The Orléans Commercial Court postpones its resolution on a attainable purchaser till July 26 | EUROtoday

The 228 Duralex staff won’t know their destiny earlier than July 26. The Orléans business courtroom, after having analyzed the three takeover bids at size on Wednesday, July 17, has postponed its resolution on the destiny of the enduring French glassworks, recognized all through the world for its apparently unbreakable tableware, till July 26.

Since the top of April, staff and commerce union organisations have been plunged into the best uncertainty concerning their future following the location of their firm in receivership.

For six lengthy hours, the business courtroom studied the three takeover information submitted to relaunch Duralex, the flagship of French business based mostly in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin (Loiret), within the Orléans metropolitan space.

As an emblem of the immense anticipation, round 90 folks, together with twenty staff, gathered earlier than the beginning of the listening to. “We just ask that the company continues to exist”stated Michael Ramos, an worker of Duralex for twenty-nine years, on the steps of the courthouse.

Among the three affords, the proposal from the Société coopérative de manufacturing (Scop) is the very best by way of jobs, supported by 60% of the employees and supported by the location administration. One hundred and fifty staff of the corporate in favor of the mission have even already invested “500 euros out of their pocket”in line with the CFDT, the bulk union.

This provide gives for the retention of the complete workforce and has obtained the assist of native elected officers, together with that of the area, which has promised its assist within the type of a financial institution assure.

“We want to take our destiny into our own hands”

The president of the Centre-Val de Loire area, François Bonneau, described his “immense hope” what firm “continue to live through the Scop tomorrow” to avoid wasting “an emblematic product of the region”.

The Orléans metropolitan space has additionally supplied to purchase the glassworks web site, for a sum estimated at between 5 and eight million euros, so as to assist persuade banks to finance the mission.

“We are confident, we are waiting for the outcome: we want to take our destiny into our own hands with this Scop project”Suliman El Moussaoui, CFDT union delegate, informed AFP.

The second provide is that of SARL Tourres et C^ieowned by Stéphanie and Adrien Tourres. The couple owns two glassworks, Waltersperger (Seine-Maritime), taken over in 2018 and specializing in luxurious bottling for cosmetics with round forty staff, and La Rochère (Haute-Saône), which has round 100 jobs and focuses on tableware.

“We worked hard to present a reasonable and realistic project”identified Adrien Tourres on the finish of his look earlier than the courtroom. Mr. Tourres described Duralex as “iconic brand” and stated he had supplied solutions “positive” to make sure the sleek operating of the corporate. Their plan gives for retaining 183 staff and envisages the institution of technical and business synergies throughout the group.

This mission is favored by the CGT, which favors “the support of an industrialist who will help to make things move further” that the Scop mission, which it considers as a ” Plan B “.

Recurring monetary difficulties

The third provide comes from Carlesimo Investissements/GCB Investissements, a family-owned industrial group that owns two foundries, Navylest International, which focuses on lead keels for boats, and Lory International. It solely proposes the takeover of 125 jobs.

Duralex has been repeatedly dealing with monetary difficulties for about twenty years. After a brand new receivership process three years in the past, the corporate suffered from the surge in vitality costs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was briefly saved by a €15 million mortgage from the State. In 2023, its turnover fell to €24.6 million in comparison with greater than €31 million in 2022.

The firm, which was the pleasure of French industrial manufacturing, described as “Eiffel Tower of dishes”is at present within the palms of the Compagnie française du Verre, additionally the proprietor of Pyrex, which took it over on the bar of the identical courtroom in 2021.