Schwäbisch Gmünd loses traditional brand: Menrad closes after 129 years!

Schwäbisch Gmünd loses traditional brand: Menrad closes after 129 years!

The farewell to old traditional companies runs like a thread through the current economic situation in Germany. The well -known glasses manufacturer Menrad from Schwäbisch Gmünd, who has been on the market for 129 years, now has announced the end of its history. The headquarters will be closed and all 115 employees at the headquarters have to go, such as merkur . Menrad reported bankruptcy at the end of March and now tried to find solutions for the over 250 employees under the supervision of insolvency administrator Florian Zistler.

The takeover of the inventory and trademark rights by the design Eyewear Group in Aarhus, Denmark, could be a ray of hope. This company has the Jaguar brands, Joop! And Morgan snapped and also takes the ten sales representatives from Menrad into the future. The CEO of Design Eyewear, Lars Flyholm, sees this acquisition the chance to strengthen the market presence in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.

more and more bankruptcies in Germany

A look at the general economic situation shows that Menrad is far from the only company that is in difficulty. The family company Han from Herford, which has been producing office items since 1957, has also filed for bankruptcy. With around 70 employees, including 50 permanent employees, the company is located in a similar dilemma. As wa on May 12th had an insolvency opening procedure on May 12th arranged.

The reasons are diverse and range from rising energy and material costs to general sunken willingness to consume. The insolvency administrator Mike Westkamp is also looking for investors to secure jobs and maintain the operation.

growing crisis in the corporate landscape

The situation seems to be reflected throughout the country. In 2024, over 21,000 companies registered bankruptcy, which means an increase of around 4,000 cases compared to the previous year. This is shown by a report by ifm bonn . The reasons for this are the tense economic situation, past crises and the burden of rising costs.

Although the number of bankruptcies increases, it remains important to know that bankruptcies only make up a small part of the company closures. In 2024, a total of around 270,000 commercial companies and an estimated 90,000 freelance activities were discontinued, which shows how great the pressure is on many companies. The economic challenges do not seem to be overcome, and many companies are fighting for their existence.