Production of Hubert, Slovakia’s best-known sparkling-wine brand, will move to the Czech Republic until the end of the year, ending 74 years of production in Sered.
Hubert J.E. will close its factory in the western Slovak town and transfer production to sister plants in Stary Plzenec and Mikulov. About 60 employees will be affected.
Some will be offered jobs at other plants within the group. Sales, marketing and administrative staff will remain in Slovakia, where the company will continue to sell the Hubert portfolio.
The decision comes only a year after Hubert celebrated its 200th anniversary with a gala. The company traces its history to 1825, when sparkling-wine production began in Pressburg, today’s Bratislava.
Hubert said the move followed an analysis of its operations and was intended to improve the group’s long-term competitiveness.
“Consumer behaviour is changing and, despite high investment in recent years, the company has been unable to fill its production capacity and ensure economically sustainable production in the long term,” the company said.
Hubert remains profitable, but its results deteriorated markedly last year, according to an analysis by Index.
Revenue fell by about EUR 1 million, to just under EUR 29.8 million in 2025. EBITDA, a measure of operating profit, dropped by more than a third, to EUR 3.9 million, while net profit fell by 53%, to EUR 1.79 million.
The company said it was facing strong pressure in the food and drinks market, including customers shifting towards cheaper products. Production costs rose by EUR 2.92 million, or 17%, while competitive pressure made it difficult to pass the full increase on to consumers.
According to Index, Hubert has also criticised the Slovak government’s fiscal consolidation measures, saying higher taxation without corresponding cuts in public spending was putting pressure on investment and production. The company did not, however, identify these measures as the direct reason for closing the Sered plant.
The closure comes despite recent investment in the factory. In 2023, Hubert received four grants worth almost EUR 5 million from the Agricultural Paying Agency, known as the PPA. The investments included new bottling and palletising lines, photovoltaic panels and measuring equipment. Hubert reported that the grants had been fully used as of 2025.
The roots of Hubert date to 1825, when Johann Fischer and Michael Schonbauer established a sparkling-wine business in Bratislava, then known as Pressburg. The Hubert family became involved later in the 19th century and gave the company the name it still uses today.
The business was nationalised after the communist takeover and production moved from Bratislava to Sered in 1952.
Hubert became a private company again after the fall of communism and joined German group Henkell & Sohnlein in 2000. It is part of the same group as Czech sparkling-wine producer Bohemia Sekt.
The decision to move production follows a change at the top of the Slovak company. Peter Krupa, who had managed Hubert since 2001, left in February. Management was taken over by three executives from Bohemia Sekt as the German owner moved to integrate the Slovak and Czech businesses more closely. (The Slovak Spectator)