While 200 employees were gathered in front of the Rennes commercial court (coming from Morbihan in four buses chartered by the CGT), the Fonderie de Bretagne (FDB), former subsidiary of the automobile manufacturer Renault, requested, Wednesday January 22, its placed in receivership, with 350 jobs at stake. The FDB was placed in suspension of payments on January 15.
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During Wednesday's hearing, which lasted approximately two hours, its management requested placement in receivership with a search for a buyer, announced its general director, Jérôme Dupont. “We are now fighting to save the company in this new context”he told journalists. “Renault’s position in the matter remains central”estimated Mr. Dupont. The court's decision is expected Thursday.
FDB was sold in 2022 to the German investment fund Callista Private Equity. But the automotive group remained the foundry's main customer, representing 95% of its turnover in 2024. “We came two years ago when Callista was chosen” to take over FDB, “we don’t want history to repeat itself and the court to validate any plan” recovery, explained to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Maël Le Goff, CGT delegate of the company.
-The average age of employees is 48 years old, with very specialized professions. “It’s going to be difficult to turn around”further worried Maël Le Goff, placed on partial activity like all of his colleagues. “Since Monday, we have been at home”told Patrick, 58 years old and thirteen years at the FDB. “A priori, there is money to pay salaries until April”he hoped. “We don’t have much hope, it’s going to be very complicated”estimated for her part Catherine Le Ferrand, 60 years old, employed since 2001 at the FDB restaurant.
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The company, which produces cast iron parts for suspensions and exhaust pipes, began negotiations in July with another German investment fund, Private Assets, for its takeover. The latter, owner of a group of foundries present in Germany and Spain, Procast Guss, had committed to bringing 11,000 tonnes of parts to be produced in the workload plan, according to the management of the FDB, which ensures that Renault refused in December to commit to future orders, scuppering the takeover agreement by Private Assets.
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