Greiz / Erfurt 25.01.2024 - Friends of local beer can open a bottle from Greiz to celebrate! After almost a year of insolvency proceedings, the local brewery has been saved. This also preserves a brewing tradition from Eastern Thuringia that goes back over 150 years. Award-winning beer has been produced in the town on the White Elster since 1872.
Looking back: In February 2023, the "Vereinsbrauerei Greiz" went bankrupt. This was mainly due to the high raw material and energy prices. However, the coronavirus crisis had also led to a loss of sales because restaurateurs could no longer be supplied. Marcello Di Stefano from the law firm DiLigens was appointed insolvency administrator by the Gera district court and was able to continue operations with Managing Director Thomas Schäfer under difficult conditions. He received valuable support from the district administrator Martina Schweinsburg and Sparkasse Gera-Greiz, among others.
Di Stefano has now found a strong investor from Thuringia for the traditional company. From February 1, the Erfurt entrepreneur André Panse will take over the brewery. He will not only contribute capital and business know-how, but also his many years of experience in the field of renewable energies. The brewery operations are to be converted to a complex photovoltaic system and a state-of-the-art steam boiler. A total investment of almost 3 million euros is planned. The aim is to double turnover and create new jobs.
Investor André Panse: "I have been intensively involved with Vereinsbrauerei in recent months and, together with the insolvency administrator, am convinced of its future viability. With the necessary capital resources, a new energy concept and the comprehensive intensification of business management measures, this venerable company will be absolutely competitive in a competitive market environment in the future." Specialist insolvency and restructuring lawyer Marcello Di Stefano: "As an insolvency administrator, you can only wish for such an outcome! All sides are satisfied and even new jobs have been created. The Greizer Vereinsbrauerei was very close to my heart right from the start. I am pleased to have found a good and sustainable Thuringian solution with André Panse. I would like to thank everyone involved, customers, suppliers and supporters for the successful collaboration."
District Administrator Martina Schweinsburg: "The rescue of the Greizer Vereinsbrauerei is good news for our region! It was the first brewery in the Free State of Thuringia whose products were awarded the 'Thuringian Mark of Origin'. The employees did not bury their heads in the sand during the difficult period of insolvency, but continued to ensure quality and performance. The new investor is now laying the foundations for the future."
https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/thueringen/bier-brauerei-greiz-insolvenz-rudolstadt-poerz-100.html