Opel announced today that it will close its Bochum factory starting 2016. The German plant will face the effects of the current financial crisis and will help Opel in the future, as the automaker does not expect Europe’s auto market to recover soon.
 
The official closure will come in 2016 when the current version of the Zafira minivan is replaced. The news were already on the German lips since this summer. Today’s official statement comes as a very bad news for almost 3300 Bochum workers.
 
"Despite rigorous efforts, there was no success in changing the situation. The main reasons are the dramatic declines in the European car market and the enormous overcapacity in the entire European auto industry", stated Opel.
 
Opel also said it will preserve some jobs in its Bochum warehouse and that it is talking to employee representatives about allocating new component production to the region.