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JRS Group acquires Ziegler Group subsidiary ‘naturheld’

JRS Group acquires Ziegler Group subsidiary ‘naturheld’
Commissioned in 2022, Ziegler Group's naturheld facility in Grafenwöhr/Hütten, Germany is a state-of-the-art facility that produces fibre-based insulation products (photo courtesy naturheld).

In Germany, the provisional insolvency administrator of the Ziegler Group, Volker Böhm from Schultze & Braun, has signed an investor agreement for the Ziegler insulation subsidiary 'naturheld'. The buyer is Josef Rettenmaier Naturenergie Holding GmbH & Co KG, a holding company of the JRS Group.

The investor has announced that it will fully retain the ‘naturheld’ site in Grafenwöhr/Hütten and successfully implement the ambitious growth plans.

In addition, all of the approximately 130 employees will retain their jobs under the new owner.

Ideal future partner

The JRS Group is an internationally positioned German family business with its headquarters in Rosenberg, near Ellwangen.

JRS plant fiber technology relies on state-of-the-art production know-how and comprehensive technological expertise in the use of plant-based raw materials for use in almost all areas of modern, international industry.

The JRS Group is the ideal future partner for naturheld. JRS is a strategically-minded group of companies that wants to further expand its product portfolio with ‘naturheld’. This solution is therefore good news for the employees and the region: for the employees, who gain a long-term employer, and for the region that retains a forward-looking company, emphasized Volker Böhm after signing the contract documents.

Transfer by mid-March

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. In the future, ‘naturheld’ will operate under the company name “naturheld GmbH & Co. KG”.

A naturheld insulation board (image courtesy naturheld).

The transfer of operations is to take place by mid-March and is subject to some formal requirements that still need to be met – in particular, approval of the Federal Cartel Office.

Production at ‘naturheld’ will continue in full in the meantime. Wage and salary payments are also secured.

We are looking forward to entering the attractive growth market of natural insulation solutions with ‘naturheld’. As an experienced producer of wood fiber products, among other things, we are very familiar with the production technology and the raw materials markets and are firmly convinced that we can lead ‘naturheld’ into a successful future. After ‘naturheld’ presented a significantly improved product generation last year, we will initially focus on strengthening sales. At the same time, ‘naturheld’ will continue to operate independently on the market and, as a separate company with its own management, will be able to utilize many synergies and resources within the JRS Group, said Nils Gersonde, Member of the JRS Group Management Board.

Volker Böhm thanked the employees of ‘naturheld’, who continued to work with full commitment after the insolvency application.

The commitment of the employees was an important prerequisite for the investor solution that has now been achieved. We would also like to thank the customers and suppliers who have remained loyal to us throughout the entire process, as well as the politicians who have given us moral support, Volker Böhm emphasized.

State-of-the-art facility

Investing a three-digit million EUR sum in the new, ultra-modern production facilities, the Ziegler Group had established a completely new, promising business segment with the production of climate-friendly insulation boards made from 100 percent renewable raw materials.

Starting production in 2022, the company succeeded in continuously gaining market share from a standing start.

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