“I have nothing left to live on, I have invested a lot of personal money in it”is tormented Virgil Mulac. For the 44-year-old entrepreneur, the axe fell on July 31: his two-year-old start-up, Sysalp, specialising in the construction of bulk distributors, was put into compulsory liquidation by the Grenoble commercial court. Since then, the founder has lived ” sure [ses] savings » and must “urgently looking for a job”.
Its bulk machines, intended for installation in large distribution establishments, have not had the expected success. “Inflation has ruined everything, consumers have abandoned organic and bulk products. Obviously the big brands did not order products from us”Mr. Mulac explains. Although it achieved a turnover of 115,000 euros in 2023, thanks to its first in-store tests, the launch did not generate any “almost no income in 2024”.
In June he tried to attract investors, without success, as the summer period was not conducive to fundraising. If he did “Mourning for what the company could have been”He hopes that Sysalp will quickly find a buyer.
A “slow economy”
In July, 5,800 companies were declared insolvent, meaning they were unable to pay their debts. Insolvencies have increased by 25.2% in one year, according to data from the Banque de France. “This is the heaviest July in our history”says Thierry Millon, director of studies at Altares.
And the wave has only been growing for months. In August, the number of insolvencies was still up by 23.8% year-on-year and 6% compared to the average recorded between 2010 and 2019, according to the Banque de France. And, in one year, the figure has risen to 62,893 companies.
According to Altares, “three quarters of the defects” These are structures with less than three employees, but the phenomenon is accelerating in top-level companies. “growing twice as fast as average” for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with 50 to 99 employees. In question, according to the firm, a “slow economy” and a “catching up on some of the defects avoided during the health crisis”The accumulation of lockdowns and the inflation and real estate crises have weakened smaller companies, leaving several thousand employees in the lurch.
Construction and real estate are the sectors most affected by bankruptcies. In the second quarter, 4,350 construction companies were placed in suspension of payments (continued possible activity) or in compulsory liquidation (complete cessation of activity). As of June 30, 30,000 employees had lost their jobs since the beginning of the year. “The number of building permits has fallen by 30% in three years, it is dramatic”regrets Olivier Salleron, president of the French Federation of Construction (FFB). The increase in “energy prices” and “credit rate” have strongly ” disabled “ sector, particularly in the construction of new homes.
You have 60.52% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
