C&S Jeans factory in Mönchengladbach was once considered a blueprint for the future of production in the heart of Europe – now the clothing dealer has closed it.
The factory, officially called “Factory for Innovation in Textiles” (Fit), was launched to test and further develop new and sustainable production methods. The aim was to find out whether this production model in Europe would reduce costs and at the same time increase the production volume. After careful examination of the results, C&A has now decided to hire the operation of the FIT factory because the initiative did not meet the expectations of the business case, the company confirmed on Friday at the request of Fashionunited.
During a visit to the factory in 2022, factory manager Uwe Gansfort emphasized Fashionunited that it was by no means a pure show case project. Rather, the factory should work profitably. At that time, C&A had already invested almost five million euros in the plant. Expert: At that time, the factory had calculated that the factory with 90 employees should achieve the best possible productivity – measured by the size of 4,300 square meters, the existing number of machines and the investment made.
Nevertheless, the factory could not achieve the aim of the clothing dealer. The decision to close the fit factory was not easy for the company, said C&A. Nevertheless, testing new approaches is a fundamental part of the corporate strategy. In the future, too, new possibilities will be tested and endeavors to improve sustainably in all areas.