Gemalto close plant in France

The implementation of the project would result in the ending of the manufacturing activity in the Orléans facility by the second half of 2008, as well as the redeployment of its production activity towards other existing centers of the Group in France and Western Europe. This restructuring project in France aims at lessening the central industrial costs and rationalizing the manufacturing centers while making them more specialized. In order to optimize Gemalto's industrial capacity, the Pont-Audemer (Normandy) site would manage the production of SIM cards for Western Europe while Gémenos would gather all the industrialization and the embedding activities for French banking cards. This project follows an overall cost reduction program that the company has been pursuing on a worldwide basis, notably in China, the United States of America, Mexico, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Russia. The project would also impact the Manufacturing Coordination department and some support functions. The project does not involve the R&D in Meudon and La Ciotat, nor the personalization center of Tours. The overall net impact of the project would involve 409 positions including 362 positions in the Orléans facility. The Company employs close to 3 500 people in France. Gemalto is committed to explore all the possibilities to limit the employment consequences of this project. The Company would facilitate internal moves with a priority for jobs available in Western Europe, and would favor outplacement opportunities in the region primarily for Orléans center employees. Simultaneously, Gemalto would set up a dialogue with the local players to help build a dynamic industrial settling in the Saint-Cyr-en-Val area.