“Being there again in 100 years”: twelve months after the resumption of its employees of the world -famous glassware, Durax has its objectives, “carried by a new breathing” and points to the financial balance for “two years.”
Last summer, however, the brand famous for its disassembled dishes, almost disappeared after another break, sinking employees in vagueness around their future.
An uncertainty built by the Commercial Court of Orleans, which validated the project of the Employee Cooperative, supported by 60% of the staff, transported by the administration of the site and backed by the local elected officials. The SCOP was officially launched on August 1.
Since then, 17 people have been recruited, carrying the number of employees to 243 in their historical site in the Chapelle-Saint-Menmin, near Orleans, especially thanks to several local support.
For example, the region has promised its support in the form of a bank guarantee, when the Orleans metropolis formalized the acquisition of the Vergerie site, for 5.6 million euros.
Given the scale of the challenge, Duralex has already managed to straighten the bar: its turnover should reach 33 million euros this year, after having fallen to 24.6 million euros in 2023, against more than 31 million in 2022.
“Exemplary employees”
In two years, the brand of 35 million euros is expected, which would mark a return to the financial balance, before aiming 39 million euros in 2030.
In particular, the site must attend a low carbon trajectory and according to the regulations, by 2026 and “there are 5 million euros,” according to François Marciano. “These are five million euros that we need, especially to rebuild part of the machines,” he said.
The commitment of the cooperative is won with employees, says human resources director Maxime Nélia: “Most teams are due to Durax and wanted to save the brand,” he said, added that 148 people have joined the SCOP in exchange for an investment of 500 euros.
Derived products
This is, for example, the case of Laure Cerandon, manager of the workshops and employees of the glassware for 12 years, who followed all the legal turns of their business in court.
By recruiting, the company has redesigned a complete image considered aging, from marketing to communication.
In the factory store in the center of the city of Orleans, which has achieved a million euros instead since December, it has followed a coffee shop, but also an ephemeral store in the heart of Paris.
The brand also took advantage of several collaborations, including one noted with the post and Stéphane Bern, promoted as a defender of the knowledge of Verrier, to talk about it. The launch of a range of derived products, from “Labor Stock Exchange” to clothing ready to wear, participated in this movement.
The participation of exports, where certain markets such as Japan and China are “promising” or “promising” such as Canada, it must still be increased. “But we work there, and we will get there, as with the market quotas recovered for a year,” he promises.
Source: BFM TV
