Facts & Figures on Business Succession in NRW
In one of Europe's strongest metropolitan regions, nothing is impossible. The most populous and most densely settled German state owes its excellent reputation to the many globally known companies that originated here. Companies from every conceivable sector — especially energy, industry, trade fairs and events, or chemicals — make NRW one of the international leaders. Beyond that, the NRW metropolitan region is also considered one of the most important locations for companies in media, communications, and digitalization. Then as now, it is the industrial core region of Germany par excellence, providing jobs for more than 1.3 million people.
Of all of Germany's leading internationally active companies, 1 in 4 is based in NRW. But this state is also known for its exceptionally strong Mittelstand — small and medium-sized businesses. In numbers, that means between 70 and 80% of employees and apprentices, as well as 99% of companies, belong to the Mittelstand. This makes up, so to speak, the foundation of NRW's economic structure. Recent studies on business succession show that fewer and fewer successors come from the business owner's own family. The main reason for this trend is that the owners' own children usually pursue other career paths rather than taking over the business. That doesn't have to be a bad thing for the company's future, though, since it allows qualified successors to take over companies and keep running them successfully.