The Cenpa paper mill's machines will come to a halt on June 14. The Strasbourg Commercial Court has pronounced the compulsory liquidation of the Schweighouse-sur-Moder-based manufacturer of recycled cardboard for industry and hygiene. In the absence of a buyer, the 50 employees still working at the site will be made redundant.
The company had been in receivership since December 2, 2024. During 2025, a major restructuring had led to 38 redundancies and the shutdown of a production line.
According to employee representatives, this reorganization had enabled the company to balance its books and stabilize its business. Production was refocused on the most profitable hygiene tubes. On January 12, 2026, the Commercial Court extended the observation period until June, in order to continue the search for potential buyers. According to Latest news from Alsace two French companies, including an industrial investment firm, had expressed interest. However, neither project came to fruition.
A paper mill whose origins date back to the 18th century
The industrial site's origins date back to 1793, when it was a dye works. It was transformed into a paper mill in 1893.
Over the course of its history, the plant came under the control of the La Rochette group in 1960, then the American Sonoco group in 1998. In 2016, it was taken over by German fund Mutares, before being sold to Accursia Capital in 2021.
According to Mutares, at the time of the sale, Cenpa had sales of around 30 million euros, with some 90 employees.
Last November, the CFTC Média+ trade union federation expressed concern about Accursia Capital's behavior, "already responsible for the liquidation of Ahlstrom Stenay in November 2024, just one year after its takeover" she said.
The end of a historic industrial site
For the employees, the court's decision puts an end to several months of efforts to demonstrate the site's viability. On leaving the hearing, several of them complained to the Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace "a mess" .
After more than 130 years in the paper industry, the Schweighouse-sur-Moder plant is about to turn the page for good.
