Poppe + Potthoff awarded TOP 100 seal of approval
Werther (Germany), February 16, 2023
The family-owned company will receive the award for innovative strength in June
The Top 100 seal of approval is awarded by compamedia to honor particularly innovative medium-sized enterprises. This year Poppe + Potthoff GmbH is receiving the coveted award in recognition of its efforts to drive forward the market with innovative products and systems. On June 23 the competition’s mentor, science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar, will personally congratulate the winners at an award ceremony in Augsburg, Germany.
The competition is based on a scientific selection process. When assessing Poppe + Potthoff, innovation researcher Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke and his team at Vienna University of Economics and Business applied over 100 criteria in the following categories: innovation-friendly senior management, climate of innovation, innovative processes/ organization, outward looking/ open innovation, and successful innovations. To win the award, companies must prove that their innovations are not random outcomes but instead systematically planned and so reproducible in the future.
Founded as a pipe drawing shop in 1928, today the Poppe + Potthoff Group employs 1,600 people around the world who draw on competence in a wide range of metal working areas to serve diverse customers in over 50 countries. The company has used its traditional strengths in the field of precision steel tubes, common rails, and lines for diesel injection systems as well as precision components and industrial couplings to develop hydrogen systems and electromobility core components for an emissions-free future. By making focused investments in young companies P+P creates an eco-system that allows the group to help its customers meet the challenges presented by sustainability and digitization. In its role as a development partner Poppe + Potthoff has applied an integrated approach to design its own core hydrogen system components to transport the gas from a tank to the fuel cell or hydrogen motor. Test benches constructed by Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau are used to continuously check that manufacturing processes fulfil quality standards. This is an effective method to shorten development cycles. The use of agile methods in combination with a respectful working environment ensure that Poppe + Potthoff is able to combine the diverse competences available within the group. The outcome of this is an innovative strength that has made it possible to develop cross-company innovations like the PPH2 materials group or the new quick’nCOOL rotor concept. The TOP 100 seal of approval honors this innovative strength.
To ensure that all participants have the same chances, the competition is divided into three size categories: up to 50, 51 through 200 and more than 200 employees. This year TOP 100 celebrates its 30th birthday and this has generated even more interest than usual, with 550 medium-sized enterprises applying to participate. Three hundred of them had a successful outcome and now hold the TOP 100 seal of approval. A maximum of 100 companies per size category can be awarded the honor. It comes as no surprise that the competition is aimed at German medium-sized enterprises since together small- and medium-sized companies account for around 99% of all the country’s businesses.
“The TOP 100 focuses on the value that companies assign to their innovative goals,” says Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke, the competition’s scientific director. “Is their culture dominated by routines and habits or are the companies willing to challenge the status quo; think in new, creative ways; and drive new products forward on the market? We use over 100 assessment criteria to analyze these capabilities,” explains Prof. Dr. Franke.