Benchmark Family Business 2022 – A comparative analysis of the 11 metropolitan regions in Germany
On October 20, the new benchmark study by the family business team at ifm Mannheim was presented to a wider public together with KPMG.
“Exciting results in the study and from the panel discussion make the challenges for family businesses clear and also show how well family businesses are positioned for the future!” said Sina Steidl, Regional Director KPMG Southwest, summarizing the evening succinctly.
What was it all about? More than 60 interested people – mostly family entrepreneurs – eagerly followed the exclusive publication of the “Benchmark Family Business 2022” study sponsored by KPMG. After a welcoming address by Joachim Lutz, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, and Sina Steidl, study project leader Dr. Jan-Philipp Ahrens presented the results of this large-scale comparative analysis of the 11 metropolitan regions in Germany and their company-specific characteristics. The empirical findings impressively illustrated the generally long-term and sustainable strategies of German family businesses.
In this context, family businesses often speak of grandchild ability. This orientation can be seen, for example, in the astonishingly high average equity ratio, which has continued to rise in recent years, or in the high inventory intensity of family businesses. The higher investment ratio of these companies compared to non-family businesses also speaks for a strategic orientation of family businesses aimed at caution and independence. The comparative results on family businesses in the different metropolitan regions also proved to be extremely interesting. Although there are regional differences, the overall structure and performance of family businesses are relatively similar across all German metropolitan regions. This is a good result – because it means that there is not just one economically high-performing region in Germany, but many. In the meantime, family businesses have also been able to develop well in the eastern German metropolitan regions – they are achieving results comparable to those of family businesses in western German metropolitan regions.
In the subsequent panel, Evelyn Thome, CFO of the Röchling Group, Dr. Alexandra Kohlmann, managing partner of the Rowe Group, and Jürgen Heindl, founder and managing partner of Progroup AG, discussed the topic “Are family businesses well equipped for the challenges ahead?” under the moderation of Professor Michael Woywode. The three selected family businesses proved to be quite well prepared for the various difficulties in current corporate management. Overcoming the energy crisis, sustainability issues, investment and innovation, corporate financing, governance of family and company, succession planning, internationalization and also diversity in management and workforce were “hot topics” in corporate management. All three companies had already developed their own extensive strategies and implemented interesting measures, which they shared with the audience. Because all three companies belonged to industrial sectors, some of which are energy-intensive (paper, plastics and lubricating oils), the discussion was particularly substantive. “Times are undoubtedly challenging, but Germany has truly innovative and responsible business leaders who manage their companies with foresight. That's why Germany need not fear,” said Professor Woywode, summing up the panel discussion.