The new factory, which opened operationally on October 1, 2016, was officially inaugurated today (March 22) and revealed to the world’s press and key members of the global Pandora team.
Taking design inspiration from the brand’s signature charm bracelet, the manufacturing facility is primarily optimised for the production of the more time-consuming products in Pandora’s portfolio.
The facility, when at full capacity, will employ up to 5,000 members of staff and aims to “set new standards for the jewellery industry in terms of scale, size, green profile and modernity.” The overall aim is to incorporate flow principles and semi-automation to reduce lead times by up to 50%.
According to the brand, the factory is a flagship green facility for the international company. Built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, it consumes 18% less energy and 45% less water than conventional jewellery crafting facilities.
Pandora’s new crafting facility
Guests, including Pandora chief executive Anders Colding Friis, view the new facility on the official opening day
Speaking at today’s factory launch, chief executive officer for Pandora Anders Colding Friis said: “It’s a proud day. I was thrilled to see how it would look and it looks even better in reality and is a reason to congratulate all of us.
“This factory plays an important role in Pandora’s future. We need to be agile and flexible and this new factory will provide this service. We need to expand in necklaces, earrings and rings and into new markets.
“We are one of the world’s most loved jewellery brands and this is a true statement for our future […] It’s really incredible, a state of the art centre.”
The Lamphun factory forms part of a larger capacity project for Pandora that will potentially double the brand’s output capacity to more than 200 million pieces a year by the end of 2019.
The project also includes building a new crafting facility in Gemopolis in Bangkok, and optimising the brand’s existing factory located in the Gemopolis region.
In addition to the official factory opening, the Danish jewellery behemoth has also used today to officially launch its new SS17 campaign, #DOPANDORA.
The campaign is a change in direction for Pandora with the new lifestyle imagery capturing moments in time.