Georg Picard, 4th generation and director since 2015
Picard History
History of Picard leather goods.
PICARD is a young-at-heart family company that has lived its love for craftsmanship, fashion and people since 1928. This is why we have a long and successful history as a company that has seen many advances as well as social changes.
Our company was founded in 1928 by Martin Picard and his sons Edmund and Alois. When the first collection was completed, Alois Picard transported it by himself from Obertshausen to Offenbach on his bicycle. In the years that followed, PICARD Lederwaren grew steadily. The company first introduced large-scale production in the production of leather goods in 1935. At that time, PICARD employed 100 people. The factory in Obertshausen was opened in 1949 and by the end of the 1960s over 1,000 people were employed at this location.
In the 1970s, the company, like all companies in the leather goods industry located around Offenbach, suffered from imports from South America and the Far East. As a result, part of the production was moved abroad in 1976 with the establishment of a subsidiary in Tunisia. During this change, the company management at PICARD also changed when Thomas Picard was added to the management team. Further internationalization of production followed, and in 1995 another foreign factory was opened in Bangladesh, which simultaneously invested in its own kindergartens and a local school. In 2008, production at the main factory in Obertshausen was expanded, and in 2011 another factory was opened in Ukraine. During this time, the name PICARD became a household name, so that in 2002, 45 percent of women in Germany had a PICARD bag.
Thomas Picard, Edmund Picard, Christoph Picard
Production in Obertshausen
In 2015, PICARD's leadership changed again when Georg Picard, Thomas Picard's nephew, took the helm. The company is now managed by the 4th generation. As a result, 15 own-brand stores were opened around the world, from Frankfurt to St. Petersburg and Singapore to China. Thus, PICARD became known at the international level as well. However, with great company comes great responsibility, including when it comes to sustainability. Since then, PICARD has ensured that everything from production to social aspects is done to ensure that the environment is protected and that employees work under social and fair conditions and continue to be supported.
In the midst of the corona pandemic, PICARD fell into economic difficulties, mostly due to the temporary closure of stationary retail stores as part of the quarantine and the consequent drop in sales. However, closure was averted as part of a self-managed insolvency and related restructuring and realignment. The company currently has nine brands at Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin airports. We also have a stronger online presence these days to ensure that our traditional family business will continue to exist for a long time to come. From the end of 2020, PICARD's focus is on the digitization of retail and, in addition to stationary retail, on the expansion of direct sales channels. In the future, PICARD will continue to focus on what has guaranteed success over the decades: passing on tradition, strictly adhering to our values and our passion for modern but also practical leather goods.
