Danone Will Close Its 54-Year-Old Ochsenfurt Factory
Danone’s decision concerns the competitiveness of the Ochsenfurt facility, which produces dairy products and other food items. The company said the plant’s utilisation has fallen to roughly 50% of its 2019 level, while its manufacturing expenses have remained significantly above those recorded at other European sites in the group.
Demand for some products made at Ochsenfurt has also declined. Danone said the combination of unused capacity, higher costs and lower production meant that continuing the operation would not be economically sustainable over the long term.
The closure forms part of a wider adjustment to the company’s industrial footprint and product portfolio. Danone has reported stronger consumer demand for products with higher protein content, specialised nutrition and functional characteristics, while more traditional categories have grown at a slower pace.
Danone plans to continue investing in its Fulda plant, also in Germany. That facility employs about 600 people and focuses mainly on specialised nutrition, including infant formula and products for medical nutrition. Ochsenfurt is expected to lose approximately 230 positions.
The company said it would seek to limit the effect on Ochsenfurt employees through measures including transfers to other roles, retraining programmes and separation agreements. The plant’s closure will also affect businesses connected to its operations, including suppliers, transport companies and service providers.
The decision is not linked to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings at Danone. The company has more than 100,000 employees and operates across several continents, with businesses spanning dairy products, plant-based foods, water and specialised nutrition.
Activia will continue to be produced and sold from other locations; the closure therefore concerns the German manufacturing structure rather than the brand’s discontinuation. In Brazil, Danone has not announced a comparable closure connected with this reorganisation. Its operations there include industrial facilities in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, serving dairy and specialised-nutrition products, and Activia remains part of the Brazilian portfolio alongside Danoninho, Danette and YoPRO.
