Shopping cart, it's over: the historic manufacturer of supermarket trolleys will be liquidated, there is no buyer

The manufacturer of supermarket trolleys Caddy will be put into liquidation by the Saverne court, in Bas-Rhin, for lack of a viable takeover solution, the lawyer for the Social and Economic Committee announced this Tuesday, July 16, 2024. the company, Pierre Dulmet.

"We have a deliberation this afternoon and there will be no buyer. We are heading towards a hard liquidation", declared Me Dulmet at the end of the hearing before the commercial chamber of the Saverne judicial court, which must render its formal decision at 2 p.m., this Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

The company still employed 110 employees.

The court had to examine two offers submitted at the end of June, after the placement of Cadie in compulsory liquidation with continued activity.

One came from the current owner, the Cochez group, based in Valenciennes, in the North, and specialized in transport and industrial services. The other was filed by the Skade Management company of Stéphane Dedieu, former owner of Caddy.

Total cessation of activity

"The prosecutor did not accept Mr. Cochez's offer, he did not have the right to present his offer", continued Me Dulmet at the end of the hearing which lasted a little less than an hour Tuesday morning. "And Mr. Dedieu had not presented his suspensive conditions, so he did not present his offer. His lawyer came to say: "I'm not presenting my offer". So the court does not have a takeover proposal to study, which means that this afternoon, it will formalize the total cessation of Caddy's activity."

"There is too much debt"

The lawyer, visibly moved, addressed several employees and union representatives present in court: "You have been exemplary in this case, you fought your heart out, but four legal adjustments were one too many. The court said stop, there are too many debts, not enough sufficient industrial projects, and they are stopping the destruction."

Caddie has undergone four legal recovery procedures since 2012.

Faced with an empty cash flow, the company was placed in liquidation on June 25, 2024 with continuation of activity by the Saverne court, a procedure which had made it possible to ;trigger the wage guarantee insurance mechanism (AGS) so that employees can be paid.