Will Quiksilver let Dynastar go?
The news hit like a bomb. The American sporting goods group, Quiksilver, confronted with a worsening financial position, announced Tuesday a possible transfer of its sporting goods brands, which include in particular Rossignol skis and Look bindings, spurring new concerns for Dynastar, the Mont Blanc brand which forms part of the Rossignol group.
Didier Novarèze, the union representative of the company workers union, is stupefied by this latest development, a feeling shared by many within and outside the company. "For the moment of course, nothing in regards to this sale is certain, but we will be very vigilant. We can't just launch a slogan for no reason. Therefore, we must wait..." Wait for what? Undoubtedly for the result of a Quiksilver principal shareholder meeting which will take place sometime in the next couple days in the United States. Certainly enervated by the "subprimes" crisis which derailed the real estate market, banks, and the stock market, the shareholders will announce Quiksilver's future. But even so, how much will Dynastar weigh into their decision? "It is a fact that last season was calamitous for ski manufacturers," admits George Morand, the mayor of Sallanches. "But this season has been very good for the factory!" A weak argument, especially as, according to Didier Novarèze, the earliest it can be confirmed is mid-February.
What else can be done? Constituency deputy, Martial Saddier, waits to know more about what Quiksilver wants before making any commitments. What if Quiksilver wants to sell? "I would remind them of the commitments made when Dynastar was purchased. They promised that there would always be some activity in Sallanches. Moreover, I will alert Bercy and ask the government to watch developments closely."
Reminiscent of Salomon...
The mayor of Sallanches is nauseated by this shareholder business. "It is inadmissible to see our technology leave in this manner. What will become of the employees of Dynastar if Quiksilver goes through with this sale?" That it the question, although, according to Didier Novarèze, the Human Resources Director of the factory, Jean Claude Louis, ensures that for the moment, nothing is sure. Then, separately, the workers union delegate announces: "It is only my personal intuition, but these silences resemble what occurred in Salomon. Of course, I hope I'm mistaken, but over time, alas, I no longer believe in coincidences... "