Raab Karcher closes branch in Aalen: 19 employees affected!

Raab Karcher closes branch in Aalen: 19 employees affected!

Raab Karcher, one of the leading building materials retailers in Germany, has announced that it will close its branch in the Aalen-West industrial area on July 31, 2025. This decision was confirmed by a company spokesman and affects 19 employees as well as numerous commercial and private customers. The move is part of a strategic realignment of the company, which is part of the Stark Group, which was acquired in 2021. Employees were informed of the closure at a meeting in April 2025.

The reasons for the closure lie in the current economic situation and the economic development at the Aalen location. Discussions with the works council to negotiate a social plan for the affected employees are already underway, although no exemptions have been announced so far. However, Raab Karcher GmbH remains active in the Aalen-Heidenheim economic area and will in future serve the region through the branch in Heidenheim and through field staff.

Modernization plans and company history

Although the Aalen branch is closing, Raab Karcher is planning to modernize its branch in Göppingen. The sales areas there are to be optimized in various divisions, which underlines the company's strategic focus on expanding the range of services and products. The history of Raab Karcher goes back to 1848, when the company was founded in Kaiserslautern. It has changed ownership several times over the years, most recently by Stark Germany in 2019.

Raab Karcher is the largest trading brand within the company and offers a wide range of products for different construction trades. The building materials trade in Germany is predominantly medium-sized and includes materials such as insulation, tiles, facade plaster and timber. In 2022, sales in the building materials trade reached a record value of around 20.4 billion euros, with specialist retailers generating the majority of sales.

Future of the Stark Group

The Stark Group, which includes Raab Karcher, is backed by Lone Star, a Dallas-based private equity firm. The sale of Raab Karcher by French building materials group Saint-Gobain was announced last year to enable further growth. Saint-Gobain's construction retail division, which includes eleven brands such as Raab Karcher, employs a total of 5,500 people and generates annual sales of 1.9 billion euros. In view of these developments, it remains to be seen how the market for building materials in Germany will develop in the future, especially given the growing demand for innovative solutions and services.