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Family business Knoll Maschinenbau: 140 jobs will be lost!
Knoll Maschinenbau GmbH in Bad Saulgau announces 140 job cuts. Employees should be protected through a volunteer program.
Family business Knoll Maschinenbau: 140 jobs will be lost!
The economic situation in Germany is becoming bleaker. Knoll Maschinenbau GmbH from Bad Saulgau, a family-run company, is going through the same thing as many others in the industry. With 1,200 employees, including 1,100 at headquarters, the company plans to cut 140 jobs, both in production and administration. Managing director Matthias Knoll expresses concern about the decision and emphasizes that the economic situation is not expected to improve any time soon. On October 28, 2025, the employees were informed about the upcoming measures, which are to be implemented in close cooperation with the works council. However, works council chairman Peter Widmann is optimistic that the personnel measures can be designed in a socially acceptable manner. This is in the context of a generally difficult economic situation, which is creating challenges for many companies, as a recent analysis by EY confirms.
How is this economic misery expressed? Sales in German industry fell by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of declining revenues. It's not just mechanical engineering companies that are affected: Sales in the rubber and plastics industry also fell by 3.1%, while the textile and clothing industry is struggling with a decline of 2.0%. Mechanical engineering players face a 0.8% decline in sales and the automotive industry suffered a 0.7% decline. Along with falling sales, there has been a decline in employment of 1.8%, which further increases the concerns of Knoll Maschinenbau GmbH.
The challenges of the industry
Overall, around 101,000 jobs were cut in German industry last year. EY's Brorhilker predicts that at least 70,000 more jobs will be at risk by the end of the year. High energy and personnel costs place additional strain on companies and could further aggravate the overall situation. The automotive industry in particular is suffering greatly; A decline in employment of almost 6% was recorded here in the last twelve months. This raises the question of how long companies can continue to adapt to the difficult situation.
In addition to the challenges in the domestic market, export figures show a mixed picture. While exports to US customers increased by 3%, exports to China fell by 15% and to France by as much as 5%. These declines clearly show that international markets no longer offer the hoped-for sales opportunities.
In such times, making targeted investments in the future and preserving jobs is a Herculean task for companies like Knoll Maschinenbau GmbH. A volunteer program is intended to help avoid redundancies for operational reasons and to find a socially acceptable way. But the future remains uncertain and the environment remains very challenging.