Durax’s financial difficulties seem to be over. This dark phase for the 100 % French factories will have lasted over 35 yearsaccording to the successions of owners, who have never succeeded in solidifying the company born in 1945. In full receivership last year, Duralex was funded by … its employees. François Marciano, old and new boss, remembers, at the microphone of France Culture :
“I had asked employees to put 500 euros in capital, imperatively, hyper quickly, to take over the company. We were going to see the employees, we asked them to make the transfer … Some brought us species, except that the court did not accept species. So we were brought from checks, sometimes the mother, the woman, to a different name. We had to do it quickly because the court asked us for a complete file, with capital, statutes, industrial project and business plan. It was an obstacle course ”.
The latter have created A SCOP (Cooperative Production Company), a cooperative business model where employees become in the majority (with 65 % of the voting rights). In the end, at the time of the acquisition, the project had been supported by 60 % of employees and management, and validated by the Commercial Court of Orleans on July 26, 2024. Deemed coherent, serious and viable, the operation was clearly a success. A year later, Durax is redrawn.
The company has just hired 17 new employees to return to a total of 243 employees. A year after the rescue, Duralex opened up to online trade to target foreign countries, such as Japan, and aim A turnover of 32 million euros for this year 2025, up 20 % over one year. With the new form in the company’s cooperative, more than 40 % of Duralex’s result will return to employees and 40 % will return to the company.
Build on the cooperative company for reindustrialisation
The new Durax model prompted the general confederation of SCOPs to use the company as an example to promote the cooperative model. For Laurence Ruffin, the co -president of the invited confederation on France Culture, « On average, cooperatives are more sustainable than conventional companies taken over in court. We are at a sustainability rate of 76 % over five years for a cooperative, compared to 56 % for a conventional company ”.
What favor this model to reindustrialize the country. An opinion that Laurence Ruffin would like to make the State understand, while the Public Investment Bank (Bpifrance) was not most important to refinance Durax last year. “” Beyond Durax, there is little support for cooperative companies by the public investment bank and the State ” she was expressed. We owe refinancing to the cooperative movement and communities, such as the agglomeration of Orleans ”.
To continue to reinvent itself, Duralex is now aiming for a Investment of 17 million euros within three years future. For this, François Marciano mentioned his desire to go through popular savings. “The project is to seek funds from citizens who want to defend French companies”said Laurence Ruffin, who wanted to clarify that it will still be necessary, from the state in particular, for “Go further, develop industrial companies in France”.
Double development strategy
What does Duralex do with its 17 million euros in investment? To this question, a double strategy. First in France, with the development of direct sales, to find larger margins. For this, the company counts on cafes, ephemeral shops, and the focus on a nice image of the brand. Partnerships as with French Slip also made it possible to call for patriotism, while playing on the memory of the Duralex numbers in the canteen.
Abroad, the gaze is turned on Asia and Japan, where the deemed incassiable glasses of Durax are sold two to three more expensive. As with France, there is talk of Promote French colors, but also and above all to adapt to demand and develop special collections to strengthen the decorative object aspect. With her 80th anniversary of history, Duralex wants to recreate the brand that she is and that she can claim to be, as we do in fashion or even in the automobile.
In the end, it will be a question of finding profitability within two years, in 2027. What will be the volume of sales which will allow the scale to be tipped at that time? Vincent Vallin, new Director Strategy Development of the Company, wanted to be very clear at the microphone of RTL : “If we want to save the company without contribution of additional external financing, it will be necessary to quickly reach 35 million euros in turnover”. A CAP to shine and prove that Duralex is unbreakable.
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In 2024, Durax was saved from bankruptcy by its own employees, who created a SCOP (Cooperative Society). Supported by 60 % of the staff and management, they gathered the necessary capital in emergency and resumed the company with 65 % of the voting rights
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A year later, Duralex hires and developed internationally, especially in Japan. The company aims at € 32 million in turnover in 2025 (+20 %) and profitability in 2027
- With € 17 million of planned investment, Duralex is focusing on direct sale in France and premium collections abroad. To become profitable without external funding, the company must reach € 35 million in turnover
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