Nabaltec AG receives award for innovation for the tenth time

Schwandorf, 26 June 2017 -Nabaltec AG was once again recognized as one of the most innovative German small and mid-size companies in 2017. In recognition of its record as an innovator, the company received the "TOP 100" award for the tenth time at the Deutscher Mittelstands-Summit (the German Small and Mid-Sized Companies Summit) on 23 June 2017. In the independent selection procedure, the company received particular praise for its innovative management.

"For us, receiving this particular distinction once again this year is further confirmation of how innovative and forward-looking our company is," said Johannes Heckmann, Nabaltec AG's CEO. "This is due above all to our motivated and committed employees, who work every day to make Nabaltec AG and its products an innovative industry leader."

The company's innovative management was given particular stress in this year's independent selection procedure for putting into place the entire process for promoting innovation within the company. Top innovator Nabaltec, formed in 1994 and with 455 employees in Germany in 2015, has created an "innovation management/patents" department in order to minimize administrative expenses for innovative ideas. "This ensures that every idea, however crazy, will make its way to the decision-makers, rather than being left hanging somewhere in orbit," explained Johannes Heckmann. The prize is awarded based on a company analysis conducted by the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in various categories, examining the process of innovation within the company's organization, such as the company's management and innovation climate, as well as innovation success and marketing. Among the "TOP 100" companies are 101 national market leaders and 26 global market leaders.

"Successful innovators often face headwinds: they alter processes, break rules in their industries, suffer setbacks and nevertheless dare to try something new. They persist, driven by the conviction that they are making the world a better place. That's what distinguishes them," said Ranga Yogeshwar, the mentor of the competition. Innovation management is an area of great importance: on average, around 38% of revenues posted by companies in the above category were generated through innovations and product improvements. Their revenue growth rates over the past five years were 20 percent higher than the growth rates of their respective industries.

"Under our innovation management system, all Nabaltec AG employees can contribute their ideas for optimizing products and processes. This has made it easier for us to pursue new developments," said Dr. Reiner Sauerwein, head of the development and application engineering department, who accepted the award this year on behalf of Nabaltec AG. "We systematically collect and examine all ideas using a database. Processes like this are a major factor in helping our company succeed. It promotes creativity within the unit while at the same time motivating our employees, who can participate directly." In its selection procedures, Nabaltec AG employs practical tests with a focus on experimental execution. This allows the company to more quickly discover forward-looking innovations and develop them from the first test application.

The "TOP 100" competition
The "Top 100" quality seal has been awarded by compamedia to small and mid-sized companies since 1993 for innovativeness and outstanding innovative success. Dr. Nikolaus Franke has served as research director since 2002. Franke is founder and Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). With 18 research awards and more than 200 publications, he is one of the world's leading experts in innovation. The mentor of the "Top 100" competition is science journalist and TV moderator Ranga Yogeshwar. The project partners are Fraunhofer Association for Applicational Research and the German Association for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW), and the media partner is manager magazin. More information can be found at www.top100.de.

About Nabaltec AG:
Nabaltec AG, with registered office in Schwandorf, a chemicals business which has received multiple awards for innovativeness, manufactures, develops and distributes highly specialized products based on aluminum hydroxide ("ATH") and aluminum oxide, as well as other raw materials, on an industrial scale through its two product segments, "Functional Fillers" and "Technical Ceramics." The company's product range includes halogen-free flame retardant fillers and functional additives for the plastics industry. Flame retardant fillers are used e.g. in cables in tunnels, airports, high-rise buildings and electronic devices, while additives have applications in catalysis and in electric vehicles. Nabaltec also produces base materials for use in technical ceramics and the refractory industry. Unlike halogenated flame retardants, flame retardant fillers contain no hazardous substances and do not require separate disposal. Rather, they actually decrease the development of fumes hazardous to human health and the environment in the event of fire. Nabaltec maintains production sites in Germany and the US and plans to continue to develop its market position by expanding capacity, further optimizing processes and quality and making strategic extensions to its product range. On the strength of its specialty products, the company strives to attain the market leadership in each segment.

Contact:
Simone Schuller
Nabaltec AG
Phone: +49 9431 53-447
Fax: +49 9431 798-39-55
E-mail: SSchuller@nabaltec.de

Frank Ostermair/Vera Müller
Better Orange IR & HV AG
Phone: +49 89 8896906-14
Fax: +49 89 8896906-66
E-mail: nabaltec@better-orange.de