Bankruptcy year looms

Burgenland entrepreneurs defy the crisis

The bankruptcy of Hauswirth was the largest company failure in 2024.

(Bild: Huber Patrick)

The economy is under pressure: high wage costs and a shortage of skilled workers are currently the biggest hurdles. Companies want to make positive use of the poor forecasts

The new year has only just begun and we are already facing sobering forecasts. The number of insolvencies is set to rise again this year. Analyses even predict up to 340 company bankruptcies in Burgenland. The number of bankruptcies was already a cause for concern last year. More than 320 companies - more than in any other federal state - filed for insolvency.

Company bankruptcies: From chocolate to sparkling wine
The best known: chocolate manufacturer Hauswirth, the A-Nobis sparkling wine cellar, Güssing garage door manufacturer DAS Door Systems, the Mole West restaurant and the Schiefer und Kilger winery. Despite all the gloomy predictions, the mood at the Wirtschaftsbund's New Year's reception was not bad. Confidence is the order of the day, said Wirtschaftsbund chairman Peter Nemeth, even though he once again criticized the state, which is competing with businesses. Inflation, high interest rates and energy costs do not play well into the hands of companies. Added to this are enormous wage costs.

The challenges of the coming months were also a topic at the Wirtschaftsbund's New Year's reception (r.).

(Bild: Lexi)

But burying your head in the sand would be the wrong signal, says Julia Geosics, owner of the fashion store Top Moden Balaskovics in Oberwart. "We are looking positively to the future. People appreciate the local service, even in times when more and more online low-cost retailers are entering our market," says Geosics.

Tanja Stöckl, who runs a petrol station in Mariasdorf, lives by this motto and is constantly open to new ideas in order to survive in the future. She not only sells petrol there, but also all kinds of products from the region - from food to handicrafts - in cooperation with regional retailers. "Just selling petrol would not be enough to survive," says the entrepreneur honestly. It's about being distinctive and positioning niche products. "We are undergoing a transformation. Life is constantly changing and I have to embrace that as an entrepreneur. The challenges aren't getting any smaller, but at least I can shape them myself," says Stöckl.

Gastronomy is facing particularly big challenges
For many consumers, the high costs mean that they are increasingly cooking for themselves instead of eating out. This trend is also confirmed by Oberwart's city landlord Raimund Schmidinger. His big wish for politicians: a reduction in non-wage labor costs and easier access to credit for companies. He also praises the state's policies. "If the country hadn't helped so many companies, there would have been more bankruptcies."