Fibre Excellence Saint-Gaudenshas pulp mill has the capacity to produce about 280,000 tonnes per year of kraft pulp.
Nov. 13, 2026 - The Toulouse Commercial Court in France on November 12 ordered the immediate cessation of operations of Fibre Excellence's Saint-Gaudens pulp mill in Haute-Garonne in southwestern France.
The Saint-Gaudens mill was already under judicial liquidation1 following a July 30, 2026 court judgment, which is not the first liquidation ruling. However, operations at the mill had been allowed to continue temporarily while potential takeover proposals were considered.
In September, the mill was granted a three-month extension to operate while it sought potential buyers.
The court ended the mill's temporary operating reprieve after no formal, binding takeover bid was finalized by the October/November deadlines.
The court's decision will result in the layoff of about 300 employees, including those at the plant and the headquarters in Labège, near Toulouse. About 30 employees will remain to maintain and secure the facilities.
Fibre Excellence initially filed for insolvency with the commercial court of Toulouse on April 13 due to a reported liquidity shortfall estimated at several tens of millions of euros, with its two pulp mills — Saint-Gaudens and Tarascon — dealing with rising wood and energy costs.
Both mills produce kraft pulp — Saint-Gaudens has the capacity to produce about 280,000 tonnes per year, while the Tarascon mill has the capacity to produce about 250,000 tonnes per year.
Note:
1Judicial liquidation is the formal insolvency procedure in French law ordering the cessation of the company's activity and the realization of its assets to pay creditors, when no viable continuation is possible.
SOURCE: Industry news reports