Baťa has announced the closure of its Dolní Němčí plant in the Uherskohradišťsko region, marking the end of its European manufacturing presence. The shutdown will be phased over the course of the next year. This decision will affect 92 employees at the facility. The Dolní Němčí plant was the company’s sole remaining shoe production site in Europe. The news is particularly disheartening for local residents who have been connected to the factory for over half a century. Baťa did not state the reasons for the closure, but it signals a shift in the company’s manufacturing strategy.