A safeguard procedure has just been launched for the Valdunes plant, a subcontractor for the railway industry. While it is a major player in the French railway industry, it now faces a major deficit, due in part to Czech competition, lower orders from SNCF and the difficulties of rail freight. On the industrial site of Trith-Saint-Léger, interview with Jérôme DUCHANGE, president of Valdunes S.A.S.
LG Valdunes was acquired by the Chinese group Ma Steel in 2014. The factory manufactures wheels and axles for trains, trams and metros all over the world, bringing steel from Shanghai and processing it in France. This acquisition allows the development of the European and African market. Daniel CAPPELLE, General and Industrial Manager at Valdunes, explains the benefits of this acquisition. Interview with XIE Feng, commercial director of Ma Steel.
The company Ascometal, a subsidiary of Usinor, sells the Valdunes factories in Leffrinckoucke and Trith-Saint-Léger, which manufacture wheels and axle trains, to the American holding Freedom Forge Corporation. Unions and employees of Valdunes are worried about the future of their company and their jobs. Management wants to be reassuring on this aspect. Interviews with Raymond OBERT, General Secretary CFDT Valdunes, and Philippe METENIER, Industrial Director of Valdunes.
The Ascométal group was placed in receivership with record debt. The 550 employees are very worried about their situation and are worried about the future.
As part of the legislative campaign Jacques Chirac came to the region and visited Ascometal and Valdunes, factory affiliated with the Usinord group for railway equipment. The Valdunes factory manufactures wheels and axles for trains, high-speed trains and metros and produces a third of European production.