Müller will close two German processing sites by 2027
The company said economic assessments had found no durable commercial prospects for either operation, despite earlier investment and restructuring efforts. Production at Rogätz, in Saxony-Anhalt, will be wound down over the coming months, while the sliced-cheese unit at Leppersdorf, in Saxony, will be decommissioned by the end of 2026.
Müller said it had begun discussions with works councils about staffing reductions and transition arrangements. The two facilities are being treated separately within the group’s manufacturing network: the Rogätz site produces sauces under the Homann business, while the Leppersdorf operation is part of Sachsenmilch.
Leppersdorf is a large dairy complex near Dresden that will continue operating after the sliced-cheese lines close. Its remaining activities include mozzarella production, sour-milk cheese and the processing of dairy ingredients. The site also has automated milk-receiving facilities, cheese vats, whey-processing equipment and drying towers.
Sachsenmilch plans to redirect contracted milk supplies at Leppersdorf into those continuing operations rather than canceling collection agreements. The company said milk solids would be allocated among mozzarella, whey concentrates and liquid-dairy products as the sliced-cheese equipment is taken out of service.
The closures come as German food retailers negotiate private-label dairy contracts in a market dominated by discount chains and large supermarkets. Müller identified persistent losses in sliced cheese as the reason for ending that activity. It also pointed to changes in retail packaging, including demand for mono-material films, which require modifications to packaging equipment.
The group has recently expanded beyond traditional dairy products. Its portfolio includes Berief Food, a producer of plant-based and organic tofu products in Beckum, and the company is in talks to acquire regional processor Vogtlandmilch in Plauen. The Rogätz and Leppersdorf measures form part of a wider effort to adjust the group’s processing capacity while retaining other production at Leppersdorf.
