Overview
- Horst-Brandstätter Group will shift Playmobil manufacturing from Dietenhofen to other plants in its network, with the move targeted for completion by the end of June 2026.
- Roughly 350 employees were told of the plan at a February 3 assembly, and management will negotiate a socially responsible plan with the works council, including a transfer company.
- The union IGBCE condemned the decision as effectively ending Playmobil production in Germany and criticized management for late and opaque communication.
- The site will continue producing Lechuza plant pots, with logistics remaining in Herrieden and Playmobil’s administration, marketing, and product organization staying in Zirndorf.
- The company has faced declining sales and earlier cuts of about 700 jobs, and media reports cite a €100 million loss in 2024/25 as the group considers leveraging lower-cost sites such as Malta, Spain, and the Czech Republic.