Type
Merger/Acquisition
Country
Germany
Region
Hessen; Gießen; Lahn-Dill-Kreis
Location of affected unit(s)
Wetzlar
Sector
(10 - 33) Manufacturing
(24 - 25) Manufacture of metals
24.1 - Manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys
24.1 - Manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys

450 - 470 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
26 August 2025
Employment effect (start)
26 August 2025
Foreseen end date
31 October 2025

Description

Buderus Edelstahl, a German special steel manufacturer based in Wetzlar (Hesse), is cutting 450 to 470 of a total of around 1,120 jobs, with employees in the steelworks, administration, and forging departments being particularly affected.

The company was sold by Voestalpine to the Munich-based investment company Mutares in 2024. In the course of the restructuring, individual divisions were spun off: the hot rolling mill and mechanical processing, including heat treatment, are going to the Georgsmarienhütte Group, while the drop forge remains with Mutares subsidiary FerrAl United.

The steelworks with its electric furnace is to be closed by the end of October 2025; job cuts will mainly take the form of layoffs, although around 60 employees could be taken on by Georgsmarienhütte.

IG Metall and the works council reacted with dismay, announcing negotiations on social plans with severance payments and full pension provisions for older employees.

Buderus Edelstahl most recently generated sales of around €360 million.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2025), Buderus Edelstahl, Merger/Acquisition in Germany, factsheet number 203225, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/203225.