Award: Grand Prix of SMEs

Every year in November, the Oskar Patzelt Foundation invites tenders to nominate outstanding SMEs. At the end of the competition, twelve regional juries and one final jury decide which companies will be honored as “award winners” and which as “finalists”. The companies are assessed on five competition criteria: The overall development of the company, the creation/securing of jobs and trainee positions, as well as the degree of modernization and innovation. The commitment to the region, as well as service, customer focus, and marketing are also assessed. Inclusion in what is known as the “jury list” is only possible in cases of demonstrably outstanding achievements in all five criteria, after which the company is presented to the jurors for a decision.

The juries already distinguished Paul Köster GmbH from Medebach as a “finalist” in 2013, after which it was awarded the 2014 Grand Prix of SMEs at a gala in Berlin as recognition for the special achievements of the past years. The three Managing Directors Paul, Friedrich and Ernst Köster proudly accepted the special award.