Closure in Grödig

Mozartkugel closure: “Plant was not sustainable”

The site in Grödig is far too big, they say. The end could no longer be averted.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

(Bild: Sabine Salzmann)

The day after the bad news of the Mozartkugel closure in Grödig became official, the factory site is in a state of shock. Fans stock up on chocolate at the factory outlet. The US company, which owns the trademark rights for the production of the Mirabell Mozartkugeln, has already found a replacement for the Salzburg chocolate.

Packed with bags of Mozartkugeln, customers stream out of the factory outlet at the factory site: "It's a shame," says Ulrike Stader, herself from Grödig.

The end of chocolate production is a source of much melancholy in the village. After all, the roots go back to the 1940s. In November 2021, the company slipped into bankruptcy and was taken over. Now the long-term restructuring efforts have failed.

It's a shame for the employees and for Grödig in general. A lot of tradition is attached to Salzburg-Schokolade.

Ulrike Stader, Kundin im Werksverkauf

None of the employees are allowed to comment on the shock news. The bad news was announced while the head of the works council was on vacation. 65 employees, some of whom have been with the company for many years, from production workers to company electricians, are affected. The turbulence is not new: "They wanted to convert the site into housing," says local leader Herbert Schober about a wish that could not be fulfilled. The site was too large and could not be kept. With commercial use, the 13,000 square meters would have been worth around 14 million euros.

The KEX Group from Julius Meindl V.'s circle cites the "termination of cooperation with one of the largest customers" as the main reason for the closure. This is said to be the Mirabell-Kugel order from Mondelez. Insiders suspect that the Meinl Group's own "Mozart Koogles" line also had potential for conflict.

US group has already found a replacement
Mondelez says: "We regret the closure." Reliable production is essential for Mirabell Mozartkugeln, even in difficult times. "After carefully examining our options, we have found a solution for future production in our European network," said a spokesperson.