Clarebout Potatoes Closure Threatens 392 Jobs in Mouscron
Belgian frozen potato giant Clarebout Potatoes has announced its intention to cease production at its “Mouscron 1” site in the Hainaut province, putting 392 jobs at risk. The announcement came after workers were abruptly asked to leave the premises on Tuesday, with security guards deployed and the entire site padlocked, leaving employees in a state of shock.
The site, owned by Mydibel SA — a subsidiary acquired by Clarebout in 2022 — produces approximately 200,000 tonnes of frozen fries, puree, and croquettes annually and has operated around the clock since 1988. Of the 392 affected positions, 54 are employees and 338 are workers, according to notélé.
A Brutal Announcement
Workers were told to leave the site at 1 PM on Tuesday, September 8, with security personnel arriving shortly after to seal the facility. Chems’ Mabrouk, FGTB permanent representative, described the manner of the announcement as deeply traumatic.
“They asked the workers to go home. Security guards arrived. They padlocked the entire site,” Mabrouk told RTBF. “An announcement threatening jobs is already extremely violent. But then they added violence to violence by almost expelling people from their own site.”
Frédéric Lefevre, CNE union representative, called it “a hammer blow,” noting that while workers anticipated changes after the international acquisition, “we didn’t expect them to close an entire site.”
Company Cites Market Overcapacity
The company attributes the proposed closure to what it describes as “persistent challenges” in the frozen potato products market, including structural overcapacity, increased competition, and rising costs. Clarebout states its production capacity currently exceeds anticipated demand by 14 to 20 percent, according to VRT NWS.
Bert Verhaeghe, Clarebout group spokesperson, elaborated on the sector’s difficulties. “There is a structural overcapacity of 30 percent in the sector,” he explained to RTL Info. “There are also new players in India and China. This puts pressure on sales prices while fixed costs remain high.”
The Mouscron 1 site is described as the smallest and oldest production unit in the group, with higher production costs per tonne and lower operational efficiency. According to Olivier Buyse of CSC Alimentation et Services, the site has not benefited from investments in recent years, and its smaller production lines make it less competitive.
Political Reaction and Broader Context
Mouscron Mayor Ann Cloet called the announcement a “catastrophe,” saying she was “floored” by the news with no prior warning, as reported by RTBF.
The closure threat comes amid a wave of company shutdowns in the Hainaut province, including Cora’s liquidation, H&M Logistics Ghlin, Syngenta Seneffe, and Alysse Food. However, data analyzed by RTBF shows that while Belgium recorded a record 6,267 bankruptcies in the first half of 2026, the surge is primarily driven by Flanders rather than Wallonia. Still, Hainaut saw 100 bankruptcies in just two months this summer — a 40 percent year-on-year increase.
A Company in Transition
The Mouscron site has a storied history. Mydibel was founded in 1988 by Roger Mylle and was acquired by Clarebout Potatoes in 2022 for approximately EUR 400 million. In July 2025, US-based J.R. Simplot Company acquired Clarebout Potatoes in a deal estimated at several billion euros, creating a new global leader in frozen fries.
The transition has not been smooth. In October 2025, workers across all Clarebout sites went on strike demanding a bonus following the Simplot acquisition, as RTBF reported. The Mouscron 1 site has also experienced periods of temporary unemployment over the past year.
What Happens Next
The company has stated that no definitive decision has been made and that the Renault procedure — Belgium’s legal framework for collective redundancies — will allow worker representatives to examine the proposal and explore alternatives. The site is expected to reopen on Wednesday, according to company spokesperson Bert Verhaeghe.
Unions remain skeptical about reversing the decision given the manner of the announcement. “Given how the padlocking announcement was made and the security that was put in place, we have the feeling that we’re not starting on good foundations,” Mabrouk said.
Union leaders say their priority is saving as many jobs as possible, potentially by transferring workers to other Clarebout sites, particularly Warneton. The CSC and FGTB stated their intention to “defend every job that can still be saved,” emphasizing that behind the 392 threatened positions are “as many families who will have to face a period of uncertainty in an already particularly difficult economic context.”
No closure date has been announced. If confirmed, production would be progressively reduced over approximately one year, according to union sources. The first meeting between unions and management under the Renault procedure has not yet been scheduled.