Since the fire in his warehouse in Hagetmau, in the Landes, last March, Gäel Thépaut has struggled to get back on track. Late compensation has led to payment delays for the company and customer demands are struggling to be met. Desperate, he went so far as to drive his car into his insurer’s window.
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The future looked promising for Meubles Imag. A year ago, the Landes company specializing in the creation of furniture recorded more than 2.5 million euros in turnover and growth of 10%. A dream brutally interrupted on March 16, when his warehouse in Hagetmau caught fire. The flames consumed the commercial premises and a large part of the stock.
In the fire in its warehouse, the company Meubles Imag lost its commercial premises and a large part of its stock.
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© Morgan Plouchart / FTV
Since then, Gaël Thépaut has tried to keep his business alive. “I’ve had it up to here”whispers the manager, with tears in his eyes, between two telephone requests. “We are not focused on running the business. We only manage the disaster, the problem”continues the entrepreneur, suspended from compensation from his insurer, Groupama.
Until July, several hundred thousand euros in compensation are issued as advance payments. But these payments are late and Imag Meubles is struggling to meet the deadlines. “We managed to honor the delays in direct debits thanks to our activity and not in relation to Groupama’s deposits”underlines Gaël Thépaut, who holds the insurance responsible for the cessation of payments.
Today, we have lost our credit insurance, our Banque de France rating has plummeted. No one wants to follow us anymore.
Gaël ThépautPresident of Meubles Imag
In a deep feeling of loneliness and distress, the entrepreneur wants to be heard and have people react to his fate. On December 4, in the early evening, he drove his vehicle towards the Groupama agency in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont. No one was injured, but a window was broken. Gaël Thépaut will have to explain these facts, which he says he regrets, in March 2025 before the Mont-de-Marsan court.
In March 2025, Gaël Thépaut will be tried at the Mont-de-Marsan court for driving his car into his insurance window.
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© Morgan Plouchart / FTV
A large part of the stock having burned in the fire, Imag Meubles is struggling to meet customer demands. While waiting for a restocking, activity is almost at a standstill. The six employees, however, want to remain present. “We try to do as before: get up, drink coffee together in the morning… It’s starting to be long and morally complicated. There’s a lot of stress”confides Virginie Constant, the company’s deputy general director.
Their tasks are no longer quite the same as at the start. Everyone tries to move the company forward as best they can. “We prepare orders and charter. We try to ensure a future, if we manage to have one… Start the machine again with the little we have”Loan testifies. The employee could have left the company when the difficulties arose, but he decided to stay out of solidarity.
It’s more and more complicated to live with, but we’re all going to stay together until the end. We don’t want to give up and go our separate ways.
LoanEmployee of the Imag company
The charred carcass of the damaged building has not moved since March, the company car is still stuck under the rubble. A new problem arises: the perimeter is not secure and the asbestos present on site flies in pieces to neighboring properties.
Groupama canceled all of the company’s insurance as of December 31, 2024 and, according to Gaël Thépaut, no other insurance wants to cover the damaged building.
In solidarity, the six employees of Meubles Imag continue to go to work and try to limit the damage, while the company struggles to fulfill customer orders due to a lack of sufficient stock.
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© Morgan Plouchart / FTV
When asked, the insurer defends itself: “Our desire is to resume negotiations as soon as possible for our member, in order to find an agreement as quickly as possible. The funds for the settlement of the claim can be transferred very quickly.”
After months of struggle and maneuvers, Gaël Thépaut feels at an impasse. The company is obliged to be insured to maintain its commercial activity. “I just want my business to restart. I want my employees to keep their jobs, for solutions to be found”he implores, fearing to close the door permanently in January.
