Black Star, the French passenger tyre retreader that became a beacon for the circular economy, has entered a formal Procédure de Sauvegarde (safeguarding procedure) under the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court of Arras. The ruling, delivered on 30 January 2026, marks a critical turning point for the company as it seeks a path to financial stability.
The Financial Toll of a Challenging Market
The procedure opens a formal observation period intended to protect the business while it restructures. Supported by its majority shareholder, Mobivia, the automotive group behind brands such as Norauto and Midas, Black Star is now actively seeking new industrial partners or buyers to secure its future and avoid a definitive collapse of the Béthune project.
Despite the high-profile launch of its Leonard brand and the ambitious conversion of the former Bridgestone plant in Béthune, Black Star’s financial health has deteriorated sharply. The company closed 2024 with a loss of €6.7 million, which grew to €8.5 million by the end of 2025.
Speaking to the press, Black Star Director, Laurent Cabassu, identified a “triple threat” that has pushed the firm into this crisis. The well-documented influx of budget tyres from Asia, which have saturated the market, noting that the low price point of a new Asian tyre remains more attractive than the higher price of a high-quality European retread, despite the latter’s environmental credentials.
Secondly, like much of the European industrial sector, Black Star has been hit by soaring energy and raw material costs, which have eroded the margins of the complex retreading operations in Béthune. Finally, Cabassu noted a lack of support from the state. While the AGEC Law (Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy) was designed to mandate that public entities purchase recycled and retreaded products, actual demand has remained far below expectations, leaving the plant short of the volume needed to reach production capacity.
The Commercial Court of Arras has moved quickly to initiate a search for a solution. A formal call for tenders has been issued by the judicial administrator, Nicolas Torrano of SELARL AJC.
At present, the company employs 148 staff, with 122 based in Béthune and 26 in Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf. Revenue as of 30 September 2025 stood at €14.7 million. The bid deadline is Wednesday, 4 March 2026.
The court’s goal is to find a partner capable of ensuring the project’s continuity, which was once hailed as a symbol of green reindustrialisation. As the harsh economic realities of the global market clash with ecological ambitions, the coming weeks will determine whether the Béthune plant can find a sustainable second life.
