The CEO of “Lunettes pour tous”, Paul Morlet, visited the wastelands of Revin this Friday, February 11. The network of low-cost eyewear stores plans to relocate the production of its frames, which until now have been made in China, to Europe. An investment of 8 million euros which would eventually create 60 jobs.
The directors of the company had already started discussions on a possible establishment in Revin with the Ministry of Economy. This Friday morning, they were received in Revin by a delegation of about twenty people. The prefecture, the Grand-Est Regional Council, the Ardenne Rives de Meuse community of municipalities, the town hall of Revin and also Pôle Emploi were represented.
I will really be delighted with the establishment of this company, if there is one, from the moment when I see the first employees leaving with their pay slips – Pierre Cordier, deputy for the Ardennes
On paper, Porcher wasteland had initially caught the attention of Paul Morlet. The building is finally considered too high, too expensive to heat. The local elected officials would precisely prefer that a greater industrial activity settles there, rather than debiting the site in small pieces.
Electrolux rather than Porcher
It is therefore the neighboring former Electrolux factory which would be more suitable for the “Glasses for All” project. The setup is different. The Porcher wasteland now belongs to the Ardenne Rives de Meuse community of municipalities, which intends to carry out rehabilitation work there, with funds from the State and the Grand-Est region, in order to set up a new activity there.
The former Electrolux site, on the other hand, is still private land. The judicial administrator of the last operator, SAI, must clean up the 44,000 square meters still unoccupied.
Scalded cat fears cold water
Discussions on the possibility of setting up “Glasses for all” in Revin are only just beginning and caution is required among local elected officials, still scalded by the aborted installation of the Mercier cycles in 2021, due to the withdrawal of financial support from the State.
Since then, the State has maintained the 4.8 million euros intended for this abandoned project. But not at any price. Asked about the reindustrialization of Revin by MP Pierre Cordier this Wednesday, February 9 at the National Assembly, the Minister Delegate for Industry Agnes Pannier-Runacher wants to be cautious:The difficulty of these cases is that it attracts a certain number of bounty hunters and you have to be able to say no to bounty hunters and know how to say yes to the bearers of industrial projects“.