Because the structural weaknesses of Heuliez is known

The announcement of the next investment into receivership of Heuliez was followed yesterday of a matter of political silence. Just Christian Estrosi said that this procedure would allow "to continue to work in a number of records" on potential buyers. A contrast with the triumphant statements of the Ministry of industry and of the Poitou-Charentes region in recent months. Whenever a potential investor was pointing the nose, all welcomed immediately that the company is saved...

This political game, which resulted in several passes of weapons between Ségolène Royal and Christian Estrosi, will undoubtedly contributed to maintain artificially alive a company that seemed doomed to disappear. Because the structural weaknesses of Heuliez is known. Its specialization on builders niche vehicles has been fatal, despite professionalism recognized his Office. Since the 1980s, the company has manufactured small series of PSA, as Citroën and Peugeot cabriolets, breaks and even, with 15 years ahead of its time, electric cars (106 and Saxo). A mi model constructor-mi OEM who suffers a severe competition from emerging countries in stamping and Assembly. German Karmann, whose activity is similar, is also passed through bankruptcy proceedings.

Net sales divided by 10

Heuliez however cut bridges with PSA under the era Folz. The French manufacturer, which he had become totally dependent on bought the patents to assemble him even its small series or and entrust them to competitors such as Magna. There has been another contract with Opel Tigra Twintop, but this model, which has not met with success, was arrested last year. Staff, 3,000 people in the middle of the Decade, fell to nearly 600 today. Turnover has almost been divided by 10.

Today, Heuliez produces more than components of bodywork such as the doors of the 406 or implementing painting of the Ark of the C3 Pluriel, end of life. Not what saturate the production tool... Since the beginning of the year, the company has seen weeks where 400 of its 600 employees were technical unemployment, during that 200 others were training, a period where the French automobile factories were rather well turned.

Even though same Heuliez successfully achieve his transfer to an OEM model, its geographical location, in the Deux-Sèvres, would be negative, since most of PSA and Renault factories are located in the North or East of the France.

Is the electric car project, an area where the company has been precursor. Except on small series sold for communities, it may not be able to compete, now that the major manufacturers are investing heavily niche. Even the industrial display ambitions in the electric car, as Bolloré or Renault, has not stepped purchasers of Heuliez. German Karmann, on the contrary, eventually be taken over by Volkswagen, under pressure from the Land of Lower Saxony.

This political game around the Cerizay industrial has two big losers: employees, for which uncertainty persists, and creditors, who will not recover their money. If Heuliez was liquidated in July instead of being assigned to Bernard Krief Consulting (BKC), creditors would have never continued to do business with the company in difficulty. According to a close of the record, claims amounted to 15 million euros, divided equally between some cases, debt providers, and money of the State (for example, VAT and employer share of social contributions).

However, the Charentes region, which had supported Heuliez in the amount of EUR 5 million end of 2009, did not lose his money because it has been injected into the company specialized in electric vehicles, which, unlike the holding company of head is not in bankruptcy.