Back in August 2025, we reported that the ARRI Group was considering its future and may be sold. Now it is being reported that the company is going to cut jobs and close two factories in Germany.
What has been reported?
Bloomberg, the financial news website, has reported that ARRI is going to shut two factories in Germany. The sites to be closed are based in Stephanskirchen and Brannenburg. These are two of ARRI’s lighting factory, repair and distribution centers. In addition, Bloomberg said that the closures will take place before the end of this year, which is a little over a month away.
A spokesperson for ARRI said that a third of the employees from these locations will get the chance to move to its headquarters in Munich. However, 150 people will lose their jobs as a result of the closures. On behalf of ARRI, Kevin Schwutke said, “Like many companies in the film industry, ARRI is undergoing a significant transformation to address lasting shifts in market demand while reinforcing its core strengths.”
A brief history of ARRI
ARRI began in 1917, selling movie lights and printing machines. It developed its first 35mm movie camera in the 1930s, and by the 1950s, its 16mm cameras were the market leaders for television news and documentary work. When ARRI launched the Alexa camera in 2010, it came to dominate the digital camera world, too. Film and TV sets today feature a lot of ARRI equipment, whether that’s cameras, lenses or lights. Additionally, ARRI is the most commonly used camera brand for Oscar winners and nominees.
What we think
ARRI has clearly been hit by the changing face of filmmaking. Fewer productions are getting made, and budgets are tighter for the ones that do get the green light. The rise of newer lighting brands such as Aputure and Nanlite has also impacted on ARRI’s place as the equipment manufacturer of choice. It’s likely that this has been a consideration in the company’s decision to close these lighting factories in Germany. However, the company is continuing to invest in its camera portfolio with the launch of the Alexa 35 Xtreme earlier this year. Hopefully, this means that ARRI can come through these difficult times for the company. Sadly, for those workers losing their jobs right before Christmas, the future is not so good.
