Überlingen – For the 25th time, the TOP 100 competition has selected the most innovative companies among German SMEs. This year, Voigt & Schweitzer GmbH & Co. KG (ZINQ) is among these innovation leaders. This was the result of an analysis by the scientific director of TOP 100, Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke. As mentor of TOP 100, Ranga Yogeshwar will honor the Gelsenkirchen-based company together with Franke and compamedia on June 29, 2018, at the award ceremony in Ludwigsburg as part of the 5th German SME Summit. In the independent selection process, the company, which has 1,015 employees (Germany), impressed particularly with its innovation success and innovation processes.

The group of companies, which specializes in hot-dip galvanizing and has locations in Germany, Benelux, and Eastern Europe, has developed from a contract service provider into a technologically leading solution partner.

“The TOP 100 company has shaken up its industry with disruptive innovations, which is absolutely extraordinary given the prevailing market situation,” emphasizes the jury.

Lars Baumgürtel attests that his industry, which is dedicated to the piece galvanizing of all types of steel components, lacks the will to innovate in what is recognized as the best corrosion protection process. Because there is a lack of innovation, customers are only being served the same old fare. The Gelsenkirchen-based company is shaking up these structures.

In the company, which has more than 1,000 employees in Germany alone, the innovation process is being driven forward by an internal technology start-up, whose main task is to develop and research surface technologies. An innovation and sustainability manager based there coordinates new projects between the various departments. He reviews ideas and suggestions, brings the right people together, and is responsible for managing and supporting the implementation process. The jury was particularly impressed by the fact that the traditional company, founded in 1889, also clearly distinguishes itself from its competitors in terms of its external image: for example, all company vehicles bear the license plate ZI-NQ. And then there is a Morgan 3-Wheeler with galvanized components in the vehicle fleet, which attracts a lot of attention.

TOP 100: the competition

Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal to medium-sized companies for exceptional innovative strength and above-average innovation success. Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke has been the scientific director since 2002. Franke is the founder and director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The mentor of TOP 100 is science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partners are the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research and the BVMW. The media partners accompanying the company comparison are manager magazin, impulse, and W&V.

More information is available at www.top100.de.