United Repair Centre (URC), a European specialist in textile repair, has announced the opening of a new centre in Paris. The move follows an impact investment of €3.2 million, funded by French and Dutch investors alongside the City of Paris. This financing will also support the launch of two additional centres in Europe over the next two years, as well as a technical team tasked with further developing the proprietary service platforms used by URC’s clients. This site will become the network’s third European centre, after Amsterdam and London. The Paris centre will operate mainly on a B2B basis, offering its repair services directly to partner brands.
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URC already provides repair services to more than 30 textile and outdoor brands, including Patagonia, Lululemon, Levi’s, Arc’teryx, The North Face and Decathlon. In 2024, the Amsterdam and London centres repaired over 29,000 items, a volume set to increase with the opening of new sites. The arrival of the Paris centre therefore forms part of a strategy to expand capacity, in order to meet brands’ growing demand for outsourced repair solutions.
The centre will open in mid-February 2026 in the 13th arrondissement, within an ecosystem dedicated to the circular economy. This location is intended to make repair services more accessible for businesses.
URC is pursuing a Europe-wide strategy led by CEO Thami Schweichler and COO Paul Kerssens. The company plans to open two further centres over the next two years. The goal is to build a network of hubs capable of meeting demand from brands committed to circularity, and to establish URC as a key industrial partner for textile repair across the continent.
According to Thami Schweichler, URC’s arrival in Paris comes amid strong expectations for sustainable models. He notes that France is among the countries that have introduced incentive policies to curb the production and sale of short-lived garments.
Patagonia’s investment in United Repair Centre is consistent with the long-term approach the brand has championed since its inception. Patagonia has always placed environmental and social responsibility at the heart of its business model, believing that profitability should serve broader objectives than immediate gain. In his progress report, CEO Ryan Gellert notes that the company has structured its model to protect the planet and support sustainable initiatives, while using the economic tools at its disposal to maximise its impact. This philosophy is reflected in concrete decisions, such as the transfer of ownership in 2022 to safeguard the company’s values, and the distribution of funds earmarked for environmental protection.
By supporting URC, Patagonia extends this strategic approach to the textile repair sector. The opening of the Paris centre is more than a symbolic gesture: it forms part of a chain of European locations responding to growing demand from brands for B2B repair solutions.
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