BAYERNS BEST 50 honored: Economic success made in Bavaria

07/30/2025
Reading time 6 Minutes

Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs honors 50 high-growth, small and medium-sized Bavarian companies. Special awards for sustainability, outstanding commitment to training, and “Bavarian Entrepreneur of the Year.” Baker Tilly acts as an independent, neutral judge.

Munich, July 30, 2025 – At a festive awards ceremony at Schleißheim Palace, Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger honored particularly high-growth, small and medium-sized Bavarian companies as BAYERN'S BEST 50. Yesterday, they were awarded the coveted white “Bavarian Growth Lion” for their exceptional sales and employee growth over the past five years. In addition to the 50 awards, the special sustainability prize was awarded to ViscoTec Pumpen- und Dosiertechnik GmbH. The special prize for Bavarian Entrepreneur of the Year went to Stefanie Riedel from Riedel Bau AG. Further special prizes for outstanding commitment to training went to Gruma Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH (absolute number of trainees) and Elektro Maier GmbH (highest training quota). Baker Tilly was once again responsible for organizing the competition and acting as a judge. Further information on the BAYERNS BEST 50 competition are available at www.bakertilly.de/bb50.

Once again, this year, a large number of owner-managed companies from all over Bavaria have applied for the prestigious Bavarian SME award BAYERNS BEST 50 with their growth stories and figures. They represent the spearhead of successful small and medium-sized companies that stand for agility, resilience, and the success of the Bavarian economy: Over the past five years, the award-winning Bavarian companies have achieved average sales growth of +91 percent and employee growth of +58 percent. Growth forecasts for the current year average around +7 percent.

“With vision, innovative strength, and tireless commitment, these outstanding companies ensure the economic strength and future viability of our state. They are role models for responsible entrepreneurship,” says Hubert Aiwanger, Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria and Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy.

Strong inner conviction and SME growth DNA

"SME is not just a business designation – above all, SME is an inner conviction. As judges in this year's competition, we were once again able to identify the ‘growth DNA’ of German SMEs both in our analyses and in numerous discussions with the participating entrepreneurs," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Edenhofer, Managing Partner Audit & Advisory and partner responsible for BAYERNS BEST 50 at Baker Tilly.

Special awards for sustainability, “Bavarian Entrepreneur of the Year” and outstanding commitment to training

Among the 50 honored companies, some special prizes were awarded in various categories as well. In addition to the BAYERNS BEST 50 award, ViscoTec Pumpen- und Dosiertechnik GmbH also received the special award for sustainability. The criteria for such award included a clearly communicated sustainability strategy, the use of common environmental certificates, and a sustainability strategy that is firmly anchored in the company's management.

Stefanie Magdalena Sofie Riedel from Riedel Bau AG was named Bavarian Entrepreneur of the Year. Her company is one of BAYERN'S BEST 50, i.e. it has achieved outstanding growth, and her personal commitment to the company’s management over the last five years has contributed significantly to its success.

Additional special prizes for outstanding commitment to training were awarded to Gruma Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH, which had the highest absolute number of trainees among all qualified participants. Elektro Maier GmbH had the highest percentage of trainees and also received a special award for this achievement.

Representative profile of Bavarian small and medium-sized enterprises

Once again, this year, most of the award winners come from Upper Bavaria – 15 in total – closely followed by Lower Bavaria, which accounts for 14 of the high-growth winning companies. The winners come from a wide range of various industries, proving that there are good growth opportunities in many sectors: most of this year's BAYERNS BEST 50 are in the production and consumer goods sector, with a total of 14 companies. This is followed by crafts with eleven companies, and technology, media & communication and services with eight companies each. With 18 companies, most of the award winners generate annual sales of between € 12 million and € 40 million. Fifteen award winners are even in the sales category above € 130 million, while 13 companies lie exactly in between in terms of annual sales.

Selected from 10,000 small and medium-sized companies

At the beginning of the year, companies from all administrative districts of Bavaria and industries, as well as a wide range of company sizes, were once again invited to participate in the competition. Baker Tilly determined the winners of the BAYERNS BEST 50 competition and the special prize winners on behalf of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. Through database analyses and with the support of chambers, municipalities, and associations, more than 10,000 small and medium-sized companies were identified which generally met the criteria for participation in the competition. These companies were invited to participate in BAYERNS BEST 50 at the beginning of this year.

BAVARIA'S BEST 50 of 2025 in alphabetical order