Austria's only wine press producer Anton Wottle GmbH is taken over by Pure Investments
A sigh of relief for the workforce in Poysdorf/District of Mistelbach: the restructuring of the family business Wottle, founded in 1923, is going according to plan. The company management is now being actively supported by restructuring specialist Pure Investments .
“Austrian wine is something special - and that also applies to Wottle,” says Nikolaus Kretz, Managing Partner of Pure Investments, explaining the commitment of the Linz and Vienna-based investment group. “As a partner to winegrowers, Wottle develops innovative presses, among other things, and contributes to the success of its products with well thought-out technical equipment. We were immediately convinced by the company's potential!”
Restructuring puts Wottle back on course Over many years, the Poysdorf-based company developed into a full-range supplier for viticulture. “These historically grown structures led to a high strain on resources with too little profit,” says restructuring expert Thomas Pleli from Pure Investments. He will support the existing company management at Wottle as Neo-Managing Director with strategic expertise: “We are initiating the turnaround with a clear focus on Wottle's core competencies.”
Strategy for a challenging wine market The basis for this turnaround is provided by the strategic analysis of the investor group: In 2024, global wine production fell to its lowest level since 1961 - Austria recorded a decline of 9 percent compared to 2023. Not only are more frequent extreme weather events causing shortfalls, but global wine consumption is also declining (minus 3.3 percent, even if some markets show growth potential).“At the same time, the USA is the second most important export market for wine from Austria and of central importance for German wines. The current tariff threats represent a risk.Overall, we are therefore confronted with a subdued market environment,” summarizes Pleli and immediately provides the strategic answer: ”Diversification.”
Opportunities in new markets The high level of technical expertise of the engineers at Wottle is also of interest to other industries: “The press technology developed in-house not only impresses with its particularly gentle processing of grapes as the basis for excellent wine!”With a focus on strategic business development, he is thinking about the success of the machines in other markets: “Not only in directly related areas such as fruit juices, but also in dairies.”Any necessary technical adaptations can be implemented efficiently: “It is precisely this strength that makes Wottle a provider with interesting potential,” the investors Kretz and Pleli agree.