Praline maker DreiMeister closes after 53 years – 101 employees affected

Investments met exploding cocoa prices

Added to this was the period of the coronavirus pandemic, which had lastingly changed the confectionery trade. With the rise in global cocoa market prices, those responsible increasingly lacked the basis for reliably planning future revenues. "Damit fehlte die Grundlage, um die künftigen Umsätze verlässlich zu kalkulieren", said Schütte. The economic uncertainty ultimately culminated in insolvency proceedings.

As part of the insolvency proceedings, the administrator searched intensively for an investor or a buyer for the company. In vain: "Trotz intensiver Bemühungen hat niemand ein konkret umsetzbares Angebot für einen Einstieg oder die Übernahme des Unternehmens abgegeben", explained Schütte. Without a financially strong partner, only an orderly closure remained.

No investor found

A total of 101 employees are affected by the plant closure. Because the insolvency estate is insufficient to pay the employees' salaries during the ongoing notice period, a special statutory provision applies: All those affected are entitled to unemployment benefits from day one. The Federal Employment Agency thus assumes immediate financial security.

Unemployment benefits from day one

Schütte expressly praised the way the workforce handled the difficult situation. "In der Belegschaft war ein starker Zusammenhalt untereinander zu spüren und eine Loyalität gegenüber dem Unternehmen", said the insolvency administrator. This solidarity was repeatedly felt in conversations with the employees.

The Werl-Westönnen site has been considered a fixture among German praline manufacturers for decades. With the end of DreiMeister, another long-established food company disappears from the South Westphalia region. Industry observers see this as a warning sign of the structural problems facing the medium-sized confectionery industry.

A traditional site disappears

The closure was reported, among others, in the WDR local program "Lokalzeit Südwestfalen" on 3 July 2026. The insolvency administration now intends to help the employees in their search for new jobs and to organize their transition to other companies in the region.

With the end of DreiMeister, the region loses a manufacturer that stood for artisanal praline production for more than five decades. According to the insolvency administrator, the search for investors had remained unsuccessful despite several rounds of talks.

The closure is part of a growing number of insolvencies in the German medium-sized business sector, which is suffering under the pressure of sharply increased raw material and energy costs. For the affected employees, a phase of professional reorientation now begins – with the support of the Federal Employment Agency and the insolvency administration.