Groupe Brandt Liquidated After Rescue Plan Fails: A Stark Warning for European Appliance Manufacturing

The curtain has fallen on one of France’s most iconic appliance manufacturers. On Thursday, December 11, the Nanterre Commercial Court ordered the liquidation of Groupe Brandt, marking the end of a months-long effort to save the company through an employee-led cooperative. The decision spells the loss of approximately 700 jobs and halts production of legacy brands including Brandt, De Dietrich, Sauter, and Vedette.

This outcome underscores a broader and troubling trend: the continued erosion of European-based appliance manufacturing in the face of global competition, financial fragility, and investor hesitancy.

A Last-Ditch Effort That Fell Short

The final hope for Groupe Brandt rested on a bold proposal—a Scop (Société coopérative et participative), or employee cooperative, backed by Groupe Revive and entrepreneur Cédric Meston, co-founder of plant-based food brand HappyVore. The plan aimed to preserve local jobs and maintain production in the historic Loiret and Loir-et-Cher regions by turning employees into co-owners.

Despite strong political and regional support, including €17 million in public funding from the French state, Centre-Val de Loire region, and the city of Orléans, the plan ultimately collapsed. The court deemed the proposal financially unviable, citing a shortfall of €3–8 million that banks refused to cover.

Political Will Meets Financial Reality

The rescue effort drew unprecedented political attention. Industry Minister Sébastien Martin pledged €5 million in state aid, while regional leaders rallied to raise additional funds. Yet, even with this show of unity, the private sector’s reluctance to assume risk proved decisive.

With no viable path to cover the remaining funding gap—and no means to pay salaries beyond December 15—the court had little choice but to proceed with liquidation.

What This Means for the Industry

Groupe Brandt’s collapse is more than a corporate failure—it’s a symbolic blow to the European white goods sector. Once a pillar of French industrial pride, Brandt’s demise highlights the vulnerability of legacy manufacturers in a capital-intensive, globally competitive market.

For industry watchers, the case raises urgent questions:

– Can cooperative ownership models realistically rescue distressed manufacturers?
– What role should public funding play in safeguarding industrial heritage?
– And how can Europe retain its foothold in appliance production amid mounting global pressures?

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the Brandt story will resonate far beyond France’s borders.

Haier France launched a new made in France range

Haier France presented a selection of new built-in products from its three brands (Haier, Candy, Rosières). The emphasis was particularly placed on Rosières, an expert cooking brand. In the spotlight, the new “Paul Bocuse” cooktops but also the “Collection Française”, a new range of cooktops made in FranceHaier presented the new products of its three brands – Candy, its accessible “smart” brand, Haier, its premium brand and Rosières, its expert cooking brand. As for Candy and Haier, the innovations presented in September at the IFA in Berlin were once again on display. But this event which took place in France was above all a perfect opportunity to focus on Rosières.

Johanna Rochman, Marketing and Communication Director at Haier France, points out to us how Rosières enjoys a special aura among professionals and consumers alike. “This brand has very strong values around authenticity, quality, reliability; it’s consumer feedback,” she explains. “What we seek to transmit in the brand’s DNA is conviviality, sharing, bistronomy, the warmth of life and good times around the kitchen. This is what we tried to convey on this stand.”Modernized vintage cooking ranges
This is why the group wanted to give a facelift to Rosières products while retaining its values and characteristics. “We are going to preserve this vintage aspect and build on this heritage while bringing a touch of modernity” comments Johanna Rochman. Cooking ranges are a good example of this.

The reissue of the Paul Bocuse cooking piano also takes pride of place on the group’s stand. The model presented, released in September, is a 90 cm reference equipped with two ovens – one of 70 L in pulsed heat with catalytic cleaning, and the second in smooth enamel, with natural convection, of 45 L. It is equipped a rotisserie – a very popular accessory but neglected by many brands according to Pascale Cordier, Manager of built-in products at Haier. As a reminder, these devices are manufactured in Italy, in Elba, in a factory specializing in cooking ranges bought by the group.
The models from the Paul Bocuse collection are available in modern colors – black, burgundy, cream and gray. In addition to this range, there will also be stainless steel versions, in different formats, including 60 cm models. At the beginning of 2024, Rosières will market a 120 cm reference which will use the original (with two ovens of 60 cm each). Several variations are also offered in terms of equipment, including gas and induction cooktops, etc. with various possibilities for customization and modularity.French Collection”: cooktops made in France
Until now, the group’s brand cooktops were produced in Turkey or Asia. Haier wanted to provide Rosières with a locally manufactured range, the French Collection. “Beyond the brand and the French heritage that we could communicate to the consumer, we wanted to offer a capsule collection in which this could be expressed in a very concrete and pragmatic way through the product” explains Pascale Ropemaker.
These hobs are distinguished by a matte gold screen printing, which provides “a warmer, more friendly appearance”. The range consists of models of different dimensions: 60 cm (ref RIEFS644SCA) and 70 cm wide (ref RIFS744SCA). They feature one Full Zone flexible zone or two, with automatic container detection technology. In addition, the VaryChef function allows you to automatically change the power level by simply moving the container on the table, for example to boil, simmer…
The French Collection is currently being launched. It will soon be available at Darty and Boulanger as well as in the network of kitchen designers. Please note that this range is completed by a perimeter suction hood (reference RDSV985PN

New cooking products from the group’s new factory
If Rosières was the star of the stand, all the group’s brands were represented, with a strong focus on cooking. And for good reason, all the new ovens presented by the group at the EspritMeuble show, whatever the brand, have one thing in common: they come from the new cooking factory which opened in Turkey in 2023. They are the first productions coming from this industrial platform. “This brand new factory will produce all ovens, whether those from Candy, Rosières or Haier. We keep the current factory; its vocation is to increase our production capacities to achieve our objectives in terms of market share” explains Pascale Cordier, who develops all of these devices in collaboration with her European colleagues.

Groupe Brandt

Every 22 seconds: this is the frequency with which a cooking appliance was manufactured in Groupe Brandt factories in Orléans and Vendôme in 2022. 🎯 More than a slogan, sustainable French manufacturing is for the Brandt Group a commitment that continues in 2023 with: – Product innovations thanks to the unique know-how of their teams – Certifications and partnerships to promote French industry Origine France Garantie La French Fab – Services, tools and content to extend the life of our products: