The gypsum industry as an economic factor in the southern Harz region

DIW Econ has examined the economic significance of the gypsum industry in the southern Harz region. The study, commissioned by the Bundesverband der Gipsindustrie e.V. (Federal Association of the Gypsum Industry), concludes that the three locations of the companies CASEA GmbH (Ellrich), Knauf Deutsche Gipswerke KG (Rottleberode) and Saint-Gobain Formula GmbH (Walkenried) provided a gross value added of more than 92 million euros as well as more than 1,300 jobs in the Southern Harz region in 2014.

Besides, there is public revenue from the activities of the gypsum sites amounting to 32.7 million euros nationwide. The trade tax generated by the three companies alone amounts to 1.4 million euros, which in 2013 accounted for 48% of the actual trade tax revenue in the three location municipalities.

In 2019, a recalculation of the economic effects of the gypsum industry in the southern Harz region was carried out. Compared to 2014, the gross value added effects increased by 18 % to 108.7 million euros and the number of employees by 23 % to 1,647 by 2018. This means that the economic importance of the gypsum industry in the Southern Harz region has increased significantly.

Link to the updated study (2.2 MB)

PDF Download of this publication