The German gunmaker SIG Sauer is closing in Germany.
SIG Sauer managing director Tim Castagne told employees at the plant in Eckernförde that economic problems means it will close. Reported by Germany online newspaper All4Shooters.com, around 130 employees will ‘be affected’ by the closure.
SIG Sauer released this statement:
The locational disadvantages in Germany for SIG Sauer do not economically allow for manufacturing of sports and LE/military firearms in the future.
Legislation is increasingly restricting the use of sports firearms.
When awarding public contracts, both the German police and the Bundeswehr prefer a few local producers. SIG Suer is systematically excluded from tenders due to its international orientation, most of its developments originating from the USA.
Nevertheless, the shareholders have made major financial contributions to the stabilisation of the company in recent years and the company has implemented drastic cost-cutting measures.
This was intended to secure the traditional company and jobs in Germany.
In addition to the existing problems, there are the current effects of the Corona crisis, which place an additional considerable economic burden on the continuation of business operations in Eckernförde.
The German company SIG Sauer GmbH & Co.KG has been part of L&O Holding since 2000. It consists of SIG Sauer in Germany, its US sister company SIG Sauer Inc. in Newington, New Hampshire, and Swiss Arms in Neuhausen, Switzerland.
L&O Group owns Blaser, Mauser and Sauer, which are made at different locations on one campus in Isny-im-Allgau in the South of Germany. All4Shooters reports that SIG Sauer will not move production to Isny.
The Eckernförde plant produces and markets the company’s entire range of handguns and long guns. It supplies both the civilian market, which includes targetshooters, collectors and hunters, and law enforcement/military.
In 2017, SIG Sauer wrested the lucrative US military pistols contract from Beretta.
