"We want Duralex to still be here in 100 years": one year after its takeover by employees, the world-famous glassware brand is looking bright

"We knew it was going to work, it's a guaranteed year, but we want Duralex to still be here in 100 years," CEO François Marciano told AFP.

Last summer, however, the brand famous for its reputedly unbreakable tableware almost disappeared after yet another receivership , plunging employees into uncertainty about their future.

This uncertainty was resolved by the Orléans Commercial Court, which approved the employee cooperative project, which was supported by 60% of the staff, led by the site's management, and backed by local elected officials. The cooperative was officially launched on August 1st.

Since then, 17 people have been recruited, bringing the number of employees at its historic site in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, near Orléans, to 243, thanks in particular to several local supporters.

For example, the Region promised its support in the form of a bank guarantee when the Orléans metropolitan area formalized the purchase of the glassworks site for 5.6 million euros.

"We are confident in our ability to achieve this, that is what we announced to the court," said the factory director.

Faced with the scale of the challenge, Duralex has already managed to turn things around: its turnover is expected to reach 33 million euros this year, after falling to 24.6 million euros in 2023, compared to more than 31 million in 2022.

"Exemplary employees"

Within two years, the target is to reach 35 million euros , which would mark a return to financial equilibrium, before aiming for 39 million euros in 2030.

"Despite the successes" , Orléans Métropole assured that it would "continue its support, particularly on energy, sanitation and environmental regulation issues" .

The site must in particular move towards a low-carbon trajectory and comply with regulations by 2026 and "5 million euros remain to be found" , according to Mr. Marciano.

" We need five million euros , particularly to rebuild some of the machines," he estimates.

The cooperative's gamble has paid off with employees, says human resources director Maxime Nélia: "the majority of the teams are keen on Duralex and wanted to save the brand," he says, adding that 148 people have so far joined the SCOP in exchange for an investment of 500 euros.

This is the case, for example, of Laure Cerandon, workshop manager and employee of the glassworks for 12 years, who has followed all the legal twists and turns of her company in court.

Derivatives

"We are still proud to work for ourselves; without the cooperative, I would not have stayed. We have been growing steadily in our work since the takeover," she told AFP.

By recruiting, the company has rethought an entire image deemed aging, from marketing to communication.

The factory outlet in downtown Orléans, which has generated a turnover of one million euros since December, was followed by a café-grocery store and a pop-up store in the heart of Paris.

The brand also benefited from several collaborations, including a notable one with La Poste and Stéphane Bern, who was promoted as a champion of glassmaking expertise, to reinvigorate its reputation. The launch of a range of derivative products, from tote bags to ready-to-wear, contributed to this movement.

" Duralex, which is also celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, is a brand that speaks to people , they needed to be able to take ownership of this identity while modernizing it. And we still have plenty of projects!" enthuses François Marciano.

The export share, where certain markets like Japan and China are "buoyant" or "promising" like Canada, must still increase. "But we are working on it, and we will succeed, as with the market shares recovered over the past year," he promises.