The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, visited the ASF 4.0 athletic footwear factory in Ardoix, south of Lyon, in mid-June. He said he wanted to show support for companies that had chosen to produce in France rather than in lower-cost overseas locations.

ASF 4.0 is a spin-off of textile group Chamatex. It has begun production at the factory and shoes it has made for Millet and Salomon will reach the market soon. Shoes for Babolat will follow next year. 

The production set-up uses high levels of automation; ASF stands for ‘Advanced Shoe Factory’. Its ambition is to increase capacity to 250,000 pairs per year in 2024 and to employ 80 people.

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