Cermed: entrepreneurs interested in the Sardinian production site

As regards the Cermed ceramics factory – Ceramica Mediterranea Spa, currently in liquidation and based in Guspini in the Medio Campidano area – new business groups are showing an interest in reviving production. This is not yet a concrete step, but the first move towards a possible revival of the ceramics factory, which was established in the Guspini industrial estate following the privatisation of the company – a venture originally funded by the scheme for the redevelopment of former mining areas.

The announcement was made during the meeting held at the Confindustria headquarters in Cagliari by the administrators, who reported that they had received expressions of interest in taking over the plant, albeit via a period of business unit lease. These were not formal expressions of interest, nor were they concrete proposals, but discussions aimed at gathering initial information to assess possible acquisition opportunities through the lease of a business unit. It was noted during the meeting that some of the parties involved had raised the possibility of a written proposal. This would serve as a preliminary step to initiate further investigations and assessments as part of the procedure.

It was high costs that led to the crisis at the company, which employed 120 staff directly in Sardinia and around ten in Sassuolo,. Specifically, the shortage of gas and high electricity prices, as well as cost increases affecting road and sea transport, were factors, not least because the majority of its production had always been destined for overseas markets. The various industrial action measures were not sufficient to overcome the difficulties, which were also caused by a lack of liquidity within the company. 

Following the crisis, the company went into compulsory liquidation, and a new chapter has now begun. Whilst workers await further developments regarding the future of the production site, they are also awaiting news on the redundancy scheme.

The formalities for the disbursement of funds up to 12 October – the date preceding the commencement of judicial liquidation – are nearing completion. The course of action for the subsequent period remains to be defined. Trade unions have highlighted the ‘need to speed up discussions with potential stakeholders, assessing their viability and industrial soundness’, as well as the need to identify ‘a wage supplementation scheme that can guarantee adequate protection for workers in the coming months’.