Solution for Gussek: PLUTA attorney Dr Kaufmann finds investor for window manufacturer

Dr Christian Kaufmann of PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH has achieved a last-minute rescue by finding an investor for the insolvent Fensterbau Gussek GmbH & Co. KG in his capacity as insolvency administrator. Gerdes GmbH, a well-known company in the region, will acquire the business operations and keep on 35 employees, thereby adding wooden and wood-aluminium windows to its portfolio.

Fensterbau Gussek GmbH & Co. KG located in Elsnigk, Saxony-Anhalt, is part of the Gussek Group. It engages in window construction and uses advanced manufacturing technologies to produce windows and exterior doors. “We are delighted with the positive outcome of the negotiations. With Gerdes, we have found a strong and experienced window manufacturer that will ensure the company’s survival and also appreciates its employees’ many years of expertise,” said PLUTA restructuring expert Dr Christian Kaufmann.

“Expansion represents a unique opportunity”

The future of the Elsnigk site has been secured now that Gerdes will come on board as an investor. Mr Peter Simon-Höke, managing director of Gerdes GmbH, said the acquisition of the window manufacturer based in Elsnigk, Saxony-Anhalt, was a strategic move. The window manufacturing operations of the insolvent Gussek Group will round out the Gerdes GmbH portfolio going forward and ensure a broader product range.

“The idea of acquiring the business was floated at very short notice,” said Mr Peter Simon-Höke. “We viewed this as a unique opportunity to expand our portfolio through the addition of the established site in Elsnigk and gain highly dedicated staff.”

Gerdes GmbH, a family business with its third generation at the helm, is one of the leading fabricators of Schüco products in Germany and the Netherlands. Founded in 1949 and with its headquarters and production facilities in Lengerich, Emsland, the company also has subsidiaries in Sögel, Lower Saxony, and Oldenzaal in the Netherlands. With some 150 employees, Gerdes manufactures windows, front doors and sliding doors made from aluminium and PVC in proven Schüco quality as well as fire-resistant doors for fire and smoke protection, mullion/transom façades and internal partitions in aluminium. Now it will also offer wooden and wood-aluminium elements.

No possibility of an overall solution for the group

The Gussek Group, a long-established supplier of prefabricated houses based in Nordhorn, Lower Saxony, filed for insolvency for its operating companies in late August 2024. On 1 November 2024, the Local Court of Nordhorn, as the competent court, opened the insolvency proceedings for Gussek-Haus Franz Gussek GmbH & Co. KG, Gussek Haus Kellerbau GmbH and Fensterbau Gussek GmbH & Co. KG. The court appointed attorney Mr Stefan Meyer from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH as insolvency administrator for Gussek-Haus Franz Gussek GmbH & Co. KG. The insolvency administrator for Gussek Haus Kellerbau GmbH and Fensterbau Gussek GmbH & Co. KG is PLUTA attorney Dr Christian Kaufmann.

The final remaining potential investor withdrew from the investor process following intensive negotiations that were at an advanced stage: therefore, to the regret of all parties involved, there is no acquisition and continuation solution for the Gussek Group as a whole.

The PLUTA team with Mr Meyer and Dr Kaufmann includes, among others, attorneys Dr Ria Brüninghoff, Ms Nadja Neuber (also a business management expert), Mr Leon Linz, Mr André Gildehaus and Mr Alexander Bortfeldt as well as business lawyer Ms Nicole Neumerkel.