The German paper manufacturer Sihl www.sihl.com is considering the possibility of closing its factory in Bern, Switzerland, given that the Group is planning to strengthen its production capabilities on the German market. Sihl might decide to transfer the production capability of its Swiss factory to the German factories, which would mean laying off about 65 staff members in the Bern factory. This possible relocation might take place by mid-2020. In 2016 Sihl was taken over by the United Kingdom investment fund Equistone Partners. The Group currently employs about five hundred people.