DURALEX INTERNATIONAL

Duralex is a designer and manufacturer of tempered glassware and tableware.

History. The adventure began in the 1930s. Saint-Gobain acquires a glass factory in La-Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, near Orléans, which was once the property of a vinegar maker and then a perfumer who produced their bottles there. A few years later, the company, a pioneer in tempered glass technology, made its first attempts to adapt the process to tableware production. And in 1945, the Duralex brand was registered.

The 1960s and 1970s were years of expansion and international development for the brand. Duralex and its products are becoming familiar to millions of consumers around the world. As a logical consequence, the internationalization of markets has led to the emergence of new competitors... And the turn of the 1990s was difficult. Saint-Gobain decides to sell Duralex to refocus on its other businesses.

First owned by an Italian glassmaker, the company then passed into the hands of various buyers who failed to revive the business. In 2008, the company was taken over by a group of executive shareholders. This time, significant resources are being invested to save, develop the production tool and improve the company's management. The brand is back on track with profits, which benefit in particular the modernisation of production resources and the implementation of sustainable management systems, such as the installation of a particulate filter, waste recycling, etc. In parallel, a brand rejuvenation project is launched: new logo, new graphic territory, redesigned packaging... Product innovation is also initiated, with priority given to the regular creation of new models and the launch of new colours.

The products. Glasses, coffee cups, mugs, bowls, bowls, salad bowls, plates, baking dishes..

Jobs. 250 jobs in France. The brand generates annual sales of around €31 million, 80% of which is generated from exports.