Kahla porcelain manufacturer to close after 182 years

The historic German porcelain manufacturer Kahla, located in Thuringia, is set to cease production after 182 years of operation. The company, which has won over 100 international design awards, will leave its remaining 98 employees without jobs following a failed insolvency process.

Insolvency administrator Rolf Rombach confirmed that negotiations with potential strategic investors failed. While a Turkish investor withdrew from talks two weeks ago, a second major Turkish porcelain producer expressed interest, but the company’s supervisory board ultimately rejected the takeover attempt.

Key factors contributing to the company’s collapse include exceptionally high energy costs—critical for porcelain production—and a significant decline in orders, particularly from the hospitality and hotel sectors. Production is expected to continue until the end of October, with the decoration department remaining operational until the end of the year.