Hidden champions

Hermann Simon has been studying ‘Hidden champions’ for more than twenty years, and already published some of his findings in 1996. In this sequel, he mainly focuses on the influence of globalisation on these companies. ‘Hidden champions’ are medium-sized, unknown companies that have become the market leaders in their industries. They have turnovers under $ 4 billion, are on average twice the size as their most powerful competitors, and often have world market shares of more than 50%, sometimes even up to 70-90%. ‘Hidden champions’ spend less and employees represent a high value. This is expressed not only in a very high level of productivity, but also in unique, high-quality products.

The added value of materials and services is an average of 42% for these companies. ‘Hidden champions’ focus more on service, the needs and wants of customers and on excellent performance rather than on price and marketing. Other companies would do well to follow their example, also in terms of the integration of systems and the realisation of lasting collaborations with other companies. This book was written for those who are interested in international business operations and for managers of all types of companies, but it provides many examples of business situations that are directly related to the set-up and implementation of the supply chain in terms of market focus, globalisation, innovation, leadership, employees and strategy.