On March 11, after the tribute at the Invalides, President Emmanuel Macron and his wife went to the Catalano print shop located in Dammartin-en-Goële in Seine-et-Marne. Its director, Michel Catalano, was held hostage in his company on January 9, 2015, by the perpetrators of the attack on the newspaper Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people and he managed to hide the presence of one of the employees from the two terrorists.
Proud to be still here!
"I found out he was coming 48 hours before. I had actually invited him to our anniversary next September, confides Michel Catalano. We will celebrate our 20th anniversary. I sent him a note to explain our history. My family business was growing until 2008. Then the crisis hit us hard. We had managed to recover in 2014, and we were thinking about new investments. But on January 9, 2015, the building was completely destroyed . We rebuilt and reopened the print shop in September 2016 . And in 2020, we were almost at breakeven. We were starting the year better than 2019 with a good forecast. Then comes the covid! So, I'm very proud to still be standing at 20!"
The printer and the head of state had a long discussion. "We talked about many things, some of which I would keep to myself. He asked me if I had taken an EMP, how I was coping with the crisis, if I had telecommuted, if I was on short-time work... He also asked me about the machines as we toured the facility. We also talked about the victims of terrorism in general and about me, a little bit, in particular. He stayed for over an hour. It was a nice moment and a very touching day for me and my employees."
No more loans, but work
The printing plant, which employed 10 people before the covid crisis, now has only six. "But without any layoffs. They were reclassified or we found an agreement that suited them. We are making 40% less turnover. It is the signs, vehicle decoration and textiles that allow us to continue. We live from day to day. But we are fighting, we have to hold on."
Today, the company manager would like to renew several of his machines. "But, I remain cautious, because we already have loans. In fact, I told the president: the EMP is tied to cash flow, but it's an additional credit. I don't want more credit, I want work."
Before leaving, the president left a small note on the panel that collects visitors' sympathies, expressing his admiration for the "courage, resistance, sense of duty and memory and your taste for the future to all".
