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"And the Berger goes to..."

Best of European Business Poland
Recently founded companies were the big winners of the inaugural Best of European Business competition in Poland, dubbed the "Berger" awards by one of speakers.

All of the winning companies – including a ceramic tile manufacturer and an instant-drinks producer – were founded in recent years, in what the Financial Times called "a sign of the fresh nature of Polish capitalism." These companies have all relied on individual initiative rather than government incentives to become the business leaders they are today.

Overall, the competition's judges noted that because Polish companies are smaller and newer than rivals in western Europe, their spending on innovative technologies and R&D tends to be much lower. Another key lesson learned from the competition was that to be successful Polish companies cannot rely on their domestic market alone. Those enterprises that made it to the shortlist shared the joint-experience of having used their expertise from the transition to capitalism to penetrate surrounding markets.
Best of European Business Winners Poland
Best of European Business Winners Poland
Held in the Klub Polskiej Rady Biznesu in Warsaw, 100 invitees from Poland's business elite were treated to a speech by General Miecyzslaw Bienek, commander of the Polish troop contingent in Iraq, who reflected on the commonalities between leadership in business and in the military. Key success factors in both areas were "planning, discipline and implementation," he said and added "be faster than your competitors – show them your strengths." This message resonated with the award winners, as all commented on his insights in their acceptance speeches.

One of the award presenters of the evening, Professor Kryzstof Oboj of the Warsaw University of Technology Business School, dubbed the prizes the "Bergers," adding to the Oscar-night like atmosphere with his repeated: "And the Berger goes to…". Roland Berger Strategy Consultant Principal, Artur Pielech, was very pleased with the outcome of the event: "We were able to assemble a first-class group of CEOs from Poland's leading companies and create a very positive atmosphere, all of which contributed to the evening's success."

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A profile of the winning companies:
  • Cersanit S.A.
    Growth

    Cersanit S.A. Cersanit is the third largest ceramic tiles producer in Poland and a significant player on the bathroom furniture and ceramics market. Having only launched its activities in ceramic tiles 2001, it was able to corner 16% of the market share by 2003.The company was able to expand its product portfolio from sanitation ceramics to offering a full range of bathroom equipment and has opened two new plants to handle these changes. It also plans to build a plant in Russia or Ukraine in the coming months. Gross margin in 2004 amounted to 23%, which was significantly higher than competitors' results. Cersanit has been in the group of WIG 20 companies since February 2005.
  • Amica Wronki S.A
    Value Creation

    Amica S.A. is the biggest producer of household appliances in Poland. The company has built its position on the EU market - primarily in Germany and in Scandinavian countries - with its PREMIERE an GRAM brands. It pursued a rigorous internationalization strategy, penetrating foreign markets and establishing or acquiring local companies, while maintaining close cooperation with domestic suppliers. Exports make up 40% of its overall turnover. Its most important investment as part of its export strategy was the acquisition of the household refrigerator department of Gram Domestic in Denmark, giving the company rights to a popular brand and access to new distribution channels.
  • Comarch S.A.
    Innovation

    Conmarch S.A. is a leader in developing software for the telecommunications industry (billing and telecommunication management systems). It has a very well developed R&D program, based on a dual approach of short-term research financed by the company's own resources and long-term research focused on developing new products and services, financed through EU grants. More than 500 of Comarch's employees work on R&D. The company is especially strong in attracting young talents from Poland but also from Germany, Slovakia and Ukraine and cooperates closely with the University of Technology in Lwów. In addition to its R&D center in Warsaw, it plans to open three more such facilities in Poland and is set to create additional competence centers in Bremen and Flanders in 2006.
  • Grupa Maspex Wadowice
    New Europe Strategies

    Maspex is the biggest producer of instant goods (cappuccino coffee, chocolate, coffee cream) in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2004 the company realized large acquisitions, buying up Walmark, the leading juice producer in Czech Rep. and Slovakia and Olympos, the number two in the juice market in Hungary. It also maintains production plants in Romania and the Kaliningrad region. Although it has a production plant in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe is the company's focus in large part because of its high growth potential. The management is currently considering greater investments into building its brand in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Oct 28, 2005

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