Press facts
Date:
Editing:
27/ 06/ 2014
Sven Kamerar / Dagmar Riefer
Ewald Dörken AG
receives top-innovator distinction
Herdecke-based company makes "Top 100" / Honour
awarded by Ranga Yogeshwar at German SME summit. /
Protec® Systempasten GmbH, a Dörken Group company,
also awarded the coveted seal of quality for the fourth
time.
Herdecke – For over 20 years the "Top 100" seal has
stood for innovativeness, the thirst for knowledge and
team spirit. On 27 June the most successful German
creative companies receive the coveted award. "Top
100" mentor Ranga Yogeshwar is set to award this
honour to the company in the scope of the German
SME summit in Essen. "Top 100" initiator
compamedia expects over 1,000 guests to attend the
event. Ewald Dörken AG of Herdecke and its four
subsidiaries - including Protec® Systempasten GmbH
- are amongst the top innovators for the fourth time.
"Top 100" award-winner Ewald Dörken AG displays an
exemplary level of innovativeness. The Herdecke-based
company is dedicated to the promotion of innovation
amongst its 900-strong workforce. A well-honed flow of
information enables the manufacturer of laminated
2
construction sheets, house paints, colorants and corrosion
protection systems to include all employees in the ideas
management process. Last year saw the introduction of a
central innovation management system for this purpose.
This primarily supports the innovation activities of all
business units, guides innovation projects and provides
services in the fields of synergies, subsidies and internal
benchmarking. In addition, the innovation officers of all
departments meet regularly to swap experiences in the
"developers' meetings". These see the presentation and
discussion of ongoing projects and co-operation with
research establishments.
Communication is also important elsewhere at Dörken. In
a cross-company database with integrated project
management programme the employees act as idea
providers and exchange information with one another.
Additional impulses from the employees flow into the
company suggestions process, which is a fixed
component of corporate strategy. Individual target
agreements are also key. "We aim to integrate all
employees in innovation projects, whilst motivating them
at the same time to bring their creativity out into the open,"
explains director Ute Herminghaus. This philosophy is
supported by a system of incentives. Successful ideas are
rewarded with inventor bonuses, bonuses for
improvement suggestions and acknowledgment in
publications.
For CEO Karl Ewald Dörken the success with the "Top
100" is something very special: "We regard the distinction
as top-innovator as a seal of quality that young, welltrained people are attracted to who may wish to work for
3
us at a later stage. However, being innovative also means
not resting on your laurels. This is why we are celebrating
today - and working on new ideas tomorrow."
One of the products which originated from the idea of
adding a paste system especially designed for industrial
use to our portfolio is DecoTint® PREMIUM I. This new
paste series by Protec® Systempasten GmbH solves a
fundamental
problem
encountered
by
many
manufacturers of industrial paints. Whether we are
looking at wheeled loaders by Caterpillar or agricultural
machinery by John Deere, it is their special colouring that
renders these products unique, signalling from afar their
power and quality. Manufacturers of industrial coatings
must hit the nail on the head with these special tints, no
matter which paint or binder system is used. For this
purpose, the DecoTint® PREMIUM I series of pastes
offers an efficient solution for industrial production, for it is
equally compatible with solvent-borne stoving systems
and solvent-based polyester, alkyd, acrylate, or melamine
systems. Even solvent-based 2-can PU or epoxy systems
as well as solvent-borne cellulose nitrates are no problem.
The acid test
The leap into the "Top 100" was preceded by a
challenging selection process. The innovation researcher
Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke and his team at the Institute of
Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University
of Economics and Business examined the applications of
247 companies. 148 of these received the distinction of
top-innovator in three size categories (maximum of 100
companies per size category). The focus of this
4
examination lies upon innovation management and
innovation success.
"The 'Top 100' manages to transform its ideas into market
success wonderfully. This is the hurdle that many other
companies fall at. The top-innovators master this
challenge with their team spirit, efficient processes and
frequently also with the early involvement of customers
and external partners in the process of development,"
says Prof. Franke.
Just how good this year's "Top 100" are is evident in the
figures: 65 national market leaders and as many as 21
global market leaders are present. Together, the topinnovators registered some 2,100 national and
international patents. The innovative energy has brought
noteworthy success for the companies: 82 percent of
them grew above the average for their respective sector
from 2011 to 2013 - by an impressive 22 percentage
points on average. 41.6 percent of their sales were
generated
with
new
products
and
innovative
improvements. In comparison: this stands at just 6.8
percent for the average of all SMEs in Germany. 62
percent of the "Top 100" are family-run companies.
Captions
The presentation of the prize to the Dörken team was performed by
"Top 100" mentor, journalist and TV presenter Ranga Yogeshwar. The
ceremony took place in Essen on 27 June 2014.
Photo: compamedia
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The mentor
Mentor of the "Top 100" project is the journalist and TV presenter Ranga
Yogeshwar.
Academic administration and co-operation partner
Since 2002 academic administration has been in the hands of Dr. Nikolaus
Franke, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Vienna University of
Economics and Business. The focal points of Franke's research lie in
entrepreneurship, innovation management and marketing. The academic is
one of the leading global experts for User Innovation. "Top 100" partner is the
Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research. More
information at www.top100.de.
compamedia, mentor to the best SMEs
Founded in 1993, with a workforce of 19 employees compamedia GmbH
organises the national corporate comparisons "Top 100", "Top Job" and "Top
Consultant" and has also established the "Ethics in Business" alliance. It
awards prizes and supports SMEs with outstanding performance in the fields
of innovation, HR management, consulting and corporate social
responsibility. compamedia collaborates with leading universities on the
projects.