The future of Verrerie du Languedoc (VDL) has been put in doubt by the decision of its owner, Swiss food giant Nestle, which is reportedly to sell the glass bottle manufacturer. The potential impact of the sale has been exacerbated by Nestle Waters' move to bottle its sparkling water brand, Perrier, in plastic rather than the famous green glass bottles produced by VDL. At present, Perrier is VDL's biggest customer, accounting for 85% of its more than EUR 60M turnover. There are currently only 2 potential buyers for VDL's factory in the Languedoc town of Vergeze: the family-owned French holding company Financiere de la Croix Blanche & investment company GMS in partnership with Georges Sabate, the former chairman of a group specialising in bottle stoppers. Financiere de la Croix Blanche is already active in the packaging sector
