GRAF among the best

The finals of the contest “Entrepreneur of the Year 2007“

They shine with their above-average growth rates and their high powers of innovation: for the eleventh time now, the auditing and consulting company Ernst & Young chose the best mid-sized companies in all of Germany. This year, more than 350 applicants participated in the stringent multi-level selection process to choose the “Entrepreneur of the Year 2007“ – including Otto F. Graf and Otto P. Graf, the general managers of the Otto Graf GmbH. Now, both have reached the finals of the contest for this renowned business award.

“As a result of its demanding criteria, this award has gained a high renown in the past several years“, says Wolfgang Glauner, the organiser of the contest and also its project manager. “The candidates’ performance is verified not merely by the reference values indicated by the company, but also in the context of a one-on-one conversation“. A total of 98 companies have overcome these high hurdles and, as finalists, aspirants for the title of “Entrepreneur of the Year  2007“.

“The acceptance into the group of finalists for this contest is in itself a high award – not merely for myself, but also primarily for our highly motivated employees. Without them, our company’s success would be absolutely unthinkable“, as Graf’s general manager Otto P. Graf maintains. For more than 45 years, the Graf brand has stood for innovations in the plastic-container sector. As early as 1974, Graf began offering products for rainwater utilisation. The senior director Otto F. Graf recounts:  “In those days, that was a pioneering achievement! At this point in time, environmental protection was not such a great matter of public interest as it is today“. Everyone at the company had at the time recognised the signs of the times - and “bet on the right horse“, so to speak. Today, Graf generates a large share of sales with products related to water supply and distribution. This has enabled the company to create more than 114 jobs since 2005.

“The finalists occupy mostly niche markets and indicate significant growth in these sectors“- this is how Wolfgang Glauner describes his experience at this year’s contest. With this award, top performance in the entrepreneurial field are identified and honoured. Renowned companies and media outlets support the contest as partners.

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