietnam. This faraway country, where my aunt happens to have been born (a sign?), is also home to several factories and suppliers specialising in technical outdoor products.

True partners.

We have been working since 2018 with a Japanese partner based in Vietnam, in a brand new factory run by Koreans. We know it's not easy to follow. Stick with us. Despite the distance, the time difference, and the mix of languages and cultures, it's a real pleasure to work with them. They bring their know-how and a genuinely friendly approach, and in exchange, we push them to adopt a more environmentally and socially responsible approach to production.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City for more than 20 years, in two rather outdated workshops, they built a new factory in 2019 a little further north, in the province of Tay Ninh, less than 100km from Saigon (the other name for Ho Chi Minh City). We travel there once a year (except in 2020, because of Covid) to spend time with them, develop new products, launch or check in on production, meet with suppliers, and try the local specialities.

Maintaining a solid, long-lasting relationship with our partners really matters to us. We're also in almost daily contact to develop new products or manage production. Specialising in technical stitching, they manufacture paragliding sails and harnesses, climbing harnesses, camping furniture and backpacks for some of the biggest outdoor brands.

Transparency.

When we went there for the first time, we expected the worst, given everything we heard about working conditions in Asia. But that was exactly the point of the visit: to see for ourselves and see if we liked what we found. And we weren't disappointed. We were welcomed like royalty (yes, I went that first time with Aurore from PRISM backpacks, who was already working with them). We even had the honour of being invited to the "groundbreaking ceremony" celebrating the first day of construction on the new factory in 2018. Their old workshops were run down and stiflingly hot (it was the start of the monsoon season). But the atmosphere was lovely, even relaxed.

That said, during busy periods (often driven by customer demand and peak seasons), employees work long hours. On average, that's 8 hours a day, Monday to Saturday, with a paid one-hour lunch break (provided by the employer) and a nap in hammocks made available to staff. They get short 5-minute breaks every hour to chat, stretch their legs, use the toilet or check their phones. During busy periods, they can work extra hours from 5pm to 8pm to keep production on schedule. So it's down to us not to impose unreasonable deadlines, since that inevitably means overtime for the workers.

We didn't see a single child there (and we looked everywhere ;-), most workers are relatively young, around 25 to 30 years old. That's not surprising once you know the median age in Vietnam is 27 for men and 29 for women, compared to over 40 in France. Another pleasant surprise: the minimum working age was 21, even though the legal minimum in the country is 18. For reference, school enrolment in Vietnam is around 90%.

Our manufacturer now operates from a brand new, genuinely impressive factory: proper lighting, ventilation, dedicated workspaces, a canteen, hammocks for naps… There's even a guest house to welcome visiting customers (us) or house managers who often live in Ho Chi Minh City. One small detail we loved: workers clocked in and out using fingerprint readers.

We can't afford independent audits, but by visiting the factory regularly, we can honestly say our bags are made in genuinely fair conditions. There's obviously room for improvement, and our partners aren't perfect, but they genuinely want to do better, whether that's adopting more sustainable practices or treating their employees fairly and with the respect they deserve.

For now, they hold ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment) certification, as well as WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) certification, one of the most comprehensive environmental, social and ethical certification systems in the world. Most of our suppliers are also Bluesign certified (fabrics, buckles and so on).

Maintaining a solid, long-lasting relationship with our partners really matters to us. We're also in almost daily contact to develop new products or manage production. Specialising in technical stitching, they manufacture paragliding sails and harnesses, climbing harnesses, camping furniture and backpacks for some of the biggest outdoor brands.