Cause for celebration for everyone who put their heart into the preparations for the new BIRKENSTOCK site in Pasewalk: one day before the Easter weekend, BIRKENSTOCK received a letter from the authority responsible for the approval process which contained the long-awaited partial construction permit for the lighthouse project in the Berlin-Szczecin industrial park. With this permit for a premature start of the project, construction can finally commence.

In the week after Easter, the construction company Goldbeck, which has been commissioned with the project, started with the first preparatory steps, and today the company will start the earthworks – even though a decision on possible public subsidies is still pending and the latest developments on the raw materials markets and the significantly more elaborate site concept compared to the initial plans have resulted in a considerable increase of the investment sum. According to current calculations, the investment will amount to a total of around EUR 100 million – an increase of 25% compared to the initial plans. This makes the construction of the new site by far the largest individual investment in the company’s history.

Production to start in the third quarter of 2023

BIRKENSTOCK intends to stick to the tight schedule: however, in view of the supply bottlenecks on the international steel markets and the associated impact on the construction sector, production will most likely not start until the beginning of the third quarter of 2023 instead of at the end of the first quarter as originally planned.

Oliver Reichert, CEO of the BIRKENSTOCK Group: “With the construction of our new plant, we are creating additional capacities urgently needed for our further global growth – and new employment opportunities for people in the region. At the same time, our investments are a clear commitment to our German sites: we are “Made in Germany”! I would like to thank the authorities and institutions involved in the approval process for keeping their word and providing us with the best possible support for this project.”

Sandra Nachtweih, Mayor of Pasewalk: “In the city administration, we’ve pulled out all the stops to ensure that this project, which is important for the entire region, is implemented quickly and with the necessary care on the part of the authorities. Our excellent relationship with the district administration, which we developed over the years during the creation of the Berlin-Szczecin industrial park, has been a great help in this regard. I am incredibly proud that a global player like Birkenstock has now moved to our city. Welcome to Pasewalk!”

With the earthworks, Goldbeck, the general contractor, is preparing the 120,000 square meter site for the construction of the production plant. If everything goes according to plan, the foundation of the new state-of-the-art plant of the German sandal manufacturer will be laid during the shell construction phase in the middle of the third quarter of 2022. In the medium term, around 1,000 new jobs will be created. This would immediately make BIRKENSTOCK one of the largest private employers in the region between the metropolises of Berlin and Szczecin.

There will be an information event in summer where the citizens of Pasewalk can learn more about the investment project. More information to follow.