The Leffrinckoucke (North) site is being retained, so the Saint-Etienne (Loire), Custines (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and Hagondange (Moselle) sites will most likely be closed.
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A Strasbourg court validated Métal Blanc’s takeover bid for the Novasco (formerly Ascometal) steel mill, trade union sources learned on Monday, November 17, franceinfo and ICI Lorraine (formerly France Bleu). Except for the Leffrinckoucke site, near Dunkirk (North), three other sites at Saint-Etienne (Loire), Custines (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and Hagondange (Moselle) were liquidated. Of the current total workforce of 696 employees, only 144 employees at Leffrinckoucke have retained their jobs.
Novasco, which produces specialty steel, particularly for the automotive sector, is in its fourth receivership since 2014. The group was taken over in 2024 by British investment fund Greybull Capital, which promised to inject 90 million euros, while the State will pay 85 million. The government has decided to take legal action against the British company Greybull, the buyer deemed responsible for the critical situation at the Novasco steel plant.
The court also examined the Europlasm project, which proposed taking over three sites and part of Hagondange, but the case was deemed less than solid.
The Hagondange site is by far the largest Novasco site in France as it employs almost 450 employees. They gathered Monday morning around a large fire in front of the factory office. Trade unions are now seeking to improve the conditions of workers who have left their jobs and are hoping for extraordinary measures, such as assistance in purchasing computer equipment, or assistance in purchasing vehicles.
