Siempelkamp Giesserei has seen its fair share of crises in its 99 years. But pandemic shutdowns, supply chain disruptions and soaring energy prices have thrown the Düsseldorf metals factory into uncharted territory.
“There has never been anything like this before,” Georg Geier, the company’s managing director, told CNN Business.
The major difference between past and present? Customer demand is high, but Siempelkamp either can’t find, or can’t afford, the supplies of the iron, nickel and energy it needs.
It is a similar story at many of Germany’s manufacturing businesses, which contribute almost a fifth of its GDP, according to the World Bank. Industry behemoths like Volkswagen (VLKAF) and Siemens