The Annecy commercial court cancels the sale of Alpine aluminium, we learned this Friday from a source familiar with the matter. The public prosecutor of Annecy had requested this cancellation four months ago, accusing the buyer of the Cran-Gevrier aluminum factory Franck Supplisson (and the Samfy Invest and Industry companies) for not having respected its commitments, neither in terms of jobs, nor in terms of economic and industrial recovery, since the entire site on the banks of the Fier has been dismantled. It is an extremely rare decision that can have very serious consequences, if however the buyer does not appeal this judgment.

The buyers had promised to take over 49 of the 85 employees and they did not keep their commitments

The Annecy prosecutor’s office had filed a request for annulment last May. “We consider that the transferees have not fulfilled their commitments in terms of safeguarding employment, maintaining the historic activity of Alpine Aluminum (…) and creating jobs on the site”, explained to AFP the deputy prosecutor of the Republic of Annecy, Benoît Defournel last July.

The sale of Alpine Aluminum, then in receivership, was pronounced on December 3, 2019 by the Annecy Commercial Court. At the time, the buyers Samfy-Invest and Industry had notably undertaken to take over 49 of the 85 employees. But last May “only one employment contract out of the 49” persisted, had indicated the prosecution, following dismissals and contractual terminations.

The Alpine Aluminum factory, specializing in the transformation of aluminium, is a historic industrial site in Cran-Grevrier (Annecy), a descendant of the Forges de Crans, which date back to the 18th century.