Atlas cranes and excavators goes into administration

Loader crane and excavator manufacturer Atlas GmbH has applied to enter administration.

The German company filed for self-administration proceedings on 9 February with the Delmenhorst district court in the north of Germany. It followed the insolvency court’s order to do so on 6 February 2026.

Atlas cranes on show at the Bauma exhibition. Photo: Alex Dahm / KHL Group

The self-administration also applies to other companies in the Atlas Group, including Atlas Spare Parts, Atlas FF, Atlas Group Services and Atlas Kompakt.

Operations will continue with manufacturing, spare parts and other after sales service carrying on as normal, according to the company.

Atlas was started in 1919 and its annual revenue is now around €150 million. Its main products are hydraulic loader cranes and hydraulic wheeled and crawler mounted excavators. It has around 400 employees and their pay will be secured through insolvency benefits until the end of April 2026, the company said.

Keep it going

Companies enter administration where it is determined there is a realistic prospect of restructuring and trading a way out of it. Management remains in position to manage the restructuring while a court appointed administrator oversees proceedings.

In this case it is attorney Hendrik Gittermann from the Reimer law firm. In addition, restructuring experts Dr. Malte Köster and Dr. Hans-Joachim Berner from the Kösterberner restructuring law firm have been appointed as general representatives.

Atlas said the background to the proceedings is a prolonged, industry-wide market weakness in the construction machinery and construction sectors, which has led to a significant decline in orders and lower capacity utilisation.

In addition, there are structural burdens that make sustainable stabilisation outside of self-administration proceedings considerably more difficult, the company added.

Commenting Dr. Malte Köster, general representative, said, “Atlas is operationally efficient and has a strong brand. The self-administration proceedings now create the legal framework to consistently implement the restructuring and sustainably stabilise the company.

“Our goal is to develop viable perspectives together with all stakeholders.”

For his part Dr. Hans-Joachim Berner, general manager, added, “Importantly, business operations will continue. Atlas has highly qualified employees and a product quality recognised in the industry. In the proceedings, we will utilise the possibilities of restructuring law to create sustainable structures for the future.”