Zwickauer worst spinning mill before closing: 150 jobs in danger!

Zwickauer worst spinning mill before closing: 150 jobs in danger!

In Zwickau there are sad news for the textile industry: the Zwickauer Kammgarn spinning (ZKS), a traditional company in Silberstrasse, will close by the end of the year. Around 150 employees are affected by this decision, which was made by the Berlin Peppermint Holding, the owner of the ZKS. The closure is due to increased production costs, especially in the areas of energy and personnel. Since international competition is hard, these additional costs cannot be passed on to customers, which further exacerbates the economic situation of the company, as MDR reports.

Particularly bitter: operating terminations cannot be ruled out. However, the company is aiming for a fair solution for the employees, possibly through a social plan and a balance of interests with the works council. Mayor Stefan Feustel (CDU) was surprised by the announcement of the closure and emphasized that the city administration only learned about the closure through a press release. The contact to the top of the company is sought to have talks with regional business development.

The history of the worsted spinning mill

The roots of the Zwickauer worst spinning down go back to 1835. Over the years, the company has asserted itself particularly in the area of ​​special yarns on the market. In the past, the worsted spinning mill was not only an employer, but also a recognized training company in the region. However, the pressure on the East German textile industry is enormous today. The "Association of the North-East German Textile and Clothing Industry" recently reported that the industry suffers from high costs and falling sales, as [Oiger explained] (https://ooiger.de/2024/14/ostdeutsche-textil industry

The sales in the Northeast German textile industry rose by five percent in 2023, but there are serious problems, especially in the clothing sector, where annual sales have dropped by 16.7 percent. Experts warn of a decline in industrial performance, which becomes clear in the closure of various traditional companies, such as the Penig paper mill and the Curt Bauer weaving mill in Aue. The Großschönau Damastweberei has also registered bankruptcy, but continues to produce.

A look into the future

The closure of the worst spinning mill could be seen as a further sign that the East German textile industry is increasingly under pressure. While companies try to keep their production costs low, many companies shift parts of their productions abroad. Politicians are asked to help the industry, especially when it comes to high energy prices and raw material costs. In Saxony, where 12,000 people are employed in the textile industry, the decline of employers such as the worship spinning mill could have profound effects on the local economy.

The worshiper has a long and eventful story that goes back to 1929 when it was founded as a stock corporation. With over 63,000 spindles and an impressive number of comb chairs, the ZKS was one of the most important companies in the textile industry in Saxony. The plastic memory of your achievements continues to live in the region - even if your future is now uncertain.