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 French tempered glass tableware and kitchenware manufacturer located in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin in Loiret, France. Using a technique developed in the 1930s by Saint-Gobain, moulded glass is heated to 600 degrees Celsius then cooled very quickly, giving it an impact resistance that is twice superior to normal glass.
The Picardie tumbler and the Gigogne glass are two of the company's best-known products. The "Gigogne" glass is in the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
The magazine This Old House called Duralex's OvenChef glass baking dishes one of the best new home products of 2014, citing the dishes' ability to withstand wide temperature swings without shattering.
The brand name is derived from the Latin motto dura lex, sed lex ("the law is harsh, but it is the law").
Acquisition
In January 2021, Duralex was acquired by International Cookware group which is the producer of the rival PYREX brand, for 3.5 million euros ($4.2m). International Cookware promises to maintain the majority of jobs, create a turnaround plan through investment of several tens of millions of euros (including modernization of the antiquated Orléans plant) and create commercial synergies with Pyrex, especially in sales and purchasing. The company's expertise in highly resistant tempered glass was of interest to the American brand, even though its production facilities were outdated. Moreover, the company's vintage image, with its two best-sellers, the Gigogne and the Picardie, more than half a century after their creation, is also an obstacle to change, as Duralex's reputation does not extend beyond these two models: the transformation towards a more modern image is one of the major Planner projects.
In 2022, the International Cookware group changed its name to La Maison française du verre.
Energy crisis
In November 2022, following the rise in energy prices, the company was forced to cease operations and put its furnaces on standby. The 250 employees were placed on short-time working.
Financial troubles
The furnaces were restarted on April 17, 2023, five months later. During this period, the company benefited from 15 million euros in state aid to cope with the crisis.
Duralex was placed into receivership in April 2024 for the fourth time in 20 years. This creates a six month observation period during which a buyer for the company will be sought.
See also
In Spanish: Duralex para niños
