France's Heuliez finds potential buyer - paper

PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) - Troubled French niche car and equipment maker Heuliez has found a potential buyer, Les Echos reported in its Thursday edition, without saying where it got the information.

Bernard Krief Consulting, which specialises in turning around struggling businesses, has made an offer which would involve keeping 500 of the group's 1,000 workers, Les Echos said.

The potential buyer is convinced Heuliez's plans for electric vehicles mean it can be turned around, the paper added. [ID:nL2967413]

The offer will be presented to workers and the administrator in the coming weeks, the paper said.

The French state agreed in March to invest 10 million euros ($14.11 million) in Heuliez, which is based in the Poitou-Charentes region of Western France, through its FSI strategic investment fund set up to help struggling companies. [ID:nLO966225]

Heuliez was placed in creditor protection in April. [ID:nLF35002] (Reporting by Helen Massy-Beresford; Editing by Brian Moss)