IWSA : Longchampsets sails for the USA withNEOLINE

Especially: eBlue Economy

Committed to reducing its environmental impact at all levels of its activity, Longchamp has signed an ambitious and responsible partnership with NEOLINE to reduce emissions on its transatlantic shipping

NEOLINEoffers a responsible and innovative maritime transport service under sail, designed for ecological and economic performance. A commercial speed of 11 knots, 136m sailing cargo ships propelled by the wind in 4200m² of sails, benefiting from the technological progress of ocean racing (especially in weather routing) and driven by trained and involved crews, will allow a reduction of up to 90% of the emissions of maritime transport1with a unique, competitive and sustainable service that fits into the reality of today’s logistics chains.

On the Montoir de Bretagne –Baltimore line, Longchamp is committed to entrust NEOLINE with the transportation of at least 50% of its annual volume of containers between France and the United States from the start of the service scheduled for the first half of 2024

Within the framework of a bi–monthly service (with the commissioning of the second vessel on the transatlantic line) and after a first test phase at 50% of the annual export volume, Longchamp will study the possibility of increasing the share of freight entrusted to NEOLINE

2/2Jean Cassegrain, Chief Executive of Longchamp, emphasizes: “We are particularly pleased with this partnership with Neoline, which, in a very poetic way, allows us to reduce our carbon emissions. This project is close to my heart because my father, who developed Longchamp for more than half a century, made numerous transatlantic voyages in the 1950s which contributed to his passion for the sea.

Today, our company is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. Thus, for our collections, we are increasingly using fabrics woven from recycled plastic waste. By giving a second life to this waste, for example, plastic bottles or fishing nets, we contribute to preventing them from polluting the oceans and reducing our consumption of non-renewable resources. Taking advantage of a cleaner mode of transportation, such as the one offered by Neoline, allows us to go even further in this approach and to reduce our carbon footprint even more: how could we dream of a more elegant means of transportation?

Jean Zanuttini, President ofNEOLINEDéveloppement, adds:

«We are very proud of this agreement concluded with Longchamp aiming at transporting its leather goods in containers from France to the United States. This agreement with a prestigious local player will also allow them to load in a port closer to their production sites. In addition, it reinforces the vocation of our ship to be an ambassador of the best French know–how. More broadly, I am delighted with the keen interest aroused by our maritime transport service among shippers, and today by the Maison Longchamp, because it demonstrates that the time has come for a change towards more environmentally friendly practices. In addition to this first pilot line, it is up to us to work together to achieve the ambition of deploying industrial maritime transport on a larger scale in the medium term.

 About Longchamp:

Authenticity, sincerity, energy, optimism are the values that remain at the heart of Longchamp. Since 1948, Longchamp, the leather-sheathed pipe manufacturer, has expanded its offering to include travel accessories, handbags, ready-to-wear, eyewear, and shoes to deliver a global lifestyle to its customers. Today, Artistic Director, Sophie Delafontaine perpetuates this heritage and develops her vision of the authentic Parisian woman. Her style is fluid, natural, with “joie de vivre” for a contemporary and cosmopolitan customer. Longchamp reinvents French elegance with a twist. Convinced that sustainability is an important component of manufacturing excellence,

Longchamp’s teams have always brought respect and attention to their products. “We produce, we care, we repair”. Since 2019, the use of recycled fabrics has been introduced into the Le Pliage® line, with the goal of transitioning from the use of virgin nylon to recycled nylon throughout the entire Le Pliage® collection by 2022. Preserving its independent family origins, Longchamp has been owned and managed by the Cassegrain family for four generations. Today, the brand has more than 300 stores in 80 countries.

AboutNEOLINE:

Company founded in 2015 by a group of professionals of the sea convinced of the need for shipping to evolve towards a more responsible maritime transport. NEOLINE’s mission is to take shipping towards more energy sobriety, by relying on the main propulsion system using sails. Flagships of French industry such as Renault Group, Beneteau Group, Manitou Group, Michelin, Jas Hennessy & Co, Clarins, and Longchamp, are already fixed on this model.

The transatlantic pilot line will link St Saint Pierre et Miquelon, Baltimore, and Halifax, with a departure every 15 days when the line starts up in 2024. It is supported by the Pays de la Loire Region and BPI France. The project is certified by the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantic, the EMC² cluster and Atlanpole.NEOLINE, with its partners, wishes to constitute an innovative French response to a universal environmental challenge while remaining within an industrial and competitive framework.