This is cause for hope for the 750 employees of the furniture manufacturer Demeyere, based in Pérenchies in the Lille metropolis. The company was placed in receivership in December 2021 following significant difficulties, linked in particular to shortages and an increase in the price of raw materials.
Potential buyers had until Friday, January 21 to submit an offer, and six companies have applied for a total or partial resumption of activity. These offers will be studied by the commercial court before being detailed.
Two candidates for a total recovery
Of the six companies interested, two propose to take over the entire activity of Meubles Demeyere, made up of three sites in the Lille metropolitan area, one in Nersac in Charente and a factory in Asia. The first group is ABSO Equipements et Construction, a French company specializing in “finishing works” based in the South-West.
The second group interested in a full takeover is on a different scale. This is the Moroccan group Cema Bois de l’Atlas, the leading plywood producer in Africa, a member of the Moroccan group Safari, present in many fields such as construction, textiles and logistics.
A response in March
Two other companies are only interested in northern sites. These are Innov’axe, a manufacturer of garden furniture based in Neuville-en-Ferrain, and Alpagroup, one of the French furniture giants with more than 4,000 employees, born from the union of Parisot and Alsapan.
Finally, the company Market Maker, based in Lyon and which notably produces sofas, is interested in the Nersac site in Charente. The Lapeyre group has also positioned itself, but only for the recovery of the machines.
After several auditions, the commercial court should render its decision on the future of Meubles Demeyere during the month of March 2022. A decision awaited by the more than 600 employees spread over the three northern sites.