KIMYA Closes Due to Economic Difficulties
KIMYA, a French company and subsidiary of ARMOR GROUP, has just announced the closure of its production site based in Les Sorinières, Loire-Atlantique, France, and thus the sale of its business. This decision, which will result in the loss of around fifteen positions, reflects the difficulties encountered by polymer material manufacturers for additive manufacturing. Founded in 2017, KIMYA entered a fast-growing market and built a strategy to support manufacturers adopting additive manufacturing. While it started out producing recycled materials from yogurt pots and cartridges, it quickly turned to professional users by developing more technical materials. Unfortunately, the economic context did not allow the French company to continue its adventure.
The global economic crisis led to a sharp drop in new machine sales. More generally, the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the conflict in Ukraine, has also intensified disruption in this sector, creating an unfavorable context that has curbed growth opportunities. Added to this was the absence of medium-term recovery prospects, making conditions even more uncertain.
KIMYA has announced that it will be closing its doors.
KIMYA’s Closure: A Sign of the 3D Printing Market’s Difficulties?
KIMYA offered a complete solution for 3D printing, organized around three major axes. The first, KIMYA Materials, focused on producing a range of ready-to-use granules and filaments. The second, KIMYA Lab, developed tailor-made materials to meet customers’ specific technical requirements. Finally, KIMYA Factory produced parts for manufacturers in various sectors. However, despite implementing this strategy, the company was forced to close its doors.
“After the COVID-19 crisis, the concepts of “reindustrialization” and “local production” seemed to offer a promising future for our business. However, the market—worldwide, in Europe and in France—has been confronted with numerous obstacles, including weak demand and increasingly strong foreign competition,” explains Benoît Stoeux, Managing Director of KIMYA. The market is struggling to stabilize, creating major uncertainties for printer manufacturers and users alike. He adds: “Industrial 3D printing still suffers from an image of ‘prototyping-only technology,’ which is a major obstacle to its widespread adoption.”
Despite ARMOR GROUP’s support, the company had to face losses in a particularly difficult market environment. After exploring various investment opportunities over the past few weeks, the decision was taken to wind down the business. “A difficult but inevitable decision,” concludes Hubert de Boisredon, Chairman and CEO of ARMOR GROUP.
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*All Photo Credits: KIMYA
