The French glassmaker Duralex definitely cannot get out of this situation. The company has just published a press release in which it indicates that it “has requested the opening of legal recovery proceedings for its benefit with the Orléans commercial court”. For the company, renowned for its famous glasses used in school canteens, the difficulties began in 2022 with the energy crisis, and more particularly the surge in gas prices, of which the glass industry is very greedy. .
Duralex, which has an industrial site in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin in Loiret, employs 230 employees and had achieved a turnover of nearly 30 million euros in 2022. But the surge in prices had forced to stop its ovens. Thanks to a State loan of 15 million euros, however, activity was able to restart in November 2022.
Also read: Duralex interrupts production due to energy prices
But, in 2023, “new difficulties have emerged”, attributable to inflation, a “strongly declining” consumer environment and “heightened competition”, indicates the company. “ Despite operational efforts and continued investments, the losses could not be stemmed. »
The company is now looking for a buyer. “An administrator and a legal representative should be appointed by the court to assist the company during the observation period which should open,” the company said.
Roland Lescure, the Minister for Industry, traveled to La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin when the resumption of activity was announced at the end of 2022. After the announcement of the request to open the legal recovery procedure, he indicated that the State “would do everything possible to try to bring about recovery solutions”.
