After its takeover in 2022 by the company EDS, the Impériales Wheels company, which employs 180 employees in the Martinerie industrial zone, in Diors (Indre), near Châteauroux, is once again threatened. It filed for bankruptcy on February 22, declaring itself in cessation of payments to the commercial court. A new buyer is hoped for April 18.
The stakes are high: the maintenance of Impériales Wheels symbolizes the affirmation of this industrial sovereignty, “essential to the strategic autonomy of France”, according to the government, and vital for the Centre-Val de Loire region, rich in aeronautics, arms and automobile subcontractors. For its president (PS), François Bonneau: “ There is no point in panicking in the face of the massive arrival of Chinese electric vehicles if we can no longer manufacture rims in France, a fundamental element of a car. In addition, here we are talking about lighter wheels, in order to reduce the weight of the vehicles. Car manufacturers must be more committed, everything must be done to ensure that this forward-looking project can come to fruition and that the know-how of employees is preserved. »
The region paid the entire 5 million euros promised during the rescue plan, the same sum as the buyer Emile Di Serio, president of the French foundry group Saint Jean Industries. But the State was the main investor, with 29 million euros distributed out of the 40 million euros granted. The buyer also benefited from a 7 million euro loan, as part of the Avenir Automobile fund, a tool provided by French manufacturers and intended to support equipment manufacturers in the sector.
All this windfall was used to finance payroll and acquire machines to design one of the eight new production lines planned: a high-tech tool making it possible to increase production rates and the quality of rims, while reducing costs. production and the quantity of waste. Due to lack of money, the hope of opening seven other lines by June is dashed. Employees were even placed on partial unemployment.
Buyer actively sought
While recognizing the impact of the increase in the cost of electricity and raw materials on the company’s cash flow, the prefect of Indre, Thibault Lanxade, former entrepreneur and former vice-president of Medef, regrets a poor management of the buyer, which he says he observed from the summer of 2023, during a series of crisis meetings. Mr. Lanxade calls into question “slippages and changes in strategy which no longer corresponded with the means at its disposal”. If the old, dilapidated production lines allowed Impériales Wheels to honor all orders from historic customers Renault and Stellantis, the prefect deplores that “Additional client commitments never arrived.” It was about Tesla, Land Rover and Porsche. Employees, for their part, regret management that is not inclined to dialogue, from managers to absent subscribers. “The workers are resilient, but burned”summarizes the prefect.
You have 30.65% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.