As part of an employee shareholding campaign, Normandy-based ETI RIOU Glass - specialized in the processing of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly insulating glass units - has made a contribution of over half a million euros to bring its 1,000 employees working in France into the company's share capital. Under the impetus of Christine Riou Feron, the company's president, the aim of this operation is to restore meaning to work and share in the creation of value.

RIOU Glass shares the fruits of its labor. The Normandy-based manufacturer, based in Honfleur (Calvados), has just completed its first employee shareholding campaign. As part of this campaign, the family-owned company offered all its employees working in France - a total of almost 1,000 people - the opportunity to become shareholders. RIOU Glass made a total payment of over 585,000 euros to each shareholder. A strong, reciprocal commitment based on mutual trust, since 54% of employees have given back to the company through voluntary payments. For the latter, the ETI accompanied the savings effort by making an additional payment. "I would like to express my sincere thanks to all my employees for their involvement, trust and hard work on a daily basis. By opening up our capital, I wanted them to become owners of their work tool, to be able to take care of it, to perpetuate it and pass it on to future generations. In this way, everyone will be able to benefit from the fruits of their labor and be directly involved in creating value for the company," explains Christine Riou Feron, President of RIOU Glass.

The creation of a dedicated employee investment fund

Opening up the capital to employees is part of a wider action plan involving the introduction of profit-sharing agreements and the harmonization of employee savings schemes. The sums contributed by RIOU Glass, supplemented by those paid in by its employees, are invested in a "RIOU Glass Group Shares" FCPE (Fonds Commun de Placement d'Entreprise) via the Group Savings Plan (PEG). The value of the share will be recalculated once a year, after the closing of the consolidated accounts.

Supporting the growth of RIOU Glass

The Group's employees are involved in the growth of RIOU Glass as part of its "RIOU GLASS VERRE 2025" strategic development plan, which has three objectives: to consolidate the company's know-how and assets, modernize and automate its plants, and carry out external growth operations to expand its product range and complete its European network. As part of this dynamic, since May 2022, RIOU Glass has acquired stakes in Italian glassmaker Cappelleti & Roleri, Belgian glassmaker Euroglas and the flat glass processor Diffuver, based in Marclopt, Loire. RIOU Glass also acquired Vidresif in Spain at the end of 2023.

Strengthening corporate culture and employer brand appeal

The opening up of the company's capital also aims to strengthen the corporate culture by making every employee a full player in the company's success. RIOU Glass intends to promote these advantages for the benefit of its employees, in order to recruit future staff and make its employer brand more attractive. "Opening up the company's capital is a positive and participative way of getting our employees and future talent to support a common project. I want everyone to find meaning in their work, and to understand the company's impact on the world," concludes Christine Riou Feron.