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By Michael Rothe
It took Alexander Trommen, Roman Belter and Rolf Kluge three attempts before they got what they were after. In 2020, the leading trio of the Appsfactory GmbH managed. Since then, "The Dreamer", a trophy in the "Saxony's Entrepreneur of the Year" competition, has adorned the lounge of their Leipzig headquarters.
"Apparently, it was only then that the jury was convinced of our sustainable success," says Trommen. Entrepreneurship is not a sprint, but a marathon. "We would like to pass this on to anyone who is considering applying," says the boss, who now has 360 employees. The almost doubling of turnover to 34 million shows "that the profit has certainly not done any harm", he says with a wink. Above all, however, the gold-plated bronze statue worth a mid-range car makes the owners and their staff proud, according to Trommen, "as it is one of the highest honors you can receive as an entrepreneur in Saxony for your work".
This is the view of Katja Hillenbrand, CEO of Micas AG Oelsnitzsimilar. The sculpture found a place of honor in her office in 2014. "The award ceremony was a very important moment for me, because it showed me that we as Team Micas have been doing a lot of things right for many years," says the head of the sensor manufacturer and one of two women to hold the title to date. "The dreamer" symbolizes togetherness, appreciation and the future in her internationally active technology company.
Art in the midst of technology
Since its launch in 2005/06, there have been a total of 1,445 applications and proposals from third parties for Saxony's most important business award. And the special category FokusX, which has changed every year since 2020, and the Founder's Prize, which has been awarded since 2017, have so far attracted 150 and 309 entries respectively.
They do it solo, as a duo or as a trio - as with the ULT AG Löbau. Christian Jakschik and his sons Alexander and Stefan, who now run the business alone, won in 2016. "Above all, the win has brought us a good reputation among employees, potential employees, customers, suppliers and partners, as well as exciting contacts, discussions and ideas for new business and collaborations," says Alexander. The award has raised their profile. Since the triumph, the workforce and business have grown by 40 percent: to 130 employees and a turnover of 20 million euros.
At the medium-sized company from Upper Lusatia, the 1.20 meter tall and 40 kilogram grace is also an important stop on guided tours of the building. "As a real work of art in our otherwise technical environment, it is an eye-catcher and invites creative ideas," says Stefan Jakschik. It is a daily reminder of the important values of ULT's corporate culture: appreciation, development and innovation.
Focus on integration
The competition enters its 19th season this Friday. This year, the special category "FokusX - Integration and Inclusion" will honor someone who is particularly committed to integration, cohesion and diversity and whose business is an example of integration and inclusion. The winner - as well as the best founder - will receive a media budget of 60,000 euros for product or self-promotion in Saxon newspaper, Free press and Leipziger Volkszeitung and in their business magazines.
The award puts Saxony's SMEs and their success stories in the right light - thanks to extensive reporting by the media partners. In their portrait series, companies can draw attention to themselves and also present themselves as an attractive employer - an asset in times of staff shortages.
And those who make it to the top will receive a certificate and an invitation to the exclusive award ceremony in Dresden's Transparent VW Factory - Opportunity to network and exchange ideas with Saxony's Minister President, Economics Minister, representatives of the chambers and associations. The official finalist signet can make an impression on social media channels, as a banner in the email signature and on the company website. The bottom line is that free participation promises great prospects with little effort.
"Winning the 2009 Entrepreneur Award was not just an award for us, but a powerful boost for innovation and excellence," says Thomas Herrmann, CEO of Dresdner Entiretec AG, back. "As a start-up on the market for just five years, we experienced a wave of trust and recognition from customers, partners and the industry as a result of the award - an incentive to this day to deliver top performance and push the boundaries of technology," says the boss and owner of the globally active IT specialist with around 60 employees and an annual turnover of 12.5 million euros.
Perseverance pays off
Wolfgang Groß, Managing Director of Fit Ltd. in Zittau, has the shiny sculpture as a daily reminder of his triumph in 2011. "It's a nice reminder not to give up, even if it seems difficult or sometimes hopeless," he says. He won the prize after Fit survived the serious setback caused by the Neisse flood. At the time, it was unclear whether the company would be able to cope with the damage, which amounted to several million euros. Today, the dishwashing and laundry detergent manufacturer is the number two in Germany. Turnover has more than tripled in twelve years to over 360 million euros and the number of employees has risen to 270.
Do you need more arguments for an application? The potential is great. According to the database of Creditreform credit agency around 10,000 owner-managed companies based or located in Bavaria fulfill the conditions for the main prize. As many as 74,000 companies are eligible for the special FokusX category - without any minimum criteria - and around 4,000 start-ups.
So get to work, it's worth it! And the example of the Leipzig Appsfactory shows that persistence can also pay off. Because sometimes all good things come in threes.
Saxony's most important business award
- "Saxony's Entrepreneur of the Year" will be chosen for the 19th time in 2024.
- The winner will receive "The Dreamer", a statue by the Dresden sculptor Malgorzata Chodakowska.
- A jury will decide who will receive the sculpture at the gala in Dresden's Transparent VW Factory on April 26.
- The prize is not a challenge cup, it belongs to the winner.
- Conditions of participation: Company with headquarters/location in Saxony, at least five years on the market, ten employees, annual turnover of 500,000 euros, majority privately owned, own company shares.
- Award criteria: successful overall development, innovation and/or modernization, outstanding commitment to the region, special entrepreneurial performance in 2023, creating or securing jobs and apprenticeships, willingness and ability to transform.
- The "FokusX" category recognizes special commitment to integration and inclusion - without any minimum criteria.
- As every year, the best founder is also sought.
- The winners will each receive a budget of 60,000 euros for print and online advertisements in the participating newspapers.
- Application deadline: February 9, 2024 (SZ/mr)
The award is an initiative of Sächsische Zeitung, Freie Presse, Leipziger Volkszeitung, MDR as well as Volkswagen Sachsen, LBBW, Schneider+Partner Beratergruppe, the health insurance company AOK Plus and "So geht sächsisch".
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