Heiterblick in voluntary administration

On 7 April rolling stock builder Heiterblick GmbH applied to the Leipzig District Court to initiate self-administration proceedings. The company confirmed liquidity problems and the Federal Employment Agency will now cover wages for the firm’s 250 employees for three months as work on existing orders for Dortmund, Würzburg and the Sachsentram consortium (Leipzig, Görlitz and Zwickau) continues. Management consultancy Falkensteg and law firm Baker Tilly have been appointed to recommend a restructuring that will permit trading to continue. The company blames coronavirus lockdown and the war in Ukraine affecting the supply of raw materials for production delays. Key stakeholders have pledged their support for the company. 

 

The company was based on the former Leipzig tramways central workshops and started in 2004 to build low-cost Leoliner trams for its home city. It was privatised in 2006 (partly) and 2011 (fully) and entered the market for building new trams and Stadtbahn cars, counting Bielefeld and Hannover amongst its customers. Production moved to new premises on the grounds of Kirow in 2005 (the old workshops are now used by IFTEC, which offers tram repairs). It recently started delivery of a new design of low-floor tram to Würzburg and in association with Kiepe Electric and holds the framework contract for up to 155 trams for the Sachsentram consortium. Some of its success to date has come from its willingness to develop bespoke designs for its customers, though this has meant higher prices. The Sachsentram contract was signed in 2021, but the first has yet to appear. A prototype hydrogen-powered tram was planned under the contract, for delivery to Görlitz.