In May 2018, the Plaintel (Côtes-d'Armor) factory, which produced up to 200 million respiratory masks per year, closed its doors, victim of globalization and deprived of state support. The machines were destroyed or sent abroad ...
In the midst of a pandemic and a shortage of protective devices, some have cried scandal. Among them, the Union Syndicale Solidaires des Côtes-d'Armor called for reviving this industrial tool by creating a cooperative society of collective interest (SCIC). The State, which in recent weeks seemed cautious to engage, is now providing its support as confirmed by Emmanuel Macron visiting Finistère late last week.
A cooperative project recognized by the government
What reassure the president of the region, Loïg Chesnais-Girard who declared in stride on Twitter: “The Plaintel mask factory project is now recognized by the government, it is a first step. The most important thing, however, is to set up a solid project. A task that falls to the former secretary of state, Guy Hascoët, commissioned by the region and the department of Côtes-d'Armor. "We are working like crazy to have a dossier ready to present to communities in a fortnight," he explains.
In order not to depend on long-term government orders, Guy Hascoët focuses above all on the involvement of economic players in the territory. All professional branches (Editor's note: health and social, food, building, etc.) who use masks have been consulted. Certain actors have undertaken to order them. "A dozen organizations have written to us that they are ready to take social shares in the cooperative tool," says Guy Hascoët. The machine problem is about to be solved. What to consider reopening next fall, if all goes well.
A private project in parallel
We have just learned of the existence of a parallel project with private capital. According to the deputy Marc Le Fur, a Swiss investor, Abdallah Chatila, would be ready to spend 15 million euros to relaunch the site in the former Chaffoteaux and Maury establishments in Ploufragan (Côtes-d'Armor). "I don't know who this gentleman is." Our project at the moment requires only a third of this sum, ”reacted yesterday Guy Hascoët, surprised and angry.
