Overview
- Carl Betz filed for insolvency at the Celle district court, with Volker Römermann named as the preliminary administrator.
- Formal proceedings are anticipated to open on February 1, 2026, and staff will receive full wages via the employment agency until that date.
- Römermann attributes the collapse to declining beer consumption and frames the issue as lost sales rather than product quality.
- Management and the administrator have begun a marketing drive focused on social media, events, and a refreshed brand image to attract younger consumers.
- Industry data show more than 90 German brewery closures since 2020, as rising costs and shifting habits pressure producers, including Oettinger’s planned Braunschweig shutdown and production move.