WINTERGERST secures the continuity of the operations of Karl Rücker GmbH & Co. KG and protects its jobs by arranging its sale to Stahlgruber GmbH
Wintergerst Societät für Unternehmer-Beratung acts as the sole advisor assisting the insolvency-driven sale of Karl Rücker GmbH & Co. KG in Heilbronn to another market player, Stahlgruber GmbH. Stahlgruber expands its European-wide sales network by incorporating the three sales offices of Eppingen, Schwäbisch Hall and Crailsheim in its operations.
The owner-operated limited partnership, Karl Rücker GmbH & Co. KG has an 85-year history with a focus on the distribution of automobile parts and accessories. Declining sales and the introduction of new software that led to unexpected cost overheads resulted in the company filing for insolvency with the local court of Heilbronn on 5 December 2017. Insolvency proceedings were opened on 1 February 2018.
Jörg Mayer from Wintergerst Societät für Unternehmer-Beratung led the transaction process together with the team of the (preliminary) insolvency administrator, Dr. Dietmar Haffa from the law firm Schultze & Braun over a tight deadline made even more difficult by the Christmas break and winter holidays.
After obtaining approval from the meeting of creditors on 21 February 2018 to sell the three branches in Eppingen, Crailsheim and Schwäbisch Hall to Stahlgruber, the operations will change hands on 1 March 2018. As a result, the customers of Karl Rücker can continue to be supplied with all articles without any interruption.
“It means a lot to us that we were able to sell all three branches despite the very ambitious time line and secure the continued operation of a company with such a long-standing tradition, as well as protect its jobs,” says Volker Wintergerst.
„I am very satisfied with the result. In light of the enormous time pressure, we found the optimal solution. By far the majority of jobs can be retained.“
Dr. Dietmar Haffa
Insolvency administrator at Schultze & Braun
Together with its subsidiaries, Stahlgruber operates over 200 sales offices in Germany and abroad, of which approximately 160 are located in Germany and, thanks to the acquisition, can extend its market position in wholesale and retail trade in automotive parts, accessories and workshop tools and equipment.
Veit Mathauer
Media contact
Volker Wintergerst
Contact for readers
Volker Wintergerst has more than 20 years of experience in the consulting sector. After five years as the audit manager of audits of both separate and consolidated financial statements of large middle-market groups of companies and as a project leader in corporate finance, he spent ten years as a managing partner of the consulting arm of the Ebner Stolz Group.