Schwäbisch Gmünd mourns: Menrad closes and releases 100 employees!

Schwäbisch Gmünd mourns: Menrad closes and releases 100 employees!

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Deutschland - The news is a hard blow for the Schwäbisch Gmünd region: The traditional family company Menrad, known for its high -quality glasses, filed for bankruptcy on March 31, 2025. The headquarters in Schwäbisch Gmünd are closed and the 100 employees employed there lose their workplace. The reasons for the bankruptcy names Merkur Liquidity problems. Insolvency administrator Florian Zistler tried to enable renovation, but the upcoming conclusion is inevitable.

The closure of the location, the Menrad has been native to 130 years, does not come as a surprise. On May 28, 2025, the employees were informed about the difficult situation. Zistler explains that no investor was willing to take over the entire company because the costs are too high. While ten sales representatives may have the chance of taking over, the remaining 100 employees must expect dismissals. Wages and salaries were secured by bankruptcy money by the end of May, but from June the company would have had to bear the personnel costs themselves, which further tightened the situation.

Future of the traditional brand in danger?

Menrad, which is known for its correction versions and sunglasses in the industry, was founded in 1896 and currently employs around 250 people worldwide. In addition to Schwäbisch Gmünd, the company has locations in Munich that specialize in product design, export and marketing. There are also partnerships with well -known brands such as Joop, Ted Baker and Scotch & Soda. However, the devastating financial trends, reinforced by the effects of the Corona Lockdowns, are heavily increasing the traditional brand. In the 2020 financial year, Menrad booked a loss of almost 900,000 euros, while in 2021 profits were made again, but the current situation is anything but stable, such as reported.

Negotiations with investors to maintain the Menrad brand, because the great interest in the trademark rights could give hope. A social plan was created after talks with the works council in order to alleviate the effects of the termination. However, the insolvency administrator sees the financing gap as too big to continue the company.

The bankruptcy of Menrad is not only a local, but also a overall economic problem. ifm bonn found that the number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany has increased to 21,812 in 2024, which corresponds to an increase of 22.4 % compared to the previous year. This development shows that many companies, especially those with longer market approval, face serious challenges.

The closure of Menrad could therefore be a sign of the growing difficulties of many traditional companies in the region. Observers are wondering how many other companies are still in this predicament and whether the industry succeeds in working out of the crisis.