MZ-works: Slowly the hope dwindles

[dbates]

From the Freipresse in chemitiz Germany.

The background to this statement is that in june after the announcement that the MZ factory would close at the end of the year a taskforce was setup by Thomas Jurk the head of regional development for Saxony to find and vet potential purchasers for the MZ factory. To date that search has not yielded an agreement but still they say that they have a number of investors(2-5 depending upon the source) that may buy the business but the time now is too short to conclude the deal so the factory will close on december 31 2008 when the last of the subsidies from the regional development agency expire and no penalty will be made by the current owners hong leong industries. There is no statement in this about the continuation of parts supply for the existing MZ models but the people at Grahams who have a number of parts so the immediate future of parts for the MZ should be okay. Long term the company hong leong have stated they will announce how parts will be supplied for the future as required under EU law (7 years from last new sales I believe). Lastly please excuse the google translate version below.





Works expects closure - Jurk: Do companies have not abandoned

Zschopau. In the workforce of MZ waning hope: While the management remains optimistic until the end of the year but still find a buyer for the depressed motorcycle manufacturer in Hohndorf to find the council to Assembly this week the staff at the Ernst case yet. The occurs when the plant at year end closes its doors.

Already in July, the employees got their termination at year-end in the hand after the Malaysian Hong Leong Group had announced, MZ because of persistent losses to close or sell. "We appreciate the situation now, so that from 1 January no longer continue and the plant is closed," said council chief on Friday Steffen Dögnitz the "Free Press". For the takeover by a buyer that the time is now much too tight. "The majority of employees is keen that it continues. But we should now no longer simply wait," recommends Dögnitz colleagues to look for a new job browse.

The date until which the management takeover nor a solution in framework for people would see it with the 15th November already exceeded. MZ currently employs around 30 staff. Three have made the company, according Dögnitz meanwhile leave.

In the eyes of the council chairman, it remains undisputed that the management continue working on a solution to the continued existence of MZ saves. By the end of 2008 will certainly weiterverhandelt. Possibly even to enter into the new year, was reported on Friday from the boss upstairs. Even in Saxony Economics Minister Thomas Jurk (SPD) announced that on Friday against "Free Press" confident: "We have made the company has not yet abandoned." MZ negotiating further with serious investors, a spokeswoman confirmed the house. According to up to five still interested in the game. In the next few days or weeks, the Ministry expects a decision. In the summer had Jurk the rescue of the motorcycle factory boss thing to explain. Since deals in Dresden, a working group with finding investors.

MZ-director Steve Yap had distributors and service partners in June indicated that the company because of the persistent losses at 31 December closed will be. Until that time is running a binding deadline for funding from the Joint Task East from which the Freistaat to the motorcycle manufacturer has been. Had the Malaysian conglomerate that works before that date closed, would be punitive payments due.



Mike Baldauf

Released 21.11.2008

[iceman]

That sucks..

But every ending is the start of a new beginning..




1 : the point at which something begins : start

[DAVID THOMPSON]

hope the rotary engine company gets the plant
the brand name has been trashed and is very poorly know here in the usa
better off starting a new brand name
dave

[manumensa]

Hello!

Thank you dbates.

Famel factory in Portugal. A view to cry:

http://motorizadas50.com/pagina%20ocult ... abrica.htm

Jawa factory in Czech Republic. Bad times also:

http://www.oxida2.com/foro/index.php?ac ... 2361;image

Saludos, Manuel.

[dbates]

A slight update to this story.

http://www.mdr.de/sachsen/chemnitz/5939633.html

In this version of the story a small group of employees will remain in the factory to ensure that parts supply will continue. As a sidenote the local MZ dealer in the north of England told me that recently they had a 1000St with a warranty claim he sent the part to the factory and had an new one in hand in a week. So they continue to honour their warranties.

Lets hope MZ restarts production in 2009.

[bikemogul]

With the old management gone and the fate of the factory in the hands of the current 'crew', I have to say MZ has no immediate future.

The way they hounded me for a small parts bill that was not actually owed, was quite incredible.

They spent more money chasing the bill than the bill was worth (a few hundred Euro) and actually turned away an order for a container of MZ1000S to concentrate hounding me for this bill.

Its a long story, but the current administration are too concerned on the pointless.

A real shame, I have been involved with MZ since 1994.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i have owned mz bikes since july of 2002....
i very quickly realized they knew how to build good bikes
but had no concept of how to sell them
because they did not grow up in a capitalist society
but east germany
by the time they did advertise in the usa .
it was too little way tooooo late
the rt125 is nice and fits my needs
but it should have been a 250 or 350 for the us market
and a bunch of advertising to make it known

even now i meet riders that have been riding almost as long as i have
and they do not know of MZ

its a shame because most other makers still do not water cool any thing under 250cc
and if run hard they do not last
dave rt125 and 500cc saxon tour

ps having the import headquarters in miami fla was a mistake .....people there party hard and may not recover to take care of business on Monday