Nolte Möbel in Germersheim: closure of the traditional company is imminent!

Nolte Möbel in Germersheim: closure of the traditional company is imminent!

The furniture manufacturer Nolte Möbel in Germersheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, has made a difficult decision: the company will finally close in July 2025. This means the end for 230 employees who are gradually terminated. Nolte Möbel, founded in 1955, was known for high-quality bedroom and closet systems and was once the second largest employer in the Germersheim district with up to 1,000 employees. The closure is the result of a protracted insolvency process that took its beginning in November 2023 when Nolte Möbel made an application for a preliminary insolvency proceedings reports Merkur .

In the course of the insolvency proceedings, which opened on February 1, 2024, Nolte Möbel already lost 135 employees. In addition, 80 other employees have had a termination in recent months. Now only 150 employees are employed by the end of July 2025 to complete the existing orders. Insolvency administrator Steffen Rauschenbusch emphasizes that despite the uncertain fate of the company, the last orders are processed. A social plan for the remaining employees guarantees that they will receive their wages until the end of the business operations Image .

economic challenges

The closure of Nolte Möbel is part of a major problem in the furniture industry, which, after the boom, faces significant challenges during the Corona pandemic. According to an analysis of the market, the sales of German furniture manufacturers fell by 7.4 percent to 16.4 billion euros in 2024. The cause is to be found in an increased cost pressure, geopolitical unrest and a weak consumer climate. Consumers are increasingly moving their expenses on trips and leisure activities, while furniture purchases lose urgency reports for the first time the source .

The insolvency figures in the furniture industry achieved a new ten-year high in 2024 with over 230 cases. Experts predict that the bankruptcies in the industry could increase by a further 20 percent by 2025. The construction economy has also broken in, which has a negative impact on furniture. Many households prioritize energetic renovations before buying new furniture So market research .