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Röchling closes work in Wackersdorf: 90 jobs in danger!
Röchling closes his work in Wackersdorf due to the crisis in the auto industry and releases 90 employees.
Röchling closes work in Wackersdorf: 90 jobs in danger!
The European auto industry is deep in the crisis, and this also has measurable consequences in the German family group Röchling. The Mannheim group, founded in 1822, has been faced with a massive decline in its automotive division since 2023. According to merkur.de, numerous works had to be closed and, according to estimates, the company has already released around 30% of its employees.
The closure of locations is alarming: in 2023 the work was closed in Gernsbach, followed by the closure of the location in Mainburg at the end of 2024. Now the work in Wackersdorf is also closed in spring 2025. This is not surprising, since CEO Raphael Wolfram has also announced consolidation due to the insufficient occupancy of 60 to 70 percent. A total of around 90 employees are affected by the closure in Wackersdorf, whereby many are to be taught to other locations, reports kunststoffweb.de.
Shrinking sales and high risks
The dwindling sales in the auto industry are not an isolated case. In 2023, Röchling's consolidated sales amounted to 2.72 billion euros, which corresponds to a slight increase of 4.6 percent compared to the previous year. Interestingly, the “Automotive” and “Industrial” divisions achieved almost the same level of revenue. But the prospects for the next few years look bleak. Further shrinkage in the automotive supply industry is expected for 2025 and 2026, as merkur.de reports.
In addition, the industry is burdening the general economic situation in Germany. The German auto industry has broken down over 50,000 jobs since the beginning of the crisis. A review of the developments has shown a decline in around 245,000 jobs in industry since 2019, as can be seen from an analysis by [Tagesschau.de] (https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/unternehücken/autobranche- industrie-jobs-100.html). This development is reinforced by many challenges, including high energy prices, competitive pressure by companies in China and the cost -intensive switch to electromobility.
Future visions and location sustainability
Where is Röchling headed? In contrast to the automotive sector, the company's industrial sector shows a growth-oriented face. Röchling has invested over 30 million euros in expanding the production of composite parts. The company sees the USA as an important growth region and remains committed to German location policy. This dual focus could play a key role in future stability.
In the current situation, in which the automotive industry continues to be under pressure and there is a risk of additional job losses, many companies are already being proactive and relying on targeted strategies to meet the challenges. However, this may not be enough to avert the looming “de-industrialization” of Germany, which many experts now see as likely.
The coming months will be crucial and it remains to be seen what steps Röchling and the entire industry will take to provide new impetus and secure jobs.