With a festive awards gala under the theme “Setting Milestones, “ On Saturday, October 24, 2020, the 26th competition for the “Grand Prize for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses 2020″ came to an end.
At the conclusion of the competition year in Düsseldorf, the SPECIAL PRIZES —awarded only once a year nationwide— were presented . SCHILLING ENGINEERING was one of three companies nationwide to receive the “ ” Honorary Plaque” as particularly impressive winners at the regional level in the 2020 competition . Gaby and Ute Schilling were able to accept the award in person despite COVID-19 restrictions.
For the 26th competition in 2020, a total of 4,970 small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as business-friendly municipalities and banks, were nominated by more than 1,400 institutions. Together, they can all point to a proud track record.
The initiator and founder of the Oskar Patzelt Foundation, board member Dr. Helfried Schmidt, emphasized in his welcoming address that all entrepreneurs deserve daily applause and encouragement because they possess the rare gift of organizing work in such a way that employment is created for others without first requesting state funding, while generating enough profit that the state also receives its share through taxes and levies, and this share is increasing. “ Therefore We dedicate this evening to you, dear entrepreneurs . In fact , each and every one of you deserves such an award . “Especially during the current COVID-19 crisis we must the mutual appreciation and motivation for those who provide jobs and training opportunities, taxes and contributions, and support their regions.”
5 Fakten zu den nominierten Unternehmen
1. The entries for the 26th competition “Big Prize for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises 2020″ —the 4,970 companies nominated nationwide represent the socially committed, high-growth elite of Germany’s small and medium-sized enterprises.
2. These are companies that are innovative, excel at discovery, and are among the driving forces behind new developments. And they are companies that preserve time-honored traditions and pass them on to future generations.
3. These are companies that are guided by strong values, steer their course with a clear strategy and a high degree of flexibility. These are companies that have, in some cases, accumulated generations of experience in navigating crises and structural upheavals.
4. These are companies that care for people , thereby preserving social harmony and helping to stabilize local regions and economic cycles on a daily basis.
5. In the competition “ Great r For the “SME Award,” companies are evaluated not only based on individual business criteria, but also as a whole —as businesses and in terms of their role in society. This assessment is based on seven key indicators and 50 qualitative questions across five criteria.
10 Fakten zu Kennziffern and StrStrategyn the Firmen
1. The 4,970 companies nominated for the 26th competition in 2020 have, over the past five years, been able to increase their revenue, return on sales, and equity ratio—in some cases significantly—thanks to their high level of flexibility and ability to adapt to change .
2. Profits are often retained to increase equity and used to internally finance expansion, modernization, and employee development. As a result, the equity ratio is significantly above the average for all SMEs in Germany and often exceeds 50 percent. It serves specifically as a crisis and liquidity buffer. Despite the euro crisis, the nominees often made deliberate countercyclical investments , spending twice as much as the average SME in Germany.
3. The 4,970 companies nominated for the 26th competition in 2020 employed, as of
As of December 31, 2019, they had a combined total of about one million employees. That is more than Deutsche Post AG, Deutsche Bahn AG, and Deutsche Lufthansa AG employ combined.
4. In the past five years, they have created approximately 10,000 new apprenticeships and are currently training a total of approximately 50,000 young people .
5. Nine out of ten nominated companies have adopted a leadership strategy based on trust and respect, delegation, and team building, in which enthusiasm and professional development are top priorities. These companies offer their employees not just a job, but also a “home.”
6. Research and development are a top priority. In many cases, companies collaborate with universities, the Max Planck and Fraunhofer Institutes, as well as with industry clusters and networks, to conduct joint research on future products and processes. Nearly all of the nominated companies operate according to certified integrated management systems that also encompass quality and environmental management as well as innovation promotion .
7. Regional and social engagement – in modern parlance : corporate social responsibility (CSR), has traditionally been exceptionally broad and intense. In addition to senior executives, employees also volunteer in numerous roles and initiatives. The companies provide extensive material and financial support and develop numerous initiatives of their own in the social, cultural, and environmental spheres.
8. Nine out of ten companies engage with high school and college students through events, partnerships, services, and sponsorship activitiesat vocational schools, secondary schools, and high schools, as well as at higher education institutions and vocational academies, or on examination boards of professional chambers and regional working groups. Activities inthe cultural, athletic, and social spheres are equally diverse.
9. Three out of four companies support executives and employees in taking on a variety of volunteer roles in society, such as serving as elected officials, members of supervisory boards, advisory board members, or trustees; in volunteer elected and leadership roles in professional chambers and associations; in industry, trade, and marketing clubs; as well as in a wide variety of working groups, at clubs, schools, fire departments, etc.
10. The nomineespay SO billion euros annually in taxes and other levies (value-added tax, pension, health, and unemployment insurance contributions, income taxes, capital gains taxes, motor vehicle taxes, energy taxes, etc.).
