Imperial Brands to Close Langenhagen Cigarette Factory by 2027

Key Takeaways

• Imperial Brands said it will gradually close the Langenhagen factory by 2027.
• The factory is located near Hanover and has produced cigarettes since 1971.
• Around 600 employees are currently affected.
• The company said talks with a potential buyer failed to result in a viable agreement for the site’s future.
• Imperial Brands had said in October last year that the site could either be sold or closed.

2Firsts, March 27, 2026

According to dpa, tobacco company Imperial Brands has decided to close the Reemtsma factory in Langenhagen near Hanover after efforts to find a buyer failed, with production at the site to be phased out by 2027.

Production at the Langenhagen factory will be phased out by 2027

Imperial Brands said that despite intensive and constructive negotiations with a potential buyer, no sustainable agreement for the future of the site was ultimately reached. Against that backdrop, the company said it has decided to gradually close production in Langenhagen by 2027.

The company announced the decision earlier at an employee meeting in Langenhagen.

The factory has produced cigarettes since 1971 and about 600 employees are affected

The original report said the Langenhagen plant has produced cigarettes since 1971. It added that around 600 employees at the site are currently affected by the closure plan.

Sami Naffakh, Imperial Brands’ manager responsible for supply chain matters, said the company had intensively reviewed all realistic options over recent months in an effort to secure the site’s future, but that those talks were ultimately unsuccessful.

The company said no binding offer was submitted, while the union criticized the process

The food, beverages and hospitality union NGG sharply criticized the development. Finn Petersen, head of NGG’s northern regional branch, said the union had not been involved in the discussions at any point and still did not know who the potential buyers were. He also said employees had been left in uncertainty for months while repeatedly being given hope.

Imperial Brands rejected that criticism, saying NGG had been indirectly informed of the status and progress of the talks with the potential buyer at almost all times, while confidentiality agreements had to be respected. The company said the prospective buyer ultimately did not submit a binding offer.

The report also noted that the Reemtsma parent company had already said in October last year that it was considering closing the site, stating at the time that it would either be sold or closed. The company had then cited high production costs and insufficient capacity utilization, against a backdrop of declining production volumes in the traditional tobacco segment.

NGG had said at that time that Langenhagen had special importance as Reemtsma’s last remaining factory in Germany. The report added that, in addition to conventional factory-made cigarettes and fine-cut tobacco, the site currently also produces tobacco sticks for heated tobacco devices.

Image Source: dpa