The Plauen facility has been in the hands of insolvency administrator Werner Schneider since the German manufacturer initiated insolvency proceedings in November 2011.

In February this year German conglomerate Possehl Group completed its acquisition of Manroland’s Augsburg web offset facility while UK-based Langley Holdings signed a deal to buy the company’s sheetfed operation at Offenbach.

It was understood that the intention had been for Possehl to ultimately acquire the Plauen factory as well, with the facility acting as an independent company, under the administrator, supplying the Augsburg plant and other third-party customers until that time.

But this week Schneider said that despite extensive efficiency measures that had been made over the last 12 months at the Plauen site, including the redundancy of around 400 employees, "weeks of negotiations with investors" had proved unsuccessful.

He added: "The decision for the closure has not been easy for anyone involved. The intensive efforts to save Plauen failed ultimately due to the same economic issues that caused the demise of the Manroland Group."  

Schneider explained that over-capacity at the site coupled with a deteriorating economic situation, particularly in the printing industry, had been a key factor in the decision to close the site.

Plauen’s 300-strong workforce will now enter an "employment company" for a maximum period of six months in order to help them find, and if necessary re-train for, new jobs.

Meanwhile the administrator has confirmed that it is attempting to settle Plauen's existing contracts and reach an agreement on the future of the premises.

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