The situation in Ziegler’s French subsidiary has suddenly deteriorated in recent weeks, according to the regional press in France: traffic has come to a standstill, chartering has been stopped… there is even talk of a complete sale of the company. Approximately 1,300 employees at 58 different locations are affected.
A few days after the unexpected departure of CEO Diane Govaerts, the most alarming rumors about the large Belgian logistics group come from France. It is true that Ziegler France’s financial situation has deteriorated significantly since the 2023 financial year: operating profit has fallen from 3.54 million euros to -6.15 million euros and EBITDA is negative (-4.86 million euros). So far, that has not stopped Ziegler from laying the foundation stone for a brand new office in Dunkirk (photo) in April 2025 and opening a new office in Calvados in October 2025.
In recent days, several regional newspapers in the west of France (where Ziegler’s activities in France are concentrated) have reported that chartering has stopped and that subcontractors are no longer being paid (unlike Ziegler’s staff, who continue to receive their salaries). In this toxic climate, we now learn that employees received a letter on December 19, 2025 informing them that a protocol for the sale of Ziegler France has been initiated. In addition, at the request of Alain Ziegler (chairman of the Ziegler Group), two ad hoc agents have been appointed by the Lille Commercial Court (Ziegler France’s head office is located in Roncq).
Ziegler France does not at this time confirm the rumors of a sale, but confirms that on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, it held an extraordinary meeting of its Central Social and Economic Commission, bringing together the representatives of the staff: “The purpose of the meeting was to provide a complete overview of the current economic and financial situation of Ziegler France and the prospects for the development of its activities. During this meeting, the measures to cope with the current economic and financial difficulties of the company were proposed, with the aim of to ensure continuity and sustainability of activities in France. At the highest level of the group, consideration is being given to stabilizing the situation in a first phase and, in a second phase, to a possible restructuring of the group’s activities. A dialogue has been initiated with the employee representatives, who are very attached to the company, in a spirit of responsibility and transparency (…) At this stage, no hypothesis is excluded and the group will opt for the most sustainable solution and its commitment to maintain an ongoing dialogue with the CSEC, but also with all its stakeholders (partners, suppliers, etc.). A new meeting of the CSEC will be organized shortly and Ziegler France will provide information as the discussions progress, respecting the prior information obligation to the employee representatives.”
