"Gimaex is in financial difficulties because two major foreign clients have failed to pay it", according to a report from our colleagues at France Bleu Saint-Étienne Loire. Short-time working arrangements were even put in place at the Roanne site until the end of the year.
Gimaex generates two-thirds of its turnover abroad, and it is precisely some of these contracts that are currently causing problems. Two foreign customers have failed to pay for their orders. These orders relate to “around fifty vehicles in Libya [...] and roughly 140 in Iraq. “Sixty per cent have been delivered, but not all of them have been paid for. And in Libya, nothing has been paid for, but everything has been delivered,” according to Serge Vadon, director of the Roanne plant.
"For us, it’s very difficult, very difficult to do business in those countries" — Serge Vadon, speaking to our colleagues at France Bleu.
Gimaex is expecting to receive millions of euros and has therefore had to scale back its production. Consequently, following a decision by management, short-time working arrangements have been put in place. Until the end of the year, all employees will work from home one day a week; this affects 90 people.
Fortunately, there are the SDIS
Fortunately, French customers are there to support us. Gimaex supplies vehicles to all the Departmental Fire and Rescue Services (SDIS) in France. For example, the Loire SDIS has just ordered and taken delivery of nine new forest fire tankers manufactured in Roanne. A contract worth over two million euros for Gimaex: “This order has really helped us […] we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get through this quickly.”
Source: France Bleu.