15. Dec 2021

GKD successfully maintains its top spot as global market leader

There are many self-proclaimed global market leaders, but how many can actually back up this claim? The GKD Group has been certified as a true global market leader for the fifth year in a row by the renowned University of St. Gallen in cooperation with 'Wirtschaftswoche' magazine.

Under the leadership of Professor Dr. Christoph Müller, a team of researchers determines the world’s best companies in their respective sectors every year. The World Market Leader Index, which is drawn up by the University of St. Gallen, lists the validated champions and documents the data used to verify this ranking. GKD first applied and was successfully included in this renowned ranking in 2016. The company, which is now being managed by the third and fourth generations of the owner family, has since been repeatedly and officially acknowledged by the committee as a Global Market Leader for Technical Weave in Industry and Architecture.

A whole host of strict criteria must be satisfied to be awarded this coveted title. Besides being owner-managed, another prerequisite is operation of a corporate headquarters that is at least 50 percent based in the DACH market (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Any company recognized as a Global Market Leader must also be represented on at least three continents with its own production facilities, sales companies, and export operations. Another criterion is annual revenue of more than EUR 50 million, with exports or overseas business representing at least 50 percent of this. The researchers also check whether the company is genuinely the number one or two in the relevant global market segment using various public sources. Further information required for verification purposes is also collected in supplementary surveys of the companies under examination.

To ensure that the companies listed in the World Market Leader Index continue to meet these high expectations without any compromises, this complex procedure is repeated every year to certify results. Any company that fails to meet these requirements is removed from the ranking. GKD has now passed this test with flying colors for five years in succession. The company’s position is secured by its impressive capacity for innovation, undisputed technology leadership, and consistent development of new niche markets – principles that the family business continues to add to its almost 100-year success story.