GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany ¨C Lars Baumguertel wants Germany¡¯s politicians to get out their cheque books.
The 58-year-old executive runs one of the last surviving manufacturers in Gelsenkirchen, a former coal town in the industrialized Ruhr Valley.
But his company, like many in the Mittelstand ¡ª the tissue of small- and midsize manufacturers that powers Germany¡¯s economy ¡ª is reeling from high energy costs after the Ukraine war ended supplies of cheap Russian gas.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.