Bally crisis in Caslano: another 25 dismissed in Ticino (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Bally crisis: boutique closures and bankruptcies
• Total shutdown of activities in Caslano
• Another 25 laid off in administration
• Red balances with millions in losses

Buyer fund: Regent LP Production site: Caslano Procedure company: Transliq AG Dismissals: 25 workers Current employees: 54 staff members 2024 Loss: 60.5 million 2025 Loss: 27.7 million

The trajectory of the historic luxury brand Bally has marked a new and dramatic chapter, marked by bankruptcy procedures, boutique closures, and failed attempts to sell the brand over the past two years. Ever since US investment fund Regent LP took over the company in August 2024, the situation has taken a complex turn culminating in the total shutdown of production activities at the Ticino site in Caslano. Concern among workers and former employees has reached extremely high levels following the latest official announcements.

The new collective dismissal procedure

According to the latest reports from the newspaper laRegione, the company Transliq AG — tasked with managing the delicate phase of the composition moratorium — has announced a new collective dismissal procedure. This measure risks directly hitting another 25 administrative workers, in what many fear may not be the last round of cuts. The downsizing of the company's footprint in the region appears merciless in its numbers when looking at the recent evolution of the brand's workforce in Canton Ticino.

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Operational details

The workforce downsizing and the production halt in Caslano represent a heavy blow to the local economic fabric and to the workers revolving around Canton Ticino. The evolution of the corporate crisis shows how fragile employment stability in the manufacturing and luxury sectors can be in the face of changes in ownership and complex financial management like that of the US fund Regent LP. For those who work or have worked at the plant, the debt-restructuring moratorium managed by Transliq AG opens a phase of extreme uncertainty, in which every single administrative and production job is called into question. ### Financial data and the collapse of the accounts To confirm the severity of the picture are the company's accounts recorded over the last three years. After a positive EBITDA of 43.5 million francs in 2023, 2024 marked a vertical collapse ending with a red of 60.5 million. In 2025 the loss partially reduced to 27.7 million, but the operating cash flow remained widely negative by 16.45 million francs. These numbers explain the speed with which the situation moved from relaunch attempts to the closure of production activities and personnel cuts. ### The sales plan and the future of the plant To attempt to save operations, a sales process for the production facility was launched within the framework of the moratorium. The operation aims at the transfer of the Caslano site, including plants, lease agreements, and employment contracts, with the primary objective of resuming production and protecting local jobs. Excluded from the negotiation, however, is the brand, which is fresh from two previous acquisition attempts that ended in nothing. This separation between the brand and the production infrastructures represents the last card left to preserve the Swiss structure and give a future to the remaining employees, pending the outcome of ongoing negotiations.

Key points

The crisis affecting the Caslano plant requires careful reflection on the protection tools and guarantees available to workers involved in collective dismissal procedures and debt-restructuring moratoriums in Switzerland. When a company faces such a profound restructuring with the involvement of Transliq AG and a drastic reduction of the workforce from 122 to just 54 employees in Caslano, employees must carefully monitor every phase of bankruptcy proceedings and verify their contractual rights.

Operational steps in case of restructurings and layoffs

Workers affected by collective dismissal measures must promptly liaise with the procedure's management bodies to verify back pay, liquidation conditions, and any protections provided by Swiss labor law. It is essential to gather all documentation relating to one's employment position, from contracts to the latest pay slips, keeping in mind that asset variations or job losses in Switzerland can also have repercussions on the management of any cross-border social security or tax positions.

Support tools for crisis management

Faced with job loss in the Canton of Ticino, those in a professional transition phase must carefully evaluate the next steps to protect their economic stability. For a comprehensive analysis of one's income situation, employment prospects, and to navigate the available options in case of unemployment or relocation in the region, it is advisable to consult the in-depth analysis and financial planning tools dedicated to workers active in Swiss territory, checking the support services and employment opportunities available via job listings.

Source: comozero.it