Nanterre, France – The Nanterre Commercial Court issued a ruling yesterday, Thursday, December 11, 2025, to liquidate the Brandt Group, the leading and last manufacturer of large household appliances (washing machines and refrigerators) in France, bringing to a close a century of industrial history.
This decision represents a severe blow to French industry, threatening the loss of nearly 750 jobs, including 450 direct manufacturing jobs at the two main factories in Vendôme (Loire-et-Cher) and Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruël (Loiret).
The rescue plan failed and workers were furious.
The liquidation comes despite a last-ditch rescue attempt through a takeover plan presented by the workers’ cooperative SCOP, with support from employees and public authorities. However, judges rejected the project proposed by the Revive group to save 370 jobs, citing a lack of strong financial guarantees.
Workers expressed their “anger and resentment” on Christmas Eve, with angry workers setting fire to platforms of administrative documents in front of factories.
Industry Minister Sebastian Martin promised social support and a “new project,” highlighting the lack of bank support that the rescue plan faced.
The General Confederation of Labour (CGT), through its general secretary Sophie Binet, called for the creation of a “national crisis unit” to confront the rising “wave of industrial decline”.
Context of the crisis and industrial decline
Founded in 1924, the Brandt Group has undergone several transformations and ownership changes, the most recent being its acquisition by the Algerian Cevital Group in 2014. Despite reaching sales of 260 million euros, Brandt was unable to withstand the sector’s crisis:
Factors contributing to the company’s decline include a drop in sales (-3.9% in 2024), a stagnant real estate market, and fierce, low-cost Asian competition.
The group had been placed under judicial receivership on October 1, 2025, and had received 20 million euros in public aid before the cooperative’s offer was rejected.
A wider wave threatens French industry
The liquidation of Brandt embodies the accelerating industrial downturn that has been hitting the country for more than a year.
According to the consulting firm Trendeo, 165 industrial sites have been at risk since the start of the 2025 school year (compared to 120 sites in September 2024), threatening nearly 10,000 jobs.
This acceleration is attributed to a combination of negative economic, environmental and geopolitical factors, most notably soaring energy prices, stringent environmental standards, unfair competition (especially from China), and heightened concerns over tax increases included in the 2025 budget.
