Who will save Duralex in 2026?

The French glassmaker, founded in 1945, has entered judicial reorganisation for the fifth time in its history. Of the three bidders, one is a familiar name among French entrepreneurs specialising in rescuing struggling domestic businesses. His latest acquisition is Tupperware France, and the two companies could potentially create synergies.

Who will save Duralex in 2026? Two years after its fourth judicial reorganisation, which saw the glassmaker become a SCOP (Co-operative and Participative Society) when its employees took it over, the French brand behind the glasses found in school canteens is once again fighting for survival.

Three candidates submitted takeover plans to the Orléans Judicial Court before the 6 August deadline. However, the deadline has now been extended to 11 September, meaning further prospective buyers may yet come forward and the existing bidders could amend their proposals.

Cédric Meston: four French businesses rescued in two years

Cédric Meston was among the most recent bidders to file an offer. Speaking to France Inter, the 32-year-old serial entrepreneur, who made his fortune by founding the company HappyVore, said he was interested in taking over Duralex, just as he had been when he acquired Tupperware’s French division in March 2025.

Born in Paris in 1993, Cédric Meston began his professional career at McKinsey. HappyVore, a plant-based meat business, was initially called Les Nouveaux Fermiers until 2021. Three years later, he left the company to focus entirely on acquiring distressed businesses, starting with vegan cheese maker Jay&Joy, followed by its rival Les Nouveaux Affineurs, then sustainable and refurbished office-furniture company Bluedigo, and finally organic superfood specialist Sol Semilla.

Tupperware made with Duralex glass?

While he has not disclosed any details of his proposed takeover of Duralex, Cédric Meston had already offered some clues in April 2026 when discussing his acquisition of Tupperware. In an interview with Challenges, he expressed a desire to “rely less on plastic” and “place greater emphasis on glass and stainless steel”. This could provide an opportunity for synergy with Duralex’s glassmaking business.

What lies behind this strategic decision? The serial entrepreneur’s environmental concerns would fit with the other companies he has supported. Yet he also referred to soaring plastic prices and supply difficulties in Asia. These factors may explain his interest in potentially making Tupperware products from French glass, for instance.

Duralex faces two other major bidders: another entrepreneur and industrial group Carlesimo

According to Franceinfo, another entrepreneur is also in the running and has said they are prepared to invest €5 million to revive Duralex. Cédric Meston, for his part, provided no further detail in his public announcement. He may also have to contend with French group Carlesimo, which had expressed interest in the glassmaker in 2024, before it became a SCOP.

Duralex’s sole production site, located in the Loiret department, employs 243 people. In June, a source close to the case painted a very disappointing picture of the glassmaker’s operations. Despite 7% growth being announced at the end of last year, staff had received only 50% of their most recent wages by late spring, confirming the “cash-flow pressures” that led to the company entering judicial reorganisation on 1 June 2026.

During its third takeover in 2021, Duralex was owned by Pyrex. A year later, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and rising energy costs left the business vulnerable once more. Under its SCOP structure, Duralex aimed to revive the brand by appealing to national pride and making glass more fashionable through special collections.

Although 60% of employees had invested in the co-operative, François Marciano had been the leading figure in Duralex’s takeover. Last April, however, the chief executive was suspended, along with his son Antoine, the finance director. Those whose “skills had not been proven” had set their sights high, indeed very high: turnover of €35 million in 2026 or 2027, followed by €39 million in 2030.