Melitta Charts Return to Profitability Amid Job Cuts and Expansion Plans

Melitta, the iconic German coffee company, is poised for a financial turnaround in 2026 after facing two challenging years marked by restructuring and nearly 100 million euros in losses. The company projects profits exceeding 50 million euros next year, driven by improved cash flow and bolstered capital reserves, according to Jero Bentz, management board member and great-grandson of the founder Melitta Bentz.

Despite a first-half revenue drop of around 100 million euros to 1.2 billion euros, attributed mainly to falling raw coffee prices and the impact of previous factory closures, Melitta has seen a 7% increase in sales volume when excluding these factors. The company’s crisis response included cutting 150 jobs at its Minden headquarters, shutting down a paper factory in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and closing a coffee machine factory in China. Additionally, Melitta sold a non-coffee business in Italy.

Looking ahead, Melitta aims to nearly double its group revenue from about 2.5 billion euros to between 4 and 4.5 billion euros by 2033, with coffee products—such as powder, beans, pads, and instant coffee—currently accounting for 60% of its revenue. To fuel this ambitious growth, the company plans to invest roughly 100 million euros over five to six years to create what is expected to be the largest coffee roasting facility in Europe in Bremen, increasing roasting capacity from 90,000 to 130,000 tons. Expansion plans also include scaling one of its two roasting plants in Brazil.

Bentz emphasized leveraging Melitta’s legacy, born from the invention of the coffee filter, to establish the brand as a global coffee marker. This strategic pivot underscores the company’s focus on coffee as its core business moving forward.

Currently, Melitta is stabilizing after a difficult period of financial losses and operational downsizing, with clear ambitions for growth and renewed leadership in the global coffee market.