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An era of porcelain manufacturing is coming to an end. For 26 years, Günther Raithel and his son Holger ran the Kahla porcelain factory in Thuringia. Günther Raithel took over the ailing, formerly communist-run business in 1993 and transformed it into a future-proof factory. His son Holger joined later and has been a managing partner since 2005. Under his direction, Kahla has developed into a trend-focused and multiple-award-winning lifestyle brand. Trading as Porzellanmanufaktur Kahla/Thüringen GmbH, the company is now being acquired by Daniel Jeschonowski, managing partner of Senator GmbH. The takeover is happening following debtor-in-possession insolvency proceedings that began on 10 March 2020. Two major failed international projects in 2017 and 2018 consumed multiple millions of euros in investment, putting Kahla in financial difficulties.

During its period in administration, Kahla achieved revenue and positive results exceeding its forecasts despite closures due to coronavirus. Strong online sales and a virtual porcelain market made up for the falling revenues from international trade, according to the company. The insolvency proceedings have now been wrapped up through the sale of the company. In his farewell speech, Holger Raithel said that, “Thanks to the cohesion of the Kahla team and the brand’s strong partnerships, we were able to supply major customers with porcelain during the typically weaker summer months, helping us overcome the coronavirus crisis better than other market players. I would like to thank all partners who helped provide security during administration, including the firms Wallner Weiss and HWW in particular. My family and I wish the new company much success, and we wish all the staff all the best for the future from the bottom of our hearts.”