UGGC Avocats advises Paralloy Group Ltd on the takeover of the assets of Fonderies Hachette et Driout in receivership

Placed in receivership in the context of the difficulties of the ACI Group industrial group, of which it is a subsidiary, FH&D was the subject of a search for a buyer conducted under the aegis of the Lyon Economic Activities Tribunal. At the end of this competitive procedure, the offer from Paralloy Group Ltd, presented in partnership with Framatome, a major player in the French nuclear industry, was selected by the Lyon Economic Activities Court in a ruling handed down on February 24, 2026. This decision ensures the continued operation of the Saint-Dizier site (Haute-Marne) and the preservation of more than 178 jobs, in an industrial basin where FH&D is a strategically important production tool.

Specializing in the production of cast steels for the energy and nuclear sectors, FH&D represent a critical link in the French industrial supply chain. Their takeover by Paralloy Group Ltd, which has set up Firth Vickers France for this purpose, is part of a drive to consolidate the metallurgical sector and preserve national production capacity for critical components. The industrial project supported by Paralloy Group Ltd involves relaunching the site’s activity and making significant investments to modernize production facilities, with a view to boosting competitiveness and capacity to meet the needs of the nuclear industry.

Paralloy Group Ltd, a British industrial player specializing in foundries and special alloys, is pursuing a strategy of growth and consolidation of its production capacities in Europe. This acquisition follows that of Manoir Pîtres (Manoir Industries Group), which took place in June 2024, also in the context of a court-supervised reorganization, and which enabled the preservation of over 500 jobs. UGGC Avocats had already assisted Paralloy Group Ltd with this acquisition.

With the takeover of FH&D and the creation of Firth Vickers France, a direct subsidiary of Manoir France Paralloy Group Ltd, whose group employs over 1,200 people in England and France, confirms its ambition to become a world leader in industrial foundry and to play a central role in maintaining European metallurgical sovereignty.

Legal advice

Paralloy Group Ltd was advised on legal matters by UGGC Avocats, with a team comprising Marine Simonnot (partner) and Gil Gaspar Rodrigues (associate) in insolvency law, Carine Le Roy-Gleizes (partner) and Yasmine Bachene (associate) in environmental law, Jennifer Carrel (partner) in employment law, and Charles-Emmanuel Prieur (partner) and Rebecca El Hakim (associate) in corporate law.

Framatome was advised by Fidal with a team comprising Delphine Brunet (partner) and Sabrina Djelti (associate) in insolvency law and Camille Jarry (partner) in environmental law.

Framatome was also advised by Delsol, with a team comprising Philippe Malikian (partner), Pierre Tourret (associate) and Rémy Durand (associate).

The Judicial Administrators were Gaël Couturier of FHBX and Maître Ludivine Sapin of AJ Partenaires. The Judicial Representatives were Maître Bruno Walzcak of MJ Synergies and Maître Jérôme Allais.