Liquidation of Brandt: the repurchase of brands and patents by the metropolis of Orléans is not unanimous

The metropolis of Orléans is not throwing in the towel. Despite the liquidation of Brandt and the closure of the Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle (Loiret) factory in December, the community maintains a slim hope. This Thursday evening, two deliberations were presented to the metropolitan council to try to preserve the future of the former flagship of made in France, if it is still possible, but without succeeding in creating the sacred union of elected officials.

Orléans plays on two counts. The metropolis has applied to buy back the brands and patents, “to prevent the company from being pillaged and going abroad if there is no takeover project with a French industrialist”, as declared by the mayor of Orléans Serge Grouard. A unique approach in which the community is ready to invest up to 3 million euros.

The metropolis also formalized its support for the industrial takeover offer from Metavisio Thomson, announced on Christmas Eve by its boss Stéphan Français, and reinforced by the support of other industrial partners, to relaunch an assembly activity in the Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle factory.

The community ready to invest 5 million euros, the left votes against

On this project which would amount to 25 million euros, the community is ready to contribute two million euros, provided that the region also commits, which is not the case for the moment. The state also refused support, deeming the project “fragile”.

“The fear is that of predation”, repeats the mayor who insists that he wants to “stay in the race” in the face of the thirty other offers submitted to the Nanterre economic activities court to recover all or part of the company’s assets, only four of which envisage an industrial project.

But the approach did not arouse the enthusiasm of elected officials, far from the unanimity which was manifested during the rescue of Duralex, in 2024. “Brands for what? », asked a number of them. “Is this the best way to reindustrialize this site? », insisted the mayor of Olivet, Matthieu Schlesinger.

The Metavisio project is not convincing either. “It is not viable,” judges ecologist Jean-Philippe Grand. Rejection also from the elected officials of Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle who consider that “this offer inspires more mistrust than confidence”.

Ultimately, the deliberations were adopted more or less by default. The left chose not to vote, while other elected officials preferred to abstain. To know the epilogue of Brandt’s story, we will now have to wait for the judges of Nanterre to rule, probably by the end of February.