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Walter Rau
Neusser Öl und Fett AG
Industriestraße 36–40
41460 Neuss
Phone: +49 21 31 / 2 08-0
Fax: +49 21 31 / 2 08 80-251
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Award-winning innovator: Walter Rau

16.10.2015

Walter Rau ranks among the most innovative German SMEs – award presentation by Ranga Yogeshwar

Source: KD Busch/compamedia GmbH
Source: KD Busch/compamedia GmbH

Neuss – Success through entrepreneurial vision: on June 26, 2015, WALTER RAU Neusser Öl und Fett AG has once again been awarded as one of the most innovative enterprises among German SMEs at the “Deutsche Mittelstands-Summit” in Essen. “Top 100” mentor Ranga Yogeshwar honoured the company headquartered in Neuss with the “Top 100” seal that has been awarded for more than 20 years. Previously, Walter Rau underwent a 2-stage scientific analysis procedure. The company may call itself top innovator for the second time after the first award in 2013.

The “Top 100” seal winner WALTER RAU Neusser Öl und Fett AG convinced in particular in the category “Innovation marketing/outward orientation”. The company laid the cornerstone for the outstanding results in this category two years ago – by establishing the “Customer Solution Center (CSC)”. The CSC is a pool of experts in marketing, research and development, application technology, quality assurance, and quality management. It is not only the platform where customers of Walter Rau get combined know-how. Moreover, it opens up new horizons in customer relationship towards a new level based on partnership. The customer now is an active partner, who is involved in the development of products designed for him from the very first planning steps and he gives valuable impetus and suggestions. This way, the company ensures that the end product is perfectly adapted to the customer’s individual requirements – down to the last detail. Franz te Baay, Chairman of the Board, puts it in a nutshell: “If you do not only want to discuss prices and conditions with the customer but strive at really understanding him, the relationship must be maintained on several levels. From the previous ‛seller meets buyer’ setting emerged a meeting of experts jointly searching for solutions.”

When establishing the CSC, the top innovator from Neuss cooperated with scientists from St. Gallen University. From the company’s total staff of 200, 20 employees are working in the new business unit, experts in the fields of research and development, application technology, marketing, quality management, quality assurance as well as product and project managers.

A special focus of the CSC team in recent years was on establishing customer workshops for output-driven cooperation with customers. In these workshops, staff of different departments (research and development, marketing, purchasing, sales, technology, logistics, etc.) both from the customer and Walter Rau come together to discuss and work on desired issues. Innovations and product developments need creative breeding grounds in order to grow. With its workshops, Walter Rau achieves closeness to the customer, thus strengthening mutual understanding and trust, and enabling the combination of the innovative power of both sides.

The success of this innovative approach is not only reflected in high customer satisfaction but also in impressive business figures: in 2014, the production could be increased by 16.7 per cent compared to the previous year while turnover could be increased by 5.4 per cent. Walter Rau ranks among the top companies of its business sector both at national and international level. The company will consistently pursue this innovation strategy with the aim to further enhance both customer satisfaction and economic success. The second “Top 100” award clearly demonstrates that Walter Rau is headed in the right direction, and the award is regarded both a stimulus and an obligation.

“Our good ideas and their fast implementation are crucial competitive factors for us,” explains Chairman of the Board Franz te Baay. “This is the reason why we invest a lot of time and effort in our innovation management. We rely on the wealth of ideas coming from all employees and I would like to express my sincere thanks to them for achieving the ‛Top 100’ award.”

The basis for being awarded with the “Top 100” seal is a 2-stage analysis that has been developed by Prof. Dr Nikolaus Franke and his team from the Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of Vienna University of Economics. The scientists examine innovation management and innovative success of SMEs by means of over 100 parameters in five categories. The decision on who will eventually be awarded with the “Top 100” seal is exclusively up to the scientific management.

This year, Franke and his team had to consider a hitherto unprecedented high number of applications: out of 302 qualifiers, 234 enterprises made it to the finals, 178 of which will receive the award in three size classes (100 enterprises max. per size class). The “Deutsche Mittelstands-Summit” in Essen hosts the award ceremony.

“Top 100”: the competition

Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the “Top 100” seal for special innovative power and above-average innovation successes to SMEs. The scientific lead has been lying in the hands of Prof. Dr Nikolaus Franke from the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of Vienna University of Economics. The scientist is one of the leading experts for user innovation worldwide. Mentor of “Top 100” is the scientific journalist and TV host Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partner is the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung”. The “manager magazin” accompanies the comparison between companies as a media partner. 

For more information, please visit www.top100.de.

compamedia, mentor of the best SMEs

compamedia GmbH, founded in 1993 and staffed with 15 employees, has been organising the nationwide comparisons between companies “Top 100” (since 1993) and “Top Consultant” (since 2010) in cooperation with renowned universities.

 

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