Duralex, in difficulty, obtains a loan of 750,000 euros from the State

The legendary French glassworks Duralex, in difficulty, obtained a loan of 750,000 euros from the State after becoming a cooperative, according to a decree published on Saturday December 14. The company, known throughout the world for its reputedly unbreakable tableware, almost disappeared after yet another receivership in April, plunging its more than 200 employees into uncertainty about their future.

On July 26, the Orléans commercial court finally validated the SCOP (cooperative and participatory company) project of the employees, supported by 60% of the staff, supported by the site management and supported by local elected officials. The Centre-Val de Loire region, for example, promised its support in the form of a bank guarantee, when the metropolis of Orléans offered to buy the glassworks site, for a sum estimated between 5 and 8 million euros.

The State will pay, through Bpifrance, 750,000 euros “in the form of a loan for the benefit of the company Duralex SCOP SA” et “under the economic and social development fund (FDES) program”according to the text published Saturday at Official Journaldated December 4.

But the challenges remain numerous to achieve the target of 40 million euros in turnover in 2029. In 2023, Duralex sales fell to 24.6 million euros, compared to more than 31 million in 2022.

Before the transformation into SCOP, Duralex, which was the pride of French industrial production, qualified as “Eiffel tower of dishes”was in the hands of La Maison française du verre, also owner of Pyrex, which had taken it over in court in 2021 following legal recovery proceedings.

Duralex, which has been experiencing recurring crises for around twenty years, was notably confronted with the surge in energy prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was then temporarily saved by a loan of 15 million euros from the State.