“The Ardennes boar, our emblem, is courageous and tenacious, but it does not get fooled that easily. The people of the Ardennes don’t like being made fun of. “ Like other citizens and local actors of the Meuse valley, the deputy (LR) of the Ardennes Pierre Cordier is back. All gathered this Tuesday, August 3, at the end of the morning, to demand accounts: while it had to inject more than 5 million euros to help revitalize this territory, the State decided to withdraw from the project of establishment of the Mercier cycles in Revin.
The opportunity seemed fine for this city of 6,000 inhabitants, with a high unemployment rate (26%), which once housed the Arthur Martin washing machine factories, before being marked by the industrial crisis. Up to 270 “100% local” jobs would normally see the light of day from the end of 2021, in order to manufacture 500,000 Mercier bikes per year. The century-old bicycle brand, associated with the heyday of Raymond Poulidor, wants to return to France after having relocated to Asia, while the bicycle market is growing. “This project ticks all the boxes, on reindustrialisation or ecology”, notes Jean-Marc Seghezzi, CEO of CEMF and cycles Mercier.
Bercy turnaround
On March 15, Jacqueline Gourault, Minister of Territorial Cohesion, went to Revin and confirmed the financial support of the State, which was to exceed 5 million euros, under the Territories of Industry and of the “brownfields” fund. In all, on a project costing between 11 million and 15 million euros, the investment was provided for two thirds by the State and local communities.
This was counting without Bercy’s turnaround. Wednesday July 28, Jean-Marc Seghezzi receives a negative response from the Public Investment Bank. The next day, the ax falls for good: the prefecture of the Ardennes announces the unexpected withdrawal of the State. “The State services have identified facts serious enough to consider as liability that it is not possible to commit public money”, announced the prefect, Jean-Sébastien Lamontagne.
“We could have protected ourselves from any public announcement with reinforcement of ministerial presence, when we see the result today” Jean Rottner, president of the Grand-Est region
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