Rene lezard: mayor sees good chances for laid-off workers
Rene lezard, a premium fashion manufacturer based in schwarzach, announced last week that it would be laying off 47 of its 107 employees. The layoffs, cushioned by a social plan, are to be completed in the first half of 2019.
A development with highs and lows
Mayor volker schmitt has mixed feelings about the development of the company, which has been reeling for years. The reduction of almost 50 percent of the jobs in schwarzach is a serious cut, but on the other hand, they are glad "that the location will be preserved. Sometimes shrinking is healthy, too, says schmitt. Rene lezard has so far been the second-largest employer in the market town, explains schmitt, looking ahead to the next few months. The only major company is the munsterschwarzach monastery, which employs more than 300 people.
Rene lezard is also significant for schwarzach because many local people work there. The company is looking back on its 40th anniversary this year, and some employees have been working there for more than 30 years.
Hopes pinned on new investor
Schmitt had hoped that the upcoming entry of a turkish investor in rene lezard would change the development of the schwarzach fashion company for the better. But the mayor was well aware that the current managers already had their work cut out for them. Before the takeover by the new majority owner yasar esgin of cemsel tekstil, they had to restructure the company, which had been in crisis for years, and above all avert a new insolvency. And for schmitt, especially important: the preservation of the location.
In the meantime, the mayor has also spoken with some of the burghers affected by the announced layoffs. Various age groups are affected, including employees from administration, logistics and production. Despite all the tragedy: schmitt sees good chances for them to find a place on the job market again. Currently, the district of kitzingen has an unemployment rate of 1.9 percent. The economy is booming. "We have full employment," says schmitt. That’s why he hopes that even workers over 45 will be employable. Schmitt has noted a fundamental change in companies in this regard: experience and know-how now pay something again, and not just the age of an employee.
Good development in the commercial area
The development in the schwarzach industrial area was also encouraging. All the land there has been sold, she says; company relocations are imminent. Craftsmen and other skilled personnel were sought everywhere. "Even people from the administration are in demand", so the mayor has heard.
What is rene lezard up to??
What is rene lezard planning? As reported, in the future the company will rely on a complete purchasing of goods and services instead of a division of labor between the schwarzach site and external suppliers. Consequently, product development, production and delivery of the collections were no longer done in schwarzach, but outsourced. Let the stores remain unaffected. The changeover affects only the head office, and there mainly the areas of production/logistics, returns/customs, CAD/composition and purchasing. After job cuts, around 200 employees will still work in schwarzach and the rene lezard store in germany.