(Bloomberg) -- German auto parts supplier Webasto SE is facing a potential restructuring of more than €1 billion in debt as a slowdown in the car industry deepens.
The company and its bank lenders, which include BayernLB and UniCredit SpA, are in the process of selecting a chief restructuring officer to oversee negotiations, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company has also enlisted Rothschild & Co. to provide advice in the debt talks and on possible merger or acquisition deals, the people said.
The plans come just months after Webasto agreed with the banks to tweak the terms of its loans after breaching covenants, according to its latest financial report. However, its worse-than-anticipated performance is leading to the renewed negotiations with lenders, the people said.
Spokespeople for Webasto, Rothschild, UniCredit and BayernLB declined to comment.
Webasto’s situation is a symptom of the pressures facing the automotive sector, as the shift to electric vehicles stumbles and a cost-of-living squeeze hammers customers. Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday announced plans to cut another 4,000 jobs in Europe, about 14% of its local workforce. Volkswagen AG is considering measures including unprecedented plant closures in Germany.
Webasto, which produces auto parts including roof and heating systems, has also faced more competition in China from domestic players, prompting declining sales there in 2023. The backdrop is making Webasto’s debt load, accumulated in part to finance its expansion into new product areas, increasingly burdensome.
Law firm Milbank LLP is also advising the company, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is advising the bank lenders, the people said. Spokespeople for Milbank and Freshfields did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Webasto had credit lines of over €1.2 billion ($1.25 billion) at year-end 2023, including a €878 million syndicated loan and €89.5 million in Schuldschein loans, according to its financial results.
The company has already started to slim down, selling a majority stake in its charging solutions business to Transom Capital Group in February and then announcing likely job cuts a month later.
--With assistance from William Wilkes.
(Updates with sector context in paragraph 5.)
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