Aéronautique : Aubert & Duval, symbole du « rebond industriel »

La Tribune, http://www.latribune.fr, 2025/08/26 Two years after its rescue by Airbus, Safran, and Tikehau, the aerospace metallurgist is experiencing a renaissance, highlighted by the Minister of Industry. The group is investing heavily to strengthen the sector's sovereignty in the face of Russian titanium and US tariffs. Two years after its rescue by Airbus, Safran, and Tikehau, Aubert & Duval is experiencing a renaissance. (Credits: Rémi Benoit) A colossal project is underway at the heart of the Aubert & Duval plant in Pamiers, Ariège. The aerospace metallurgist is investing €82 million to replace one of the site's historic presses, in operation since 1932. The walls had to be literally pushed out to raise the building to accommodate the new machine. The 6,000-ton press, expected to be commissioned in mid-2026, will position the group in the manufacturing of large-scale parts for the aeronautics industry (structural parts, shafts, and engine discs). As the largest private employer in Ariège with 1,100 employees, Aubert & Duval is taking advantage of the opportunity "to decarbonize by replacing gas-fired furnaces with 100% electric ones," says site director Lionel Guimbard. The new press will also provide an opportunity to develop innovative processes for future generations of engines, such as the Rise process developed by Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace. The press will thus be able to forge using a technology called very hot die, available in the United States but not yet in Europe, which involves continuously heating the tooling to avoid any thermal shock to the part. "It's a fairly exemplary company in terms of industrial recovery," praised Industry Minister Marc Ferracci, who chose to make his first back-to-school visit to the factory this Monday. On the brink of bankruptcy in 2023 Because the manufacturer has come a long way, even very far. "A normal company would have gone bankrupt a long time ago, but Aubert & Duval is not a normal company," noted its CEO, Etienne Galan. As one of the world leaders in high-performance steels, superalloys, and titanium, Aubert & Duval has accumulated losses due to quality issues, the Covid crisis, and the surge in energy and raw material costs following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Two years after its rescue by Airbus, Safran, and Tikehau, the aerospace metallurgist, previously owned by the mining group Eramet, was able to announce last spring a return to breakeven in terms of net income. "Aubert & Duval has not yet returned to pre-Covid activity levels, but it is no longer on the critical path. The company could deliver very late. A lot of effort has been made to emerge from this crisis, and now customers have regained confidence," observes Etienne Galan. The group, which employs 4,100 people, achieved revenue of €844 million. The Ariège site, responsible for the production of large die-forged parts from materials manufactured at its Puy-de-Dôme factory, will benefit from the rebound. "We will pass the 53,000-piece production mark in 2026," announces Lionel Guimbard, representing a 40% increase in activity in two years. This industrial boom will require 86 new hires compared to 2024. "Unfair international competition" However, life is far from idyllic within the company. Speaking to the minister, Etienne Galan did not hesitate to highlight the fierce international competition facing Aubert & Duval "in the United States, India, China, and Russia": "Labor costs in the United States are lower than those in France, and the same is true for energy prices. In Japan, companies receive significant subsidies. » Aware of the stakes, Marc Ferracci notes that in China, "companies are not only subsidized by the Chinese state but also by Chinese cities, which compete with each other to attract industries." "Under these conditions, it is much easier to offer better prices to competitors like Aubert & Duval or Arcelor Mittal. Faced with this unfair competition, we can only fight at the European level," the minister explains, while Europe could make announcements on the subject in the coming weeks. CEO Etienne Galan, left, and Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci, right. (Credits: Rémi Benoit) The stakes are all the more crucial given that Aubert & Duval plays a key role in strengthening the sovereignty of the aeronautics sector by producing titanium made in France.