Chapter Rossignol SA, Brono Cercley hopes that the new, gleaming glass building in the Alps will motivate employees - the famous ski manufacturer intends to turn a new page in its more than 100-year history.
According to Zersley, salary cuts, narrowing of the product line under the brands Rossignol, Dynastar etc. allowed the company to return to profitability. In his own words, a year ago it was on the verge of bankruptcy.
In the past few years, ski manufacturers have been hit hard by the recession, unpredictable weather in key paying regions and shifting purchasing habits.
One of the most important elements of the revitalization plan is the increased focus on the production of skis proper, the abandonment of the production of textiles and clothing. And, of course, massive layoffs. Initially it was planned to lay off 450 people, but after negotiations with the unions, only 320 of the 1,500 employees lost their jobs.
"We had to cut off our arm to survive," says Zersley.
But while it is still very early to calculate the revenues of the new current fiscal year, the head of the Rossignol intends to spend 25 million euros on a new headquarters near Grenoble, in the heart of the French Alps (formerly owned by the French ski manufacturer Quicksilvernow Chartreuse & Mont Blanc).
