Saverglass , a French-headquartered manufacturer of high-end glass bottles for the spirits and wine industries, has announced a significant restructuring plan at its Tourres & Cie facility in Le Havre, Normandy. This initiative involves the proposed closure of one of the site’s two manufacturing furnaces, a move that is unfortunately expected to result in a substantial reduction in the workforce.
The company has indicated that this restructuring project, which has been formally submitted to social partners for consultation, is anticipated to lead to the elimination of 139 positions. This figure represents nearly a quarter of the site’s current workforce of 480 employees. It is worth noting that employees at the facility have been on alternating short-time working for the past 10 months, highlighting the challenging operational environment the company has been navigating.
In a statement, Saverglass explained that the consultation process will focus on potential operational adjustments alongside the permanent shutdown of one of the furnaces. The company emphasized that this decision comes after exhausting all available resources over the past 18 months to maintain operations and protect jobs. The current market conditions, they state, necessitate an adaptation of production capacity to align with market demand. This strategic adjustment is deemed essential to enable future investment and ensure the long-term viability of the business.
Saverglass attributes the need for this restructuring to a deterioration in the markets impacting the global glass packaging sector, with a particular focus on the European market. They highlight the impact of profound changes in consumption patterns for wines and spirits, coupled with the implementation of customs barriers on these products, as key contributing factors to the challenging environment. 
Beyond addressing current market pressures, Saverglass also stated that this reorganisation is necessary to strengthen the company’s long-term performance and meet evolving environmental expectations. The company recognizes a situation of significant overcapacity within the sector and views this restructuring as a means to address this. Furthermore, the reorganisation project is expected to facilitate the implementation of Saverglass’s decarbonisation plan, with the modernisation of the remaining operational furnace serving as a starting point for this crucial initiative.
The consultation process with social partners is now underway and will undoubtedly be a key factor in determining the final details of the restructuring and its impact on the dedicated workforce at the Tourres & Cie facility. This announcement underscores the significant challenges currently facing the glass packaging industry and the difficult decisions companies are being forced to make to navigate these turbulent market conditions.
Source: Saverglass with additional information added by GlassBalkan
