Clergerie is fixed on his fate. Placed in receivership on Wednesday March 29, the historic company from Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme) has found an American buyer. The offer of 700,000 euros from Joe Ouaknine, a wealthy entrepreneur with impeccable French, owner of the Titan Industries shoe group and the only candidate in the running, was accepted by the Paris Commercial Court on Thursday, June 29. The brand, the Roman workshop as well as some French shops are saved. On the other hand, 55% of the payroll will be eliminated, that is to say 79 people promised to be made redundant within a month.
Owner of several brands in the United States – including the luxury brand Badgley Mischka, little known on this side of the Atlantic – the businessman boasted, during his hearing, on Wednesday June 14, of ‘to have ” enough experience to redress Clergerie’s financial situation. ” It’s a brand with a lot of potential. I surveyed the department stores, all confirmed to me that the clientele was there. “To revitalize sales, Joe Ouaknine wants to produce ” new references that meet current demand ” For “to dust off” the brand ” while keeping its DNA », thanks to the support of its suppliers around the world.
But, to implement his ambitions, the owner of Titan Industries (50 million euros in turnover) said he was forced to cut around sixty jobs. ” It doesn’t work because there are too many people to pay… “, he justified himself to the World, during his hearing. At the Romans-sur-Isère plant, only ” one in three workers will remain in her post, specifies Valérie Treffan, elected CFE-CGC. A situation “complicated for licensees” who are likely to have “difficulty finding a job” worries Sandrine Martorana, a production employee for twenty-four years and on partial unemployment since April. ” Maybe in the leather goods sector… But in the footwear sector, it’s impossible; there is nothing left in France. »
” Mismanagement “
Especially since the unions fear other layoffs to come in the factory. ” It is a distributor that outsources all of its production to China. “, points out Christophe Charon, accountant and elected CFE-CGC, who fears that” in two years, production in Romans will be definitively finished “. It is up to Joe Ouaknine to persuade the employees of the company that he is attached to “made in France”. Twenty-nine of them are taken over by this production unit, while 55 are made redundant.
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