Ad_Astra acquires business of the two Kappus facilities in Riesa and Heitersheim. In future the two soap production specialists Kappus Seifen GmbH Riesa & Co. and Hirtler Seifen GmbH will operate under the newly founded Kappus GmbH (“kappus”) with registered office in Heitersheim. By acquiring the two locations from the Kappus Group insolvency proceeding, Ad_Astra has preserved all 150 jobs and underscored its intention of re-establishing kappus as an industry leader.

The decision by Ad_Astra managing directors Ulrich Clemm and Thomas Krüger to buy the kappus locations was not a difficult one. “We’re very satisfied with this acquisition and are extremely confident that the market for bar soaps will see strong growth in the coming years, thanks in part to the sustained trend towards eco-friendly products,” said managing director Ulrich Clemm. The recently appointed managing director of Kappus GmbH, Rainer Gsell, is looking forward to his new role. “Bar soap has been a popular product for decades and still has a lot of potential. Also, in addition to the automated production facilities in Riesa and Heitersheim, we have highly qualified employees and a motivated management team who have stayed loyal in spite of the trying insolvency proceeding,” said Gsell. Ad_Astra can build on this team and on two well-equipped research laboratories. It plans to increase productivity, expand the product range and tighten cooperation between the two locations during the ongoing financial year. Subsequently the Kappus Group brands will be realigned step by step to adapt them to consumer needs. By exploiting synergy effects, kappus aims to significantly increase its competitiveness and strengthen its core competencies in product development on a lasting basis.