Duralex facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Glass |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Headquarters |
La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin
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Key people
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Antoine Ioannidès |
| Products | Tempered glass tableware and kitchenware |
| Revenue | 30.097 M € (2013) |
| Owner | International Cookware Group |
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Number of employees
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220 (2013) |
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Duralex is a well-known French company that makes strong glass dishes and kitchen items. It is located in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, France. Duralex is famous for its special "tempered glass." This glass is much tougher than regular glass.
Duralex uses a special method to make its glass super strong. They heat the molded glass to a very high temperature, about 600 degrees Celsius (1112 degrees Fahrenheit). Then, they cool it down very quickly. This fast cooling makes the glass twice as strong as normal glass. This means it can handle bumps and drops much better.
Two of Duralex's most famous products are the Picardie tumbler and the Gigogne glass. The Gigogne glass is so special that it is part of the permanent collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
The magazine This Old House once said that Duralex's OvenChef baking dishes were among the best new home products. They liked that these dishes could handle big temperature changes without breaking.
The name Duralex comes from a Latin saying, dura lex, sed lex. This means "the law is harsh, but it is the law."
What Happened to Duralex?
New Owners
In January 2021, another company called International Cookware Group bought Duralex. This group also makes the well-known PYREX brand. They bought Duralex for 3.5 million euros (about $4.2 million).
International Cookware promised to keep most of the jobs at Duralex. They also planned to invest a lot of money to make the Duralex factory more modern. They wanted to combine Duralex's sales and buying efforts with Pyrex. Duralex's skill in making very strong tempered glass was very interesting to the new owners.
In 2022, the International Cookware group changed its name. It is now called La Maison française du verre.
Facing Challenges
In November 2022, Duralex had to stop making glass. This was because the cost of energy, like gas for their furnaces, became too high. The company had to turn off its furnaces. About 250 employees worked fewer hours during this time.
The furnaces were turned back on five months later, on April 17, 2023. During this difficult period, the company received 15 million euros in help from the government.
However, Duralex faced more money problems. In April 2024, the company was placed into receivership. This means a special period of six months began. During this time, the company will look for a new buyer to take over and help it continue.
See also
In Spanish: Duralex para niños
