Orléans court reviews three Duralex takeover bids as two buyers propose saving over half of jobs

Competing takeover offers

The commercial court of Orléans examined three takeover proposals on 17 September 2026 for French glassware manufacturer Duralex. The glassmaker entered receivership in early June 2026, marking its fifth insolvency proceeding in just over twenty years. Two industrial candidates lead the race with plans to preserve at least half of the workforce, which stood at 243 employees at the beginning of 2026. Saint-Étienne-based group Carlesimo offers to maintain 125 positions, while French entrepreneur Cédric Meston, operating through the holding company Tomé, proposes to retain 155 jobs. Meston previously co-founded plant-based meat startup HappyVore and acquired Tupperware France in 2025. A third offer from Hong Kong-based firm AA Investments targets only the brand name and would retain three staff members.

Cédric Meston (Tomé)155

Carlesimo125

AA Investments3

Cédric Meston (Tomé)

155 jobs

Carlesimo

125 jobs

AA Investments

3 jobs

Data from the article text

Union and ministerial response

Union representatives and the French Ministry of the Economy both described the two industrial takeover projects as viable paths forward, while urging bidders to improve terms before final selection. Candidates have until early October 2026 to refine their financing and operational plans. About 70 demonstrators gathered outside the court ahead of the proceedings following a call from the CGT union. A subsequent court hearing is scheduled for 12 October 2026 to evaluate the updated bids.

Suliman El Moussaoui, a CFDT union representative, expressed cautious optimism following the hearing in Orléans.

“We felt that a favorable outcome for Duralex was possible.”

Pascal Colichet, a mechanical maintenance worker employed at the La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin factory for twenty-seven years, noted that the current bids remain tight despite the positive step. Trade unions have emphasized that buyers must secure their financing and expand workforce guarantees to limit job losses among the 243 staff members.

Investigation into missing donations

The restructuring process coincides with a judicial investigation into the management of public funds collected by the company. In November 2025, Duralex launched a public fundraising campaign that collected 7 million euros from French donors to finance machine modernization. Investigators searched the company headquarters in early September 2026 to trace how those funds were utilized after reports of severe management failings.

Pascal Sudre, departmental secretary of the CGT Loiret union, addressed the lack of financial clarity that led to executive dismissals.

“The employees themselves did not necessarily see the color of the money because that is what caused the dismissal of Mr. Marciano, director general, and his son, administrator. Because these two people, in fact, who had the biggest responsibilities in the scope, had an opaque management of the company, that is to say that there was no transparency on the accounting.”

Former general director François Marciano and his son deny any financial wrongdoing. Through their attorney, the Marciano family stated that no funds were embezzled from the company. The commercial court in Orléans will rule on the takeover bids after the final offers are submitted in October.