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Duralex

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Duralex International
Company typePrivate
IndustryGlass
Founded1945; 79 years ago (1945)
Headquarters
La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin
,
France
Key people
Antoine Ioannidès
ProductsTempered glass tableware and kitchenware
Revenue30.097 M € (2013)[1]
OwnerInternational Cookware Group
Number of employees
220 (2013)[2]
Websiteduralex.com
Gigogne glass

Duralex is a French tempered glass tableware and kitchenware manufacturer located in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin in Loiret, France.[3] Using a technique developed in the 1930s by Saint-Gobain, moulded glass is heated to 600 degrees Celsius then cooled very quickly, giving it an impact resistance that is twice superior to normal glass.[4]

The Picardie tumbler and the Gigogne glass are two of the company's best-known products.[3] The "Gigogne" glass is in the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.[5]

The brand name is derived from the Latin motto dura lex, sed lex ("the law is harsh, but it is the law").[6]

History

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Acquisition

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In January 2021, Duralex was acquired by International Cookware group which is the producer (outside the USA) of the rival PYREX brand, for 3.5 million euros ($4.2m).[7] International Cookware promises to maintain the majority of jobs, create a turnaround plan through investment of several tens of millions of euros (including modernization of the antiquated Orléans plant) and create commercial synergies with Pyrex, especially in sales and purchasing.[8][9][10] The company's expertise in highly resistant tempered glass was of interest to the American brand, even though its production facilities were outdated. Moreover, the company's vintage image, with its two best-sellers, the Gigogne and the Picardie, more than half a century after their creation, is also an obstacle to change, as Duralex's reputation does not extend beyond these two models: the transformation towards a more modern image is one of the major Planner projects.

In 2022, the International Cookware group changed its name to La Maison française du verre.[11]

Energy crisis

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In November 2022, following the rise in energy prices, the company was forced to cease operations and put its furnaces on standby. The 250 employees were placed on short-time working.[12]

Financial troubles and transition to cooperative

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The furnaces were restarted on April 17, 2023, five months later. During this period, the company benefited from 15 million euros in state aid to cope with the crisis.[13]

Duralex was placed into receivership in April 2024 for the fourth time in 20 years, which created a six month observation period during which a buyer for the company will be sought.[14] In July, the Commercial Court of Orléans accepted a proposal supported by 60% of employees to transition the company to cooperative ownership, with all jobs to be retained.[15]

Awards

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The magazine This Old House called Duralex's OvenChef glass baking dishes one of the best new home products of 2014, citing the dishes' ability to withstand wide temperature swings without shattering.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ Duralex International. RCS Orleans B 505 397 554, societe.com.
  2. ^ Duralex : retour "verre" le futur, Vincent Vidal, Home Fashion News, December 2013
  3. ^ a b John Lichfield, "Duralex – the glass tumbler that would not be broken", The Independent, 27 January 2010.
  4. ^ Kate Watson-Smyth, "The Secret History Of: The Duralex glass range", The Independent, 26 November 2010.
  5. ^ "Gobelet [Gigogne] - Centre de documentation des musées - Les Arts Décoratifs". Archived from the original on 2019-05-09. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  6. ^ "The Duralex brand - Duralex". www.duralex.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  7. ^ AFP (2021-01-29). "French glassmaker Duralex purchased by rival". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  8. ^ "Duralex: Pyrex favori pour la reprise, malgré une offre jugée insuffisante". Le Figaro. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  9. ^ Les verres Duralex de La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin passent entre les mains de Pyrex, La République du Centre, 28 janvier 2021
  10. ^ "La verrerie Duralex reprise par International Cookware, la maison mère de Pyrex". Le Monde.fr. 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  11. ^ International Cookware, qui détient l'usine Duralex à La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, devient La Maison française du verre, La République du Centre, 15 février 2022
  12. ^ "Etranglée par les prix de l'énergie, la verrerie Duralex suspend sa production pour 5 mois". BFM BUSINESS (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  13. ^ "«Sans l'aide de l'État, on n'en serait pas là» : Duralex redémarre sa production après cinq mois d'arrêt". LEFIGARO (in French). 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  14. ^ "Iconic French glassware maker Duralex once again in financial trouble". Le Monde. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  15. ^ "Reprise de Duralex : le tribunal valide le projet de SCOP, tous les emplois sauvés". Le Monde (in French). 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  16. ^ "Duralex's OvenChef Named to This Old House Best Products List - Home Furnishings News". Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  17. ^ "The TOH Top 100: Best New Home Products 2014". 26 September 2014.
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