Why the Bavarian SME Award Matters to Memmert
For more than 90 years, Memmert has been a family-owned company, passed on from one generation to the next. During that time, markets have changed, technologies have evolved and customer requirements have continuously developed. What has remained unchanged is the belief that business decisions should always be made with a long-term perspective, not for the next quarter, but with future generations in mind.
This mindset continues to shape Memmert today. It is reflected in the way we invest, how innovations are developed and how we build lasting relationships with our employees, customers and partners. A recent example is the Next Generation product platform introduced this year. It reflects our commitment to continuously advancing technologies and investing in innovation with a long-term perspective. For us, responsibility does not end with business success. It means driving progress, creating reliability and developing the company in a way that enables future generations to build on what has been achieved.
The Bavarian SME Award recognizes exactly this understanding of entrepreneurship. It honors family-owned companies that combine economic success with responsibility, sustainable development and long-term thinking. That is why receiving the Bavarian SME Award 2026 at the Künstlerhaus in Munich has such a special meaning for Memmert.
Family-owned businesses are often associated with tradition. At Memmert, however, tradition does not mean preserving the past unchanged. It means taking responsibility while remaining open to change. Continuity is not achieved by standing still. It comes from continuously developing the company without losing sight of the values that define it.
As a family-owned business, we take responsibility not only for the decisions we make today, but also for what we hand over to the next generation. Thinking long term means combining innovation with continuity and making decisions that will continue to stand the test of time for many years to come.
Christiane Riefler, Owner of Memmert
Long term thinking is not limited to strategic decisions. It shapes everyday life throughout the company. It can be seen in employees who have spent many years with Memmert, in customer relationships that have grown over decades and in our willingness to continuously invest in development, manufacturing and quality instead of following short term trends.
This broader view of a company is what sets the Bavarian SME Award apart from many other business awards. It does not recognize the success of a single year, but the way a company is led over an extended period of time. That is why being among this year's recipients is an honor that reaches far beyond a single evening.
Taking responsibility means being willing to invest today in things whose value may only become visible tomorrow. As a family-owned company, we therefore think in generations rather than quarters and actively shape change instead of simply responding to it.
Philipp Schwarm, Managing Director
The Bavarian SME Award recognizes what companies have built over many years. For Memmert, this award is above all an encouragement to continue the same path with the long-term perspective that has shaped our company for more than 90 years.
