Type
Offshoring/Delocalisation
Country
Netherlands
Region
Noord-Nederland; Friesland (NL); Zuidoost-Friesland
Location of affected unit(s)
Heerenveen
Sector
(10 - 33) Manufacturing
(29 - 30) Manufacture for transport equipment
30.9 - Manufacture of transport equipment n.e.c.
30.92 - Manufacture of bicycles and invalid carriages
New offshoring locations
Hungary

160 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
26 August 2025
Employment effect (start)
26 August 2025
Foreseen end date
31 March 2026

Description

Accell, a Dutch company active in the manufacturing of bicycles and related transport equipment, has announced the definitive offshoring of production from its Batavus factory in Heerenveen, Friesland. The restructuring involves the loss of 160 jobs as the remaining assembly activities are relocated to Accell’s lower-cost plant in Tószeg, Hungary, where production costs are 30% lower.

The restructuring is attributed to continued cost pressures, overcapacity, and weak market conditions in the European bicycle sector, particularly in Germany. The factory had already halved its workforce in 2024 and shifted standard model assembly to Hungary. Only premium models remained in Heerenveen. After closure, only around 100 employees (mainly designers) will remain in Heerenveen, relocating to a different site. This closure is part of a broader strategy by Accell to consolidate its production footprint and follows similar closures in Germany and Turkey Accell 2024 - NL.


Sources

  • 26 August 2025: Het Financieele Dagblad (fd.nl)

Citation

Eurofound (2025), Accell, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Netherlands, factsheet number 203282, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/203282.