German drinks manufacturer Haus Cramer Gruppe has appointed Bodo-Joachim Wendenburg as its new CEO and chief restructuring officer.
Wendenburg is a restructuring specialist who has already been advising the business for several months, the maker of Warsteiner pilsner said in a statement.
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Wendenburg most recently worked as an interim manager and consultant across various companies in the consumer goods industry.
In his new role, he will be primarily responsible for driving the restructuring of the Haus Cramer Gruppe.
Haus Cramer Gruppe owner Catharina Cramer said: “Mr. Wendenburg will be responsible for leading the company’s restructuring efforts within our executive management team, addressing the persistently challenging market conditions.”
Wendenburg succeeds Helmut Hörz, who left the company in 2024 because of “differing perspectives regarding the nature of their collaboration”.
In May, Haus Cramer announced plans to shut two breweries in North Rhine-Westphalia, citing “structural” changes in the German beer market.
At the time, the company said brewing operations at its Herford site will stop in the second half of the year. It also put its brewery in Paderborn, around 50km to the south, on the market.
On the future of the Paderborn site, a company spokesperson told Just Drinks this week: “We can confirm that the Haus Cramer Group is currently in discussions with various interested parties concerning the future of the site.
“However, as these negotiations are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide details at this stage.”
The company linked the restructuring to a long-term fall in beer consumption in Germany. It said annual per capita consumption has declined from 125 litres in 2000 to 88 litres now, a drop of about 30%.
Against that backdrop, the brewer said it would reduce capacity by a similar level, at about 30%.
After the restructuring, the company intends to expand its Warstein site as its central production and logistics hub in North Rhine-Westphalia.
