Bankruptcy shock: Herford furniture manufacturer Gela-Form goes bankrupt!

Bankruptcy shock: Herford furniture manufacturer Gela-Form goes bankrupt!

The news from the furniture industry casts a dark shadow over the region. On July 9, 2025, it was announced that Gela-Form GmbH from Herford was insolvent. The company, which specializes in fronts and moldings for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways, has experienced difficult times in recent years. What is particularly tragic is that Gela-Form had only recently taken over an insolvent competitor from Lübbecke, which makes the loss of jobs and production capacity even more regrettable NW.de reports.

But Gela-Form is not the only furniture manufacturer currently in crisis. The furniture manufacturer Schröder from Delbrück has also filed for bankruptcy and the reasons are obvious: a weak order situation, high costs and noticeable consumer reluctance to buy. On the same day, around 100 employees were informed of the bankruptcy, while production is planned to continue for the time being. However, the sister company Schröno Polster Möbel remains unaffected by this development fr.de reports.

The challenges of the furniture industry

What is behind this wave of bankruptcies? After the Corona boom, the furniture industry is struggling. Loud Falkensteg The sales of German furniture manufacturers fell by 7.4 percent to 16.4 billion euros in 2024. This caused a new ten-year high in bankruptcies, which already accounted for over 230 cases this year. The causes are diverse: rising living costs are forcing households to reduce their expenses. Buying furniture is no longer at the top of the priority list.

And yet many companies continue to put themselves under pressure. Delivery times are increasing while demand is decreasing. Households have often already invested during the pandemic, which is now driving market saturation. One could say the industry is certainly struggling, which has implications for both production and future prospects. Consumer confidence is low and the forecasts for 2025 are also worrying: a 20 percent increase in bankruptcies is feared, which could result in drastic staff cuts and possible site closures.

Amid all these developments, there is also tragic news from road traffic. An 82-year-old cyclist from Porta Westfalica lost his life after a traffic accident with a truck on the B 482. The area around the fire station had to be temporarily closed, which led to significant traffic jams towards the A2 motorway. This misfortune does not allow us to forget that, in addition to economic concerns, there are also tragic human fates that are affected.

Regardless of these challenges, many are already looking ahead to the developments ahead. The weather forecast for Herford and Minden-Lübbecke is friendly for today: cloudy in the morning with temperatures around 14 degrees, which will rise to 23 degrees at midday. The drought that is dominating discussions in the region is progressing, while at the same time some of the primary schools in Löhne want to turn into community schools.

Readers are cordially invited to continue to inform themselves about the latest developments in the economy and its surroundings. The news from NW Herford and NW Minden-Lübbecke is now also available via WhatsApp, so you can always stay up to date.