PRESS RELEASE from June 17, 2024

St. Georgen in the Black Forest. MB Bäuerle GmbH, based in St. Georgen in the Black Forest, has filed for the initiation of self-administration insolvency proceedings at the District Court of Villingen-Schwenningen due to impending insolvency. The reason for the insolvency filing was a weak order intake in recent months. This resulted from general changes in the printing industry as a whole, the associated market consolidation, and investment restraint ahead of the DRUPA world exhibition, which took place in Düsseldorf at the end of May after an 8-year break. MB Bäuerle's business operations will continue without restriction during the proceedings. The management of MB Bäuerle, consisting of Stefanie Glunk and Herbert Herrmann, will remain in office during the restructuring process and will continue to have full authority and decision-making power. The management is being supported by Dr. Steffen Hattler (law firm Hirt+Teufel, based in Rottweil) as General Representative. The restructuring process does not directly affect GUK-Falzmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG, also operating in Germany, from the "GUK Group," which is explicitly not affected by the insolvency. "The lights will stay on," were the opening words of Managing Director Stefanie Glunk during the staff meeting last Friday, and this statement also reflects the goal of the upcoming restructuring phase of MB Bäuerle and beyond. The company aims to maintain business operations during the restructuring, positioning itself for the future and restructuring to ensure sustainability. Managing Director Herbert Herrmann reported positively on the good response from visitors at the DRUPA exhibition. Particularly encouraging and confidence-building was the significant interest in the world's first automated 10-pocket folding machine for pharmaceutical applications, presented as a joint project between MB Bäuerle and GUK-Falzmaschinen in Wellendingen. The District Court of Villingen-Schwenningen has appointed attorney Dr. Thorsten Schleich of the law firm SCHLEICH & PARTNER mbB RECHTSANWÄLTE from Villingen-Schwenningen as the provisional administrator. His role is to monitor compliance with the insolvency legal framework, with the aim of safeguarding the interests of the creditors to the best possible extent during the proceedings.