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Menrad files for bankruptcy: 100 jobs in Schwäbisch Gmünd affected!
Eyewear manufacturer Menrad has filed for bankruptcy, 100 jobs will be lost. The reasons are liquidity problems and declining sales.
Menrad files for bankruptcy: 100 jobs in Schwäbisch Gmünd affected!
The traditional eyewear manufacturer Menrad has filed for bankruptcy and is losing 100 of a total of around 250 jobs at its German headquarters in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The insolvency report was submitted to the responsible district court in Aalen on March 31, 2025. The company, which has been managed by Eberhard and Hermann Müller-Menrad in the fourth generation since it was founded in 1896, is primarily confronted with liquidity problems and a decline in orders and sales, which have arisen in a difficult market environment. T Online reports that jobs will be lost primarily in the areas of manufacturing, marketing and sales.
So far, the salaries of employees for March, April and May 2025 have been secured by insolvency money from the Federal Employment Agency. However, from the end of May, Menrad will no longer be able to cover the salaries itself. Insolvency administrator Florian Zistler from the law firm PLUTA has already pointed out that the financing gap is too large to continue operations. Mercury points out that in addition to the 100 affected employees at the Schwäbisch Gmünd site, a total of around 115 employees are affected by the insolvency.
Locations and perspectives
Menrad plans to close the Schwäbisch Gmünd location, while the Munich location, which is responsible for product design and marketing, will remain unaffected for the time being. Zistler and the management have already initiated initial discussions with potential investors to examine a takeover of the brand and to pursue the goal of maintaining and stabilizing the company.
Although the situation is tense, there are positive signals from the discussions regarding the takeover of the brand, which raise hopes that the company and the remaining jobs can be saved. It should also be noted that around 80 employees abroad who are responsible for sales are not affected by the bankruptcy.
Given Menrad's 130-year history, the industry remains curious as to whether and in what form the company can reposition itself in the future to meet the challenges of the market.