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Founder of bankrupt Schlecker chain ‘ruined’

The insolvency of German drugstore chain Schlecker has also ruined its founder Anton Schlecker, who is said to have lost nearly all of his wealth, according to a his daughter.

Published: 30 January 2012 17:06 CET

Founder of bankrupt Schlecker chain 'ruined'

Photo: DPA

“There is nothing there anymore,” said Meike Schlecker at a press conference – the company’s first since the 1990s – held on Monday in Ehingen, Baden-Württemberg. “My father’s fortune was always the company.”

Originally a butcher, Anton Schlecker started his chain in the 1970s, eventually opening thousands of branches and amassing a fortune of more than €1 billion. But he has been criticised for his secretive ways. In 1987 Meike and her brother were kidnapped and temporarily held for ransom and since then the now 68-year-old has strived to appear out of the media spotlight.

His company has also been called behind the times, only beginning last year to refurbish its tattered outlets and addressing accusations that management mistreated employees.

The insolvency application, officially filed earlier this month, came in the face of debts to suppliers worth tens of millions of euros and an inability to get new financing. Still the company’s roughly 6,000 stores in Germany are operating normally for the time being, while Schlecker tries to reorganise and remain a viable business.

Insolvency administrator Arndt Geiwitz said he believed the chain could be saved, with a large stake staying in family hands. He said discussions were ongoing with creditors and suppliers were trying to work with the company.

“All suppliers have understood very quickly that they have a big interest in the continued interest of the Schlecker drugstore chain,” he said, although he added that there remained many questions surrounding the future of the company’s 32,000 employees.

The Local/DPA/mdm

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Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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