The buyer already owns two forges in France, for a total of 214 jobs. One located in Monthermé, near a Walor site, where 124 employees carry out hot forging of metal parts for heavy goods vehicles, railways, maintenance and agricultural equipment; the other based in Nogent, in Haute-Marne, employing 90 employees in forging, stamping, stamping and powder metallurgy.
This industrial group, managed by Sébastien Lhote, achieves a turnover of 47 million euros. He was the only candidate to submit a takeover offer, on October 27, for the two sites which never managed to turn things around under the governance of Walor, then the German investment fund Mutares.
97 jobs eliminated on both sites
This project will result in the elimination of 97 jobs. The buyer retains 53 jobs, including a few blacksmiths, in the Meuse valley and 48 people in the south of the Ardennes. “A social break» say some. “A lesser evil» for other observers: the two sites, in bad financial shape, seemed to be heading towards a predicted death. In the current context, the preservation of 101 jobs in the department therefore remains a last resort.
Concerning the social plan put in place by Walor International, the 101 future licensees will have to be satisfied, in addition to the 1,500 euros to receive from the salary guarantee scheme (AGS), with a supra-legal bonus of 7,000 euros and support. of 2000 euros to access training and be supported in starting a business. “An offer that is of course insufficient, but which has the merit of existing», concede Fabien Pinçon, CGT delegate in Bogny-sur-Meuse, and Xavier Médeau, employee lawyer.
Three million euros of investments on the two sites
In the future, Walor Bogny will continue to forge automobile connecting rods with a forecast turnover of 15.8 million euros, plus a financial envelope of 2.5 million euros to diversify into connecting parts. The Vouziers unit, in addition to the machining of these same connecting rods, the manufacturing of differential boxes for BMW and collectors for Stellantis, will add to these activities the finishing of small series of parts that Forgex-France was previously doing. subcontract.
«Our wish, which is purely industrial, is to allow these two production tools to benefit from a synergy with our industrial group by helping them to move upwards.assures Sébastien Lhote. We are aware of the risk taken, but we want to restore activity to these two sites to make them profitable, while taking advantage of a skill that we lack in terms of robotization and control of high speeds.»
Through this operation, supported by an investment of three million euros, Forgex-France intends to “preserve its metallurgical activity, its skills, jobs and know-how in France, but also its two forges located in Sweden and Poland “. “If this program seems reliable and sensible to us, the announcement of 350,000 euros in retrofit seems far too fair to us to reduce the obsolescence of the machines and restart production reduced by 50% in recent months», underlines the CFDT union representative, Bruno Bodson.
Forgex-France bought the Raguet factory in Monthermé in 2010, contributing to its transformation, now employing 50 people and making major investments. After experiencing difficult years, this site developed its business under the name Forgex. An encouraging sign for both sites.
