The world leader in tableware has already benefited from several public loans in recent years
“The State will pay 128.5 million euros, under the program of the economic and social development fund (FDES), through Natixis, in the form of a loan for the benefit of the company Arc France“, is it indicated in the Official Journal. According to the decree, dated July 28 and signed by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, “the loan will be paid by Natixis on behalf of the French State according to the terms described in the loan agreement between Arc France and Natixiswithout further details regarding the company’s financial situation.
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Based near Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), the Arc International group employs some 7,800 people, including 5,000 in France. It markets its products under five main brands: Luminarc, Arcopal, Cristal d’Arques Paris, Arcoroc and Chef&Sommelier. On its website, the group states that it produces “4.1 million articles every dayand achieved a turnover of 740 million euros in 2021. Last December, the glassmaker announced that it had reached an agreement with public and private partners “on an amount of around 45 million euros to meet (its) financing needs“, including a loan of 16 million euros from the State and the Hauts-de-France regional council. “This new contribution will cover our cash needs and will also allow us to continue to invest.“, then told AFP the president of Arc Nicholas Hodler, explaining that investments of 60 million euros were planned for 2022 “for the production tool, the environment, safety“.
Logistic and software problems
Arc International announced in September 2021 that it was looking for new, temporary and “not necessarily publicto deal with logistical and software issues. This announcement aroused the astonishment of Agnès Pannier-Runacher, then Minister of Industry, who spoke of “full order books“. The group had benefited in 2015 from a bridge loan from public authorities, then from a loan of 30 million euros in 2019, as part of a financing agreement of 120 million euros. A loan from public authorities of 108 million was also granted to it in 2020 as part of the health crisis, according to its president.
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