Germany\u2019s sawmills and timber merchants need the construction market to recover, but some are running out of time to wait. Weak orders have persisted long enough to force decisions that another round of cost cuts cannot resolve: seek court protection, find a buyer or close. What began as a difficult period for lumber sales is leaving lasting changes in the industry, with similar decisions now facing furniture makers, flooring producers and machinery suppliers.<\/p>\n
Some companies have secured buyers and preserved production. Others are completing their remaining orders before closing, or selling individual brands and product ranges after attempts to rescue the whole business failed.<\/p>\n
Sawmills face insolvency as lumber demand remains weak<\/strong><\/p>\n S\u00e4gewerk M\u00fcnsterland<\/strong>, based in Sendenhorst, became subject to preliminary insolvency measures on September 22. The company\u2019s activities include processing roundwood, selling sawn timber, drying and impregnation. The available notices establish the preliminary proceedings but do not confirm a final continuation or closure outcome.<\/p>\n At Laubholz-S\u00e4gewerk Blum<\/strong> in Waldkirch, formal insolvency proceedings opened on July 31. The hardwood processor employs approximately 20 people and reports annual log intake of 10,000\u201313,000 cubic metres. Its principal species include oak, beech, alder, maple and ash. A subsequent operating outcome has not been verified, so the filing should not be treated as confirmation that the mill has closed.<\/p>\n The cases follow warnings from Germany\u2019s sawmill association, DeSH, about weak construction demand and high production costs. In June, the association said construction timber output could fall by a further 9\u201310% during 2026 if market conditions failed to improve. That was a conditional industry forecast rather than a measured full-year decline.<\/p>\n DeSH reported that improved log availability had not produced a recovery in lumber demand. Producers were still contending with weak building activity, expensive raw materials and energy, and restricted opportunities in international markets.<\/p>\n Timber merchants close or sell selected assets<\/strong><\/p>\n The financial difficulties also extend to businesses connecting sawmills and importers with construction companies, joiners and retailers.<\/p>\n Strathmann Holz<\/strong>, which entered preliminary proceedings in December 2025, closed its original operation at the end of March. Nova D\u00e4mmstoff-Handel subsequently took over parts of its activities and recruited employees from the business. The transfer preserved some commercial activity, but the original timber merchant did not survive intact.<\/p>\n At Heinrich Kr\u00fcger & Sohn<\/strong>, known as HKS1835, proceedings opened in February following an October 2025 filing. Parador acquired the brand rights and selected assets and flooring ranges effective May 1.<\/p>\n The transaction preserved parts of the flooring business, including selected premium products and solid-wood flooring. It did not cover the complete timber importing and distribution operation, and the garden timber division was excluded.<\/p>\n Timber construction and building products seek buyers<\/strong><\/p>\n Holzbau Weber<\/strong> in Aalen-Ebnat filed in October, with 19 employees and ongoing projects. Its administrator is approaching investors while maintaining operations. Existing orders continue to be processed, although the longer-term outcome depends on financing, project performance and the investor search.<\/p>\n At Holzbau van Kempen<\/strong>, a producer of glulam and timber buildings that entered proceedings in 2025, creditors approved closure in April 2026 after an extended search failed to secure a buyer. Remaining orders were scheduled for completion during the summer.<\/p>\n A continuation solution was found for HolzHaus Bonndorf<\/strong>, which filed in June. H\u00fcbscher Holzbau acquired its operating business effective September 1, continuing timber housing and contract manufacturing under the H\u00fcbscher Holzhaus name. The transaction preserves a production site serving both its own building projects and other timber construction companies.<\/p>\n In flooring, Windm\u00f6ller<\/strong>, the manufacturer behind the wineo brand, obtained court approval for protective proceedings on October 9. The company employs around 280 people and reported sales of approximately \u20ac83 million in 2025. Its latest restructuring follows a sharp deterioration in demand over the preceding three months, after more than two years of earlier reorganisation. Production and deliveries continue.<\/p>\n Window and door manufacturer H\u00f6hbauer<\/strong> entered preliminary proceedings in September, affecting a business with approximately 325 employees. Administrator Volker B\u00f6hm launched an investor search in October while maintaining operations. The company linked its difficulties to declining construction and renovation demand, higher operating costs and the loss of secure long-term financing.<\/p>\n Furniture factories close, cut jobs or change owners<\/strong><\/p>\n Furniture manufacturing has produced some of the most severe outcomes.<\/p>\n At Gruber Polsterm\u00f6bel<\/strong> in Sonnefeld, the search for a viable continuation failed after the August insolvency filing. In early October, the company announced that it would stop accepting new orders and complete existing commitments before closing. Approximately 85 employees are affected. Neither the owners nor prospective investors considered continued production economically sustainable.<\/p>\n Lignum M\u00f6belmanufaktur<\/strong>, which produced solid-wood furniture and kitchens in Winterhausen, stopped operating on September 1. The administrator attributed the failure to weaker demand for premium furniture and an inability to reduce costs sufficiently. Four employees lost their jobs, while two apprentices moved to other businesses.<\/p>\n At Himolla<\/strong>, restructuring is preserving the business while substantially changing its German manufacturing footprint. A September agreement provided for the removal of 175 of the 714 positions then remaining at Taufkirchen, leaving approximately 540 jobs.<\/p>\n Final assembly is being concentrated at the group\u2019s existing factories in Hungary and Slovakia. Product development, sales and technically demanding preliminary manufacturing remain in Germany.<\/p>\n Other producers are working towards a restructuring agreement or have found new owners. Rodam<\/strong>, the Sch\u00f6ppingen solid-wood furniture manufacturer, entered self-administration in March. A September update reported progress in reducing costs and concentrating the range on premium dining furniture, with completion of the proceedings targeted for the fourth quarter. Interl\u00fcbke<\/strong>, operated by L\u00fcbke GmbH, secured a solution with the Langhorst group following its April filing, preserving 87 jobs.<\/p>\n The latest completed transaction concerns Domo Collection<\/strong>. Effective November 1, the 3C group acquired the business following insolvency filings during the summer. Approximately 220 jobs at its Polish manufacturing site were retained, together with nine positions at the sales office in Hude. The transaction preserves the brand and production while concentrating operational and commercial functions in Poland.<\/p>\n K\u00f6nig + Neurath<\/strong> announced the successful conclusion of its self-administered proceedings in June. In joinery and interiors, Lamp & Sohn<\/strong> transferred its operating business to Tischlerei Lamp GmbH on April 1, retaining all jobs.<\/p>\n Machinery and component suppliers are also affected<\/strong><\/p>\n The difficulties have reached businesses supplying production equipment to wood processors.<\/p>\n Vollmer Werke<\/strong>, the Biberach manufacturer of grinding, sharpening and other tool-processing machinery, entered preliminary insolvency proceedings under self-administration on October 20. Operations continue, while foreign subsidiaries remain outside the German proceedings.<\/p>\n The company employs around 450 people at its headquarters and had already cut approximately 70 positions earlier in the year. Weak machinery demand and difficult international trading conditions were cited as causes.<\/p>\n Among furniture component suppliers, Polykarp Schnell<\/strong>, which makes edging and veneer products, secured an investor solution announced in October. All 21 jobs were preserved, with the business being continued by Polykarb Edelkanten following preliminary proceedings in August and the formal opening of insolvency proceedings on October 1.<\/p>\n Cartonboard production and DIY distribution lose capacity<\/strong><\/p>\n The paper and board sector has suffered a substantial closure.<\/p>\n Baiersbronn Frischfaser Karton<\/strong>, the virgin-fibre cartonboard producer employing approximately 220 people, failed to secure a rescue after filing in June. At the end of August, employees were completing orders and using remaining materials ahead of a shutdown after September 7.<\/p>\n The administrator had warned that energy costs, emissions obligations and limited scope to raise selling prices made independent continuation unviable.<\/p>\n The restructuring of Hellweg and BayWa Bau & Garten<\/strong> affects another major route to market for wood products. A rescue covering the entire retail network proved impossible. Selected stores found buyers, while management announced that branches without a continuation solution would close by the end of November. The two headquarters, employing approximately 340 people, were also earmarked for closure.<\/p>\n Weak construction keeps demand under pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n The company cases are unfolding against continued weakness in the industry\u2019s principal markets. German furniture manufacturers recorded a 2.7% decline in first-half sales to approximately \u20ac7.7 billion, with domestic revenue down 4.1%. Upholstered furniture suffered a much sharper contraction of 10%.<\/p>\n Germany completed 206,600 homes in 2025, an 18% decline and the lowest total since 2012. The reduced flow of new housing limits orders for construction timber and building components, followed by flooring, kitchens and furniture as homes are finished and occupied.<\/p>\n Outside Germany, Werth-Holz<\/strong> provides a related case in garden timber products. The Polish listed parent applied for accelerated arrangement proceedings on September 25, following a separate bankruptcy application by its production subsidiary. The parent intends to continue operating while restructuring its obligations. It belongs in the regional market picture, but is excluded from the German cases listed below.<\/p>\n Even where a buyer has been found, the business emerging from insolvency often looks smaller than the one that entered it. A familiar name may survive while jobs disappear, product ranges narrow or manufacturing moves abroad. These deals are keeping parts of Germany\u2019s wood industry in business, but they also leave it with less of the capacity and expertise built up over decades. When customers begin ordering more again, some of their former suppliers will no longer be there.<\/p>\n GWMI | GERMANY<\/p>\n Selected cases and restructuring outcomes in 2026.<\/p>\n GWMI<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Germany\u2019s sawmills and timber merchants need the construction market to recover, but some are running out of time to wait. Weak orders have persisted long enough to force decisions that another round of cost cuts cannot resolve: seek court protection, … Continue reading Insolvencies across the wood products industry<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n \nCompany<\/th>\n Business<\/th>\n Dated development<\/th>\n Latest verified position<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n S\u00e4gewerk M\u00fcnsterland<\/td>\n Sawmilling<\/td>\n 22 Sep 2026<\/td>\n Preliminary insolvency measures ordered. A final continuation or closure outcome has not been verified.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Laubholz-S\u00e4gewerk Blum<\/td>\n Hardwood sawmilling<\/td>\n 31 Jul 2026<\/td>\n Insolvency proceedings opened. Around 20 employees; no subsequent operating outcome verified.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Strathmann Holz<\/td>\n Timber trading and construction<\/td>\n Mar\u2013Apr 2026<\/td>\n Original operation closed at end-March; Nova subsequently took over parts of the business and staff.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Heinrich Kr\u00fcger & Sohn \/ HKS1835<\/td>\n Timber imports and flooring<\/td>\n 1 May 2026 asset deal<\/td>\n Parador acquired brand rights and selected assets\/product lines; the deal did not preserve the whole timber merchant.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Holzbau Weber<\/td>\n Timber construction<\/td>\n 16 Oct 2026<\/td>\n Preliminary administration ordered; projects continue and investors are being approached. 19 employees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Holzbau van Kempen<\/td>\n Glulam and timber buildings<\/td>\n 24 Apr 2026 decision<\/td>\n Creditors approved closure after the investor search failed; final orders scheduled for completion in summer.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n HolzHaus Bonndorf<\/td>\n Timber housing<\/td>\n 1 Sep 2026 takeover<\/td>\n Business acquired by H\u00fcbscher Holzbau following June filing; continues as H\u00fcbscher Holzhaus.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Windm\u00f6ller<\/td>\n Flooring and acoustic products<\/td>\n 9 Oct 2026<\/td>\n Protective proceedings approved; production continues. Around 280 employees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n H\u00f6hbauer<\/td>\n Windows and doors<\/td>\n 13 Oct 2026 update<\/td>\n Investor search launched after September filing; operations continue. Around 325 employees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Gruber Polsterm\u00f6bel<\/td>\n Upholstered furniture<\/td>\n 2 Oct 2026 update<\/td>\n Closure announced after unsuccessful investor search; existing orders to be completed. Around 85 employees affected.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Lignum M\u00f6belmanufaktur<\/td>\n Solid-wood furniture<\/td>\n 1 Sep 2026<\/td>\n Workshop closed; four employees dismissed and two apprentices transferred to other businesses.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Himolla<\/td>\n Upholstered furniture<\/td>\n 15 Sep 2026 agreement<\/td>\n Plan removes 175 of 714 positions at Taufkirchen, retaining around 540. Final assembly shifts to Hungary and Slovakia.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Rodam<\/td>\n Solid-wood furniture<\/td>\n 10 Sep 2026 update<\/td>\n Restructuring continues after March filing; product range narrowed. Completion targeted for Q4, not yet verified.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Interl\u00fcbke \/ L\u00fcbke GmbH<\/td>\n Design furniture<\/td>\n Jul 2026 rescue<\/td>\n Langhorst investor solution announced after April filing, securing 87 jobs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Domo Collection<\/td>\n Upholstered furniture<\/td>\n 1 Nov 2026 takeover<\/td>\n 3C acquisition preserves approximately 220 jobs in Polish production and nine at the German sales office.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n K\u00f6nig + Neurath<\/td>\n Office furniture<\/td>\n 3 Jun 2026 announcement<\/td>\n Self-administered proceedings completed following approval of the insolvency plan.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Lamp & Sohn<\/td>\n Joinery and interiors<\/td>\n 1 Apr 2026 transfer<\/td>\n Business transferred to Tischlerei Lamp GmbH; all jobs retained.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Vollmer Werke<\/td>\n Tool grinding machinery<\/td>\n 20 Oct 2026<\/td>\n Preliminary self-administration ordered; business continues. Foreign subsidiaries excluded.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Polykarp Schnell<\/td>\n Furniture edging and veneer<\/td>\n 6 Oct 2026 announcement<\/td>\n Investor solution with Polykarb Edelkanten preserves the business and all 21 jobs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Baiersbronn Frischfaser Karton<\/td>\n Virgin-fibre cartonboard<\/td>\n Sep 2026 shutdown<\/td>\n Closure announced for after 7 September following failed rescue; around 220 employees affected.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hellweg \/ BayWa Bau & Garten<\/td>\n DIY and building products retail<\/td>\n 28 Aug 2026 restructuring update<\/td>\n Group-wide rescue failed; selected stores sold or assigned to buyers. Unacquired stores scheduled to close by end-November.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n