Is this the end of a great adventure? The manufacturer of supermarket trolleys Caddy declares itself in default of payment. The Alsace-based group is facing an accumulation of difficulties which have dried up the company’s coffers.
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The boss of the Caddy company, Stephane Dedieu, confirmed information from the newspaper on Monday, January 3. Latest News from Alsace : a dry treasury and a filing of a declaration of insolvency. A hearing before the commercial chamber of the judicial court of Saverne (Bas-Rhin) is scheduled for Tuesday to determine the conditions for the reorganization of the company.
Stephane Dedieu invokes a conjunction of events which has largely eroded the treasury. The setbacks have accumulated with the pandemic and a significant drop in turnover. Even if the large distribution stores remained open during the various lockdowns, orders have decreased and it is especially the activity abroad that has been affected. To which must be added the supply problems and the increase in the cost of raw materials such as the steel which is used to manufacture the famous trolleys.
The unions rather question the risky management of funds granted by the public authorities as part of the management of the pandemic, in particular EMPs, loans guaranteed by the State. The wages of December were not paid and for the employees, the cup is full.
Caddy has already experienced two legal receipts. 70% owned for more than three years by the Polish Damix, the company which now employs 140 people had cut 50 jobs in the summer of 2020 and regrouped its production of forklifts for mass distribution on the Dettwiller site. (Bas-Rhin).
Born in 1928 and originally specialized in the transformation of metal wire for chick feeders or salad baskets, Caddie invented the cart for supermarkets and hymermarkets on an American idea. Its name has become common in the daily life of consumers, as has Frigidaire for refrigerators. The rise of the consumer society ensured its growth until 2012, the beginning of the difficulties and the date of a first recovery.