The German automobile subcontractor Benteler has announced the closure of its site in Migennes, in Yonne, which employs nearly 400 people, Agence France-Presse learned from the management of the company on Thursday, November 18.
Established for thirty years in Migennes, the factory which manufactures engine and chassis parts had been in financial difficulty for several years, losing 10 million euros per year. The site ” is no longer competitive “, according to a spokesperson for the group. The company suffered from the semiconductor crisis and the drop in sales which was accelerated by the health crisis. “Faced with the great difficulties that Benteler is undergoing due to the automobile crisis, itself due to the health crisis, Benteler no longer has the means to support the non-competitive Migennes site”, explained the spokesperson.
Search for buyers
In June, Benteler launched a search for buyers: eighty companies were contacted, three of which expressed interest. One of them, the German Mutares, submitted an offer, but her conditions were not “Not likely to ensure the sustainability of the site beyond 2024-2025”, said the spokesperson. As a result, the group announced this Thursday, during an extraordinary meeting of its social and economic committee, a consultation with a view to closing the plant at the end of 2022 and eliminating its some 400 jobs, including 311 on permanent contracts.
When questioned, union representatives declined to comment immediately, simply stating that the site was blocked until further notice, before which, they said, pallets were piled up. Benteler employs nearly 25,000 people worldwide for a turnover of 6.3 billion euros (2020).