BHS Corrugated is honored for the third time at TOP 100 Awards Ceremony
BHS Corrugated has won the TOP 100 innovation Competition for the third time and has been awarded the TOP 100 Seal of Approval for 2025, making the company one of the most innovative SMEs in Germany once again. The award ceremony took place on June 27 as part of the German SME Summit at the Rheingoldhalle in Mainz, where science journalist and competition mentor Ranga Yogeshwar personally congratulated all the winners. In the scientific selection process, BHS Corrugated was particularly convincing in size category C (more than 200 employees) in the “Innovative Processes and Organization” category. This is the third time that the company has been among the top innovators.
BHS Corrugated is not only a leading solution provider in the corrugated industry, but also a trendsetter and innovation leader in the industry. A prime example of the company's innovative strength is Corruverse, the corrugator of the future developed by BHS Corrugated. With Corruverse, BHS Corrugated is overcoming the boundaries between corrugator, intralogistics and further processing for the first time. This is how the leading solution provider in the corrugated industry defines the intelligent and holistic corrugated board factory.
The result: unprecedented flexibility, process efficiency, product quality and sustainability.
BHS Corrugated is among the top innovators for the third time after 2019 and 2022. Repeatedly making it into the TOP 100, a selection of the most innovative German SMEs, is confirmation of successful and sustainable innovation management for the hidden champion from the Upper Palatinate. The basis for this is provided, among other things, by the company's own project management office, which is responsible for standardizing the development process and monitoring project scope, costs and adherence to deadlines. Employees contribute to the innovative success of BHS Corrugated with their ideas, which are incorporated directly and practically into the development of new products and systems. Another important factor is the numerous long-standing lifecycle partnerships between BHS Corrugated and its customers, which have set real milestones in the corrugated industry.
Dr. Thomas List, Group CFO of BHS Corrugated, emphasizes
"In addition to creative ideas, sustainable innovation also requires clear structures, strategic thinking and economic foresight. Especially in a dynamic market environment, it is crucial to manage investments in innovation in a targeted manner while leaving room for entrepreneurial thinking. Winning the TOP 100 Seal once again is proof for us that we are on the right track.”
This year's Top Innovators were honored at an award ceremony on June 27 as part of the German SME Summit at the Rheingoldhalle in Mainz. Science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar, who is mentoring the innovation competition for the 32nd time, personally congratulated all the winners on their success. Group CFO Dr. Thomas List and Annika Ebel, Head of Corporate Communications, accepted the congratulations on behalf of BHS Corrugated.
Christian Engel, Managing Director of BHS Corrugated, on the company's repeated inclusion in the TOP 100:
"Innovation occurs when new technologies and market requirements are combined in a meaningful way. We are shaping the future of the corrugated industry by specifically combining technological advances with the needs of our customers. We are particularly proud of our outstanding team and the numerous unique lifecycle partnerships with our customers. Thanks to them, we are innovation leaders and will continue to set milestones in the corrugated industry in the future.”
TOP 100 is based on a scientific selection process led by innovation researcher Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke. On behalf of compamedia, the organizer of the competition, he and his team analyzed the innovative strength of the participants on the basis of more than 100 test criteria, which were divided into five categories: Innovation-promoting top management, innovation climate, innovative processes and organization, external orientation/open innovation and innovation success. In order to give all participants the same opportunities, the TOP 100 Seal is always awarded in three size categories: up to 50, 51 to 200 and more than 200 employees. In the current round - TOP 100 has been taking place for 32 years - 364 SMEs applied. Of these, 262 were successful and have held the TOP 100 seal since February 1, 2025.
Ranga Yogeshwar, science journalist and mentor of the innovation competition, congratulates BHS Corrugated on the award. Annika Ebel, Head of Corporate Communications (left), and Dr. Thomas List, Group CFO (right), accept the TOP 100 Award 2025.
TOP 100: The Competition
Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 Seal for special innovative strength and above-average innovation success to medium-sized companies. The scientific management has been in the hands of Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke since 2002. Franke is the founder and director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. With 27 research awards and over 200 publications, he is one of the leading innovation researchers internationally. The mentor of TOP 100 is the Science Journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partners are the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research and the BVMW association of small and medium-sized enterprises. The magazine “Manager Magazin” accompanies the company comparison as a media partner, “ZEIT für Unternehmer” is a cooperation partner.