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Matthias Vollherbst

Award

Top 100 Seal 2021:Vollherbst Scores High

07. November 2021

The awarding of the “Top 100 seal” confirms the innovative strength of the Vollherbst printworks in Endingen. It now belongs to the 100 most innovative mid-sized companies in Germany.

Vollherbst scores on top management and innovation culture
The Top 100 seal certifies a company’s innovative strength and therefore its future viability. For the first time, the print shop Vollherbst, now in its fourth generation, applied – and was recognised immediately. Innovation researcher Prof. Dr Nikolaus Franke and his team assessed the companies against 120 criteria in five categories: innovation-promoting top management, climate for innovation, innovative processes and organisation, external orientation/Open Innovation, and innovation success.

Vollherbst scored particularly strongly in top management and innovation culture. Matthias Vollherbst has led the company since 2014 and initiated many changes. For example, he established a values pyramid that does not merely exist on paper, but is lived by him and his employees: at the top stand premium quality, innovation and efficiency, as well as quality for the customer. Management communicates with every employee as equals and takes time for professional as well as personal concerns. Matthias Vollherbst: “We speak with each other personally and directly, rather than about each other. Both the good and the bad are addressed very transparently, mistakes are accepted among colleagues, and everyone tries to learn. As management, we want to live this openness every day.” Internally, Vollherbst sets up expert teams, uses brainstorming and mood boards, offers workshops or honours the best work each year. For customers, new products are created for differentiation, such as „craftLABEL“ – a label that makes origin tangible.

“We did not expect to make it into the Top 100. We merely wanted feedback on our innovation culture – and to learn from it how we can become even better. It is good that we are on the right path; but we know that we still have a great deal to do.”
Ralph Siegmund
Geschäftsführer

This year the researchers also assessed the entrepreneurial response to Covid-19: Vollherbst’s management, working with the works council, drew up a pandemic plan in just 48 hours and consistently relied on communication and digitalisation. Messages were sent to employees on the intranet via personal videos.
The Top 100 seal was awarded for the 28th time to German companies on behalf of compamedia. www.top100.de (Published since the end of January).

Press release on www.top100.de
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