German toy maker Rolly Toys to shut down, 110 jobs lost

Franz Schneider GmbH & Co. KG, the family‑owned firm behind the Rolly Toys brand, announced that it will close its Neustadt bei Coburg plant on 31 December 2026. The insolvency ends a 88‑year history that once produced up to 250,000 children’s vehicles per year, including go‑karts, sleds and pedal tractors.

More than 110 employees, most aged between 50 and 62, will lose their jobs. The owner, Frank Schneider, said rising energy prices since the Ukraine war, higher material and procurement costs, competition from China and U.S. tariffs, and the loss of the company’s second‑largest customer made a rescue impossible. Two other firms have expressed interest in continuing the Rolly Toys brand at a different location, but production in Germany will cease.

The closure illustrates the pressure on German mid‑size manufacturers from higher operating costs and global competition.