HEUKING advises J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH on acquisition by WIKUS-Sägenfabrik
A HEUKING team led by Prof. Dr. Georg Streit and Dr. Kai Büchler provided comprehensive legal advice to Georg Jakob Stemshorn, LL.M. (UvA), of PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH, the insolvency administrator of J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH, in connection with the acquisition of the company's bimetal division by WIKUS-Sägenfabrik Wilhelm H. Kullmann GmbH & Co. KG as part of the insolvency proceedings. The transaction was signed on September 4, 2026.
J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH filed for insolvency with the Augsburg Local Court (Amtsgericht Augsburg) in May 2026. Insolvency proceedings were opened on August 26, 2026. Through a structured M&A process, WIKUS was identified as a strategic investor to continue operating the bimetal division of the long-established Augsburg-based company. As a result, 74 industrial jobs at the Augsburg site will be preserved. The saw and C-steel production divisions, however, will be discontinued, while saw distribution will continue. WIKUS will relocate production, sales, and administrative operations to its own facility. An orderly wind-down of production will take place for the C-steel division. The City of Augsburg supported the search for a viable solution to preserve the legacy company and safeguard jobs.
The transaction was completed under highly challenging market conditions, marked by geopolitical conflicts, high energy prices, and subdued demand from the construction and automotive industries.
WIKUS-Sägenfabrik Wilhelm H. Kullmann GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Spangenberg (Northern Hesse), is one of the largest saw band manufacturers in Europe and a global technology leader in high-performance saw bands. Founded in 1958, the family-owned company employs approximately 750 people at its headquarters and through subsidiaries worldwide.
J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH was founded in 1836 in Augsburg, making it one of the city's oldest still-operating industrial companies. The company specializes in the manufacture of precision strip steel, bimetal band saws, and other high-quality strip steel products for industrial and commercial applications.
Counsel to the insolvency administrator of J.N. Eberle & Cie. GmbH
HEUKING:
Prof. Dr. Georg Streit (Overall Lead, Munich)
Dr. Kai Uwe Büchler (Lead Restructuring and M&A, Munich)
Dr. Katharina Prasuhn (M&A, Munich)
Dr. Björn Biehl (M&A, Munich)
Dr. Georg Jacobs, LL.M. (Boston University), (IP Law, Düsseldorf)
Dr. Markus Collisy (Environmental Law, Frankfurt)
Dr. Reinhard Siegert (Antitrust and Distribution Law, Munich)
Dr. Ruth Jungkind (Antitrust and Distribution Law, Munich)
Dr. Elisabeth Meister (Restructuring, Munich)PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH:
Georg Jakob Stemshorn (Insolvency Law, Insolvency Administration, and M&A Process)
Maximilian König (Insolvency Law, Insolvency Administration, and M&A Process)
Dr. Karl-Friedrich Gulbins (Employment Law)
Hans Unsöld (Tax)Counsel to the investor
RSM Ebner Stolz:
Dr. Daniel Kautenburger-Behr (Lead Partner, Corporate/M&A Legal)
Lutz Maschlanka, LL.M. (Lead, Insolvency Law)
Jan Hendrik Groß (Partner, Insolvency Law)
Vincent Tiepold (Insolvency Law)
Eva Einfeldt (Partner, Employment Law)
Lydia Voß (Employment Law)
Sarah Ungerechts, LL.M. (Corporate/M&A Legal)
Christian Schürmann (Corporate/M&A Legal)
