The struggling Lila Bäcker bakery chain actually wanted to reposition itself under self-administration in insolvency proceedings. Now an insolvency administrator has taken over. Hundreds of employees have to go.
The insolvent baking chain Lila Bäcker has to close around a third of its 230 branches. The company announced that around 500 of its 1,600 employees would have to leave.
In October, the baking chain with branches in Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein filed for self-administration insolvency proceedings. In December, the last investor pulled out to take over the entire company. The insolvency proceedings were opened on January 1st, as confirmed by the responsible district court in Neubrandenburg. Christian Graf Brockdorff was appointed as insolvency administrator.
According to the company, branches in all four federal states are affected by the closures. According to the information, the layoffs primarily affect Unser Heimatbäcker GmbH, which produces bread and rolls in Pasewalk as well as the branches and cafés. The focus is also on Unser Heimatbäcker Logistik GmbH, which is responsible for supplying the branch network.
“An overall solution for the Lila Bäcker failed due to difficult market conditions due to increased energy and raw material prices, from which other bakeries also suffer,” Viola Kaluza, head of Unser Heimatbäcker Holding GmbH, which operates as Lila Bäcker, was quoted as saying. Brockdorff announced that “we will continue to run the Lila Bäcker from January with around two thirds of the branches and employees.” He regrets the dismissal of almost a third of the employees. “This is the only way we have the realistic option of maintaining most of the branches and around 1,100 jobs.”
Source: Stern
