Europe's best

"They rightly deserve to have their achievements celebrated," said António Bernardo, Deputy CEO of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, who presented the awards together with Charles Hodson, anchor of CNN's World Business Today. Bernardo added: "We are particularly pleased that two of our winners are making strides in the so called 'green industries,' one of the most important growth markets in Europe. Winners Gamesa Tecnológica and Grupo EDP have committed themselves to these future technologies."

Presenting the winners

Germany's Benteler AG was chosen as the large company winner in the "Growth" category. The Benteler AG is internationally active with its business divisions Automotive, Steel/Tube and Distribution. Within these highly competitive markets, the company was able to increase its revenues by 15.6% from 2001 to 2005 (compound an-nual growth rate) by focusing on "the right products in its line," ac-cording to the jury, developing innovative products for a global cus-tomer base and streamlining sourcing costs, making it more com-petitive. Citing one jury member, Mr. Bernardo said: "Benteler has proved its strengths in innovation, shown organic growth and thrived under family ownership in a very tough market. Its performance is both impressive and exemplary."

The medium-sized company award in this category went to Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica, one of the leading providers of products and services in the area of renewable energy sources. It achieved a compound annual growth rate of 24% between 2001 and 2005, with total shareholder return of 30% between 2000 and 2005. Gamesa is the market leader in aero generators in Spain and China, with a strong presence in the USA, France, Germany and Portugal. The jury was particularly impressed with Gamesa's "courageous" approach to new energies and new markets.

Affordable airline, easyJet, claimed the top large company prize in the "Europeanness" category. "Their arrival on the European airline scene played a large part in revolutionizing the industry," Mr. Bernardo said. In its verdict, the jury praised easyJet's "low-cost revolution in its own industry with a strong European identity." It had been successful in creating and meeting demand and in instigating its own market across Europe.

Switzerland's Sika AG, a specialty chemicals company and market leader in processing materials used in sealing, bonding, damping, reinforcing and protecting load-bearing structures in construction and industry, was awarded the medium-sized company award in the "Europeanness" category. The company had an annual compound growth rate of 13.4% in Europe over the last 5 years and has 23 of its 55 global production sites in Europe. More than half of its 11,000 em-ployees work on the continent. This balance between sales and pro-duction facilities was highlighted by the jury in choosing Sika as the winner.

Grupo EDP, the third largest energy company on the Iberian Pen-insula and one of the three largest private energy distributors in Brazil as well as a top world player in wind energy, was awarded one of the two prizes in the "Cross-border M&A" category. EDP drives its growth by increasing electricity generation capacity using renewable energy sources. The jury was impressed by its very successful cross-border M&A operation in Southern Europe in the utilities sector.

Wine and spirits manufacturer Pernod Ricard was honored with the other prize in this category. It has used M&A strategically to achieve its position as world leader in wines and spirits. The merger of Pernod Ricard and Allied Domecq represented the join-ing of two heavyweights in the global wines and spirits market to make Europe's number one group, giving the company the edge over the competition.