Neel Trimarans and Ateliers de l'Arsenal joint bid rejected
The judgment of the Commercial Court of La Rochelle was expected after the hearing of March 16, 2021 on the takeover of the Naval Force 3 shipyard. It finally rejected the only offer submitted for the purchase of the company installed on the nautical plateau, carried out by the Nouvelle Fabrique, a joint venture created for the occasion by the neighboring companies Neel Trimarans and Ateliers de l'Arsenal. Both former clients of Naval Force 3, they had applied separately when the shipyard was only in safeguard procedure, before setting up this joint strategy. The final offer, revised downwards to 80,000 euros, did not convince the court. In particular, it did not receive the support of the 8 employees, 5 of whom voted against the Nouvelle Fabrique project, and 2 in favor.
New call for buyers for Naval Force 3
Following this judgment, the procedure has been relaunched. The court has presented a new timetable, opening the way for new takeover bids. According to Philippe Joneau, current partner in Naval Force 3, new candidates are on the list. We have not been able to contact the managers of the Nouvelle Fabrique to know their intentions regarding the next steps in the procedure.
While the La Rochelle marina recently reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining industrial activities related to yachting on the nautical plateau, the choice of the future owner of Naval Force 3 is important for the local industry.
