Once again, German industry was hit hard!
British corrugated cardboard giant DS Smith is planning major cuts in Germany.
500 employees are expected to lose their jobs by the end of 2026, the company reported Chase with. Five production sites will close completely – this impacts the classic carton factory, the display and offset printing factory and three sheet feed factories. Since being taken over by the US-based International Paper group in January 2025, DS Smith has become a global market leader.
Which jobs are affected
Wave of closures had to attack Paderborn and Hövelhof (North Rhine-Westphalia), Mannheim and Endingen am Kaiserstuhl (Baden-Württemberg) and Donauwörth (Bavaria). Partial closure of the display factory in Hamburg is planned.
The DS Smith factory in Hövelhof (NRW) with around 160 employees is also on the verge of closure
This is how the employees reacted
The consultation process with employee representatives is still ongoing. “So the proposal is still subject to consultation and no final decision has been made,” a London-based spokesperson for DS Smith told BILD.
However, there is great fear among employees. Martin Zoidl, chairman of the works council at the Hövelhof factory, told WDR: “Of course we were very affected. We didn’t expect it to happen because our site was still dark. The employees had just finished.”
That’s what the company says
With the closure, the US parent company wants to “increase efficiency and respond to the changing needs of its customers in difficult conditions Market conditions Additionally, companies must be “optimally aligned for growth,” Reinier Schlatmann, manager at DS Smith for Central EMEA Packaging, told BILD.
According to DS Smith, the proposed reductions are the result of a strategic review of the Central European business.
And of course this is beneficial for them Termination also about money. The manager told BILD: “This kind of proposal is of course a difficult process. But we are confident that we can create added value for our customers and shareholders and ensure that our internal processes will continue to run as efficiently as possible in the future.”
