The Bosch site at Marignier in Haute-Savoie will close by the end of 2024, the German industrial group confirmed on Thursday 16 May. The closure will affect the plant’s 153 employees, plunging them into great uncertainty

Bosch, the world’s leading automotive supplier, has announced the closure of its Marignier site in Haute-Savoie at the end of the year, according to information from france3 Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, confirmed by the chamber of commerce to H24 MEDIA. The decision, motivated by recent developments in the automotive market, was communicated to staff representatives and employees on Wednesday, management told AFP, confirming information from local media Le Messager and Radio Mont Blanc.

‘The transition to electrification of steering systems has led to the end of production of hydraulic systems, which has not been offset by an increase in orders for electrical systems, the two main activities of the Marignier site,’ explained management.

The search for a buyer, initiated in 2022, has not been successful. ‘Even though we were expecting it, it still comes as a shock’, said Géraldine Roux, CGT union delegate at the site. ‘We will now enter the information-consultation procedure and see what will be proposed to us’, she added.

At the beginning of February, when presenting its preliminary annual results, the German group predicted that 2024 would be ‘more difficult than expected’. Bosch, like its main German competitors, is suffering from the slowdown in demand for cars, particularly electric cars, at a time when it is investing massively in technologies for battery-powered and connected vehicles.

The group has already announced the loss of 1,500 jobs at two sites in Germany manufacturing transmissions, as well as 1,200 jobs in its on-board electronic systems division. Bosch also plans to cut 3,500 administrative jobs at its BSH household appliances subsidiary by the end of 2027.