The commercial court in Orléans ruled on Wednesday in favor of entrepreneur Cédric Meston’s bid to take over Duralex, the storied French glassmaker known for its near-unbreakable tumblers, ending months of uncertainty over the company’s fate.
“We won! We are the new owners of Duralex,” Meston declared after the court announced its decision at 2 p.m., just two days after the final hearing. The entrepreneur is acquiring the company through his holding firm, Tomé, adding the Loiret-based glassworks to a portfolio that already includes Tupperware France, which he purchased in 2025.
A Specialist in Troubled Companies
Meston, a former McKinsey consultant in his thirties, has built a reputation for acquiring and reviving struggling businesses. He previously guided Tupperware France out of its safeguard procedure after taking over the company in late 2025. He is also a co-founder of HappyVore, a startup offering plant-based meat substitutes in retail stores.
“It’s a real responsibility. We will do everything to live up to it and ensure the company is sustainable,” Meston said of the Duralex acquisition.
The glassmaker, renowned for its durable drinking glasses, had been mired in uncertainty since being placed in receivership on June 1 — the fifth such proceeding in roughly two decades.
End of the Cooperative Experiment
The court’s decision brings an end to the worker cooperative model that had run Duralex for less than two years. That employee-led initiative, which raised €7 million from individual supporters in a late-2025 fundraising drive, ultimately failed to secure the company’s long-term viability.
The ruling also marks a turning point for the company’s workforce, which had grown cautious after previous setbacks.
“We’ll see how it goes. We’re waiting to see what happens next — we don’t want to get our hopes up falsely,” said Philippe Dos Anjos, a maintenance technician with 24 years at the company.
155 Jobs Preserved Under €16 Million Plan
The takeover preserves 155 positions at the historic La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin site, representing more than 70% of permanent employees. The financing plan totals €16 million, including €6 million in public support through loans from local authorities and state funding.
A competing bid from Saint-Étienne-based industrialist Carlesimo, with comparable financial backing, had proposed retaining 129 employees.
Meston plans to resize production to match sales levels and reposition the brand toward new product lines “to better respond to changing consumer expectations.” Billionaire Xavier Niel, through his holding company NJJ Capital, is also a partner in the takeover project.
New Leadership and Green Ambitions
Silham El Kasmi has been appointed as Duralex’s new chief executive, following 23 years at Saint-Gobain and subsequent experience at Saur.
Decarbonizing the site is among the new leadership’s priorities. Energy consumption currently accounts for nearly 20% of Duralex’s revenue. Tomé’s plan aims to make Duralex “the greenest glass in the world” by converting the gas-fired furnace to fully electric technology by 2029, which would eliminate most of the site’s CO2 emissions.
Industry Minister Sébastien Martin welcomed the decision as “a new chapter in the history of this emblematic company of our industrial know-how.” He added that he would “remain attentive to supporting employees who will not be retained, to help them return to employment.” The minister is scheduled to visit the factory on Friday.
Ongoing Investigation
The company also faces an investigation by the Orléans prosecutor’s office, which has not specified the charges under review. Judicial operations were conducted on September 3, including searches at the glassworks headquarters in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, a suburb of Orléans, according to prosecutor Emmanuelle Bochenek-Puren.
Former CEO François Marciano, a prominent figure in the cooperative takeover, and his son Antoine, whom he appointed as financial director, could be targeted by the proceedings. Their lawyer, Pierre Lalanne, stated that his clients “deny any involvement in possible wrongdoing.”
