Shock for Silberstrasse: worsted spinning mill closes! 150 jobs at risk!

Shock for Silberstrasse: worsted spinning mill closes! 150 jobs at risk!

Yesterday the Zwickauer Kammgarn Group announced sad news for its employees and the region: the spinning mills in Germany and the Czech Republic will be closed by the end of the year at the latest. Around 150 jobs are affected in the Silberstrasse division. Radio Zwickau reported that this decision was made after intensive examination of all economic options. The company's management no longer sees a viable plan for the future under the current economic conditions.

The main reasons for the closure are the drastically increased production costs, especially for energy and personnel. Due to strong international competition, these costs cannot be passed on to customers. Discussions about a social plan and a reconciliation of interests for the affected employees are already underway with the works council. This will mean a big change for many.

A look at the worsted yarn industry

The problem is not new in the textile industry. The worsted yarn industry faces similar challenges worldwide. Loud Textile industry Although Zwickauer Kammgarn GmbH has new managing directors, the difficulties remain. Beate Wilms and Hans-Joachim Gierse took over the management in October 2018, replacing former managing director Ingeborg Neumann. During her short term in office, it was not possible to sustainably stabilize the company.

In addition to Zwickauer Kammgarn, there are also numerous other spinning mills that are struggling with difficulties. For example, the Süssen worsted spinning mill, which submitted a settlement application at the end of 2023, or the Richter Kammgarn GmbH, which had to plan massive staff cuts. These developments clearly show that the industry is under pressure.

Global trends and economic conditions

The global textile industry has changed significantly in recent years. How Rieter Annual fiber consumption around the globe will rise to around 140 million tonnes by 2030. This development is fueled by the increasing demand for clothing and home textiles. As demand grows, companies face the challenge of keeping production costs in check.

In addition to the increased material costs, support from modern manufacturing technologies also plays an important role. Rieter is the only provider that covers the entire manufacturing process - from fiber preparation to final spinning technologies. The company emphasizes that automation and digitalization of the spinning process are urgently needed in order to produce more efficiently.

The closure of the Zwickauer Kammgarn spinning mill not only brings about a significant change for the employees affected, but also casts a shadow over the entire regional economy. The large-scale restructuring highlights the enormous pressure the entire industry is under. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming years and whether the hope for recovery in this traditional industry actually comes to fruition.