According to trade union IG Metall, Lear informed employees on August 11 that production would be phased out immediately and completed by mid-2027. Manufacturing and machinery will be relocated to facilities in Slovakia, Serbia and Tunisia, while around 120 engineering positions are expected to remain at the Gründau site. The European Restructuring Monitor has independently recorded the planned closure and confirmed 180 job losses.
The Gründau operation develops and manufactures seat, steering-wheel and surface-heating systems, as well as sensors and electronics for the automotive industry. The site employed more than 700 people at its peak, according to IG Metall, although the workforce had fallen to just over 300 ahead of the announcement.
Lear acquired the business, formerly owned by family-owned supplier I.G. Bauerhin (IGB), in April 2023. Lear said at the time that IGB was headquartered in Gründau and specialised in thermal-management products for vehicle seating and steering wheels, alongside sensors and electronic control modules.
The works council and IG Metall have said they will oppose the decision. Works council chairman Markus Rotter described the announcement as “a slap in the face of the workforce”, while IG Metall regional director Matthias Ebenau highlighted a collective agreement reached with Lear in 2025 that included measures to secure employment at the site.
The announcement comes despite improving financial results at Lear, where the first quarter of 2026 saw the company post the strongest quarterly adjusted EPS since 2019. The company also reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of US$6.2 billion, up 3% year on year, while core operating earnings increased 7% to US$313 million.
