Duralex Takeover by its Employees: "We're on the Right Track, but We Haven't Won Yet"

The famous Duralex glassworks nearly collapsed last summer before the Orléans court finally approved the employees' cooperative project. A project supported by 60% of the staff, led by the site's management, and backed by local elected officials.

And since its transformation into a cooperative and participatory company (SCOP) on September 1, 2024, the company appears to be doing much better. Revenue has increased by 22% in just one year. It is expected to reach €33 million this year, after falling to €24.6 million in 2023, compared to more than €31 million in 2022.

Freddy, supplier quality, is delighted and speaks of "people who had a little trouble finding 100% of their courage. This is happening again for a lot of people." "The company has lived with shareholders several times and has gone from bankruptcy to bankruptcy. Why not try? The first thing is to keep this company, which we appreciate, going," he continues to RMC .

A cooperative and participatory society is one of the keys to success for Émilien, a quality controller. "The work we do every day is part of our pay; we're directly linked to it. There's a sense of pride in the end."

Since then, 17 people have been recruited, bringing the number of employees at its historic site in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, near Orléans, to 243, thanks in particular to several local supporters.

The factory outlet in downtown Orléans, which has generated a turnover of one million euros since December, was followed by a café-grocery store and a pop-up store in the heart of Paris, reports AFP.

"We're on the right track, but we haven't won yet. We told the court we'd make 31 million, and we're going to make our 31 million. We're happy, yes," confirms CEO François Marciano. Within two years, the target is 35 million euros, which would mark a return to financial equilibrium, before aiming for 39 million euros in 2030.