Gotha (dpa/th) - The city of Gotha and the district are looking for possible investors for the brewery in the city, which is threatened with closure. The city administration and the district office announced on Friday that the first talks with companies and state politicians about a possible takeover of the location were already being held. Gotha's Mayor Knut Kreuch and District Administrator Onno Eckert (both SPD) appealed to the 220 or so employees of the brewery not to reorient themselves prematurely. Without skilled workers as probably the most important pillar, the location would lose its attractiveness for potential site rescuers.
The Oettinger brewery, headquartered in Bavaria, announced on Wednesday that it would close the Gotha site at the end of the year. The company announced that parts of the production capacities and plants would be relocated to the group's three other brewery locations in Germany. The jobs in production and logistics in Gotha are to be reduced accordingly. Around four fifths of the local employees are affected by the partial closure.
The district administrator and mayor agree that future prospects must be developed for both the location and the employees, according to the joint statement on Friday. If no solution can be found to ensure the continued existence of the Oettinger brewery in Gotha, the main goal must be to preserve the location and the employees.
