The announcement of a possible sale by Quiksilver of its sports equipment brands, including Rossignol, Dynastar or Look, a week after the scheduled shutdown of production of Salomon skis in the Alps, mortgages the future of this industry in France.

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Fred Dufour AFP

  • The Rossignol group, based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, announces the elimination of 92 jobs in France.

  • The ski market, in which it is positioned, remains tight.

  • The CSE evokes "a death by fire".

The manufacturer of winter sports equipment Rossignol will cut 92 jobs in France to “resize” its industrial activity linked to the ski market and adapt to its “profound evolution”.

The news was announced on Tuesday by the management of the company itself.

This project plans to cut 61 positions in Sallanches (Haute-Savoie) where the ski manufacturing plant is located, as well as 24 positions at the group's headquarters based in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans (Isère) and seven positions in Saint -Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs (Isère), which hosts the logistics platform.

This “painful” reduction in the workforce in France, which should take place in 2021, will be associated with the creation of 15 jobs in the services sector developed by the group: nine positions in Sallanches, five in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans and one in Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs.

The very tight market

"We are in a very tense market situation with customers who continue to ski but who rent more," said Bruno Cercley, the president of the group, pointing to order intake 25% lower than in 2019.

“We want to protect our position in our main market: skiing.

It is very important that we pool our costs to promote a competitive industrial system.

It is also at this price that we will be able to give a future to our factories in Europe, ”he adds.

The CEO of Rossignol recalls that the group "continues to invest each year in France to improve its industrial practice", at the rate of "5 million euros", and adds that he intends to make the Sallanches plant "a specialized center, with innovative technologies ”.

Savings of 10 to 15 million euros

Rossignol also announced Monday to staff representatives "a major program to reduce expenses and fixed costs" including travel, exhibitions or "operating costs in marketing."

In total, the project announced by management will save “10 to 15 million euros per year,” said Bruno Cercley.

" We did not expect that.

(…) Everyone is stunned ”, reacted in the columns of the

Dauphiné Libéré

Cyrille Cherpin, member of the social and economic committee of the Sallanches factory - which has 124 positions -, evoking“ death slowly ”.

Rossignol currently employs 1,310 people, including 680 in France, and operates three other industrial sites in Europe: in Artés (Spain), which also produces skis, in Montebelluna (Italy), where the shoes are manufactured and in Nevers, where the fixings are assembled.

In 2009, a social plan led to the elimination of 230 jobs.

Lyon

Why the Rossignol brand is diversifying its activities

Rossignol, precursor of “Made in France”, increases its production of skis in the Alps

  • France

  • Business

  • Ski

  • Employment

  • Unemployment

  • Economy