Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH has announced that the production of optics for hunting and nature observation in Wetzlar is facing closure. Seventy employees will be affected.

Wetzlar. Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH will cease production in Wetzlar by the end of 2026. The company announced this in a statement on Tuesday. According to Zeiss, approximately 70 jobs are affected by this decision. Employees were also informed of the move on Tuesday. Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH is considered the world's leading manufacturer of binoculars, riflescopes, and spotting scopes. It is a subsidiary of Carl Zeiss AG.

Company speaks of “ongoing economic losses”
The challenging geopolitical and economic conditions are having varying effects on the Zeiss Group's business units. Demand for analog binoculars, spotting scopes, and riflescopes in the premium segment is declining, according to the statement explaining the reasons for the upcoming closure at the Wetzlar site.

“Price and competitive pressure, the deteriorating consumer climate, the disruptive shift to digital products, and the structural cost disadvantage in Germany are leading to ongoing economic losses in the production of optics for hunting and nature observation in Wetzlar,” explains Joachim Kuss from Corporate Communications at Zeiss Photonics & Optics.

The production of binoculars, spotting scopes, and riflescopes in Wetzlar will therefore only continue until the end of 2026. However, Carl Zeiss Sports Optics will continue to be represented at the Wetzlar site with customer service, logistics, and quality assurance.

"The employees in the Wetzlar production facility are doing an excellent job, and everyone involved has fought to ensure that we can continue producing here in the future," said Torsten Scheidt, Managing Director of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics GmbH, in the statement. However, the market changes, particularly in recent years, are so significant "that we cannot maintain the current value chain." In the coming months, discussions will be held with employee representatives to discuss how the affected employees can be actively supported and how the job cuts can be implemented in a socially acceptable manner.

The company's press release makes it clear that the focus in Wetzlar is on semiconductor manufacturing: Zeiss is represented at the site with its Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) division, which has grown significantly in recent years. A second production site for the semiconductor division is currently being built in Wetzlar. The so-called multifunctional factory in Dillfeld will expand production and development capacity by approximately 12,000 square meters. Upon completion in 2026, Zeiss SMT in Wetzlar will employ approximately 500 people.