120 years of European leather goods manufacturing, and Bluestar is still investing: competitive European belt production and a new operation in Porto,…
Why We Still Believe in European Manufacturing
120 years of European leather goods manufacturing, and Bluestar is still investing: competitive European belt production and a new operation in Porto, Portugal.
Since 1906, Bluestar has been producing leather goods in Europe. Over five generations we have seen factories close, production move overseas and competition become increasingly international. Yet, 120 years later, we still believe European manufacturing has a strong future — and we are willing to invest in it.
not-a-luxury
European production should not be a luxury
Today, European manufacturing is often associated with expensive, high-end products. Many manufacturers have shifted towards the luxury market to justify higher production costs.
At Bluestar, we believe European production should remain accessible to a much wider range of brands and retailers. Not every belt needs to be a luxury product. Sometimes customers simply need a good-quality product at a competitive price — and we believe this is still possible in Europe.
Quantity plays an important role. Larger volumes let us buy materials more efficiently, optimise processes and reduce the cost per product. For brands ordering several thousand belts per year, European manufacturing can be surprisingly competitive once transport, delivery times, flexibility and quality control are taken into account.
portugal
Why we are investing in Portugal
To remain competitive, manufacturers cannot keep working the way they did 20 years ago. We need to adapt, improve our processes and invest in the future.
That is why we are preparing a new production operation in Portugal, in the Porto region. Portugal has a strong manufacturing culture in footwear, textiles and leather goods, with skilled workers, technical knowledge and a network of specialised suppliers.
By combining Bluestar's experience in Belgium with a new production structure in Portugal, we want to become more efficient while keeping the quality and service our customers expect. Our goal is not to compete with Asia on labour costs alone, but to offer competitive pricing combined with flexibility, shorter supply chains, easier communication and reliable European production.
more-than-manufacturing
More than just manufacturing
When a brand chooses to manufacture in Europe, it supports much more than one factory: European tanneries, buckle manufacturers, packaging suppliers, transport companies and many other businesses involved in bringing a product to market.
Maintaining these industries matters, not only for employment but also for preserving technical knowledge developed over generations. We want to help keep that knowledge and those industries alive.
next-generation
Building the next generation of Bluestar
Our decision to invest in Portugal is an important step in Bluestar's history. It comes with challenges, but it also creates opportunities to rethink how we manufacture, organise our operations and work with our customers.
We believe the future of European manufacturing will depend on companies willing to adapt and invest.
After 120 years, we're not looking back at what European manufacturing once was. We're investing in what it can become — and this is only the beginning.
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How European production supports a whole ecosystem