As you know, the Germans are distinguished by iron discipline and order in everything. Moreover, these qualities are inherent not only to the players of the German football team. They also contribute to the high quality of products manufactured by the German industry - from cars to small household appliances.
Below is a brief overview-list of the best German home appliance brands on the Russian market. Of course, this cannot be called a full-fledged rating, but, nevertheless, these companies are very popular not only in Russia, but throughout the world. And this popularity is fully justified.
Liebherr
Brand Liebherr is a recognized leader in the production of freezing and refrigeration equipment. When creating its products, this manufacturer does not forget about stylish the lineup, nor about the latest technological developments in the field of long-term storage of products and electronic control systems. The company's management pays great attention to environmental indicators of product quality. So Liebherr became the first company that did not use freons in the production of its equipment, which undoubtedly became a big plus and brought the company to new level development. The quality of the products, along with a wide range of products, allows this manufacturer to maintain a leading position in this market segment.
Miele
Built-in household appliances are successfully supplied to our market by another German company Miele. She has a full range of built-in home appliances in her arsenal, including steamers, ironers and coffee makers. Miele sets the service life of its products at twenty years, which is undoubtedly an indicator and a guarantee of quality.
Bosch and Siemens
Speaking of German manufacturers, one cannot help but recall such major concerns in the world as Bosch And Siemens. These "giants" offer the Russian consumer a full range of household appliances, from kettles and ending with washing machines, electric stoves and refrigerators. Appliances The Bosch and Siemens brands are well known all over the world and find their customers despite fierce competition from other world leaders.
Kuppersbusch
Separately, I would like to note the German brand Kuppersbusch, supplying our market with the so-called elite household appliances. Prices for such products differ significantly from the cost of similar products of the above manufacturers. However, household appliances of this brand are distinguished by high rates of reliability and energy saving. A separate role is given to design, which combines innovative ideas, ergonomics and comfort in use. In the production of equipment, high-quality, environmentally friendly materials are used. In addition to all of the above, Kuppersbusch offers its customers the manufacture of custom-made household appliances, which distinguishes it from competitors.
Of course, these are not all well-known manufacturers of household appliances from Germany. There are many others, no less famous. For example:
- Brown And Severin- specialize in the manufacture of small household appliances;
- Thomas- produces centrifuges for washing machines and vacuum cleaners, and production is carried out only in Germany;
- Karcher- one of the largest manufacturers of devices for cleaning and cleaning;
- Grundig- Produces consumer audio and video equipment.
And what household appliances made in Germany had to use you and are you satisfied with their quality?
AEG and Electrolux
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the AEG brand. Strategically important areas of household appliances, for example, built-in kitchen appliances - ovens and hobs (except gas) are manufactured in Germany, at a factory in the city of Rottenberg. Vacuum cleaners are produced in Hungary and China. In general, they have a lot of locations: all of Europe, Turkey, China. By the way, few are aware that the united AEG-Electrolux concern also includes this brand, which we associate more with Sweden. AEG-Electrolux is one company and often the same models are produced under different brand names. Small AEG appliances (for personal care, kitchen, audio system, etc.) are mainly produced in China, and this technique is not directly related to the AEG-Electrolux concern. The rights to use the AEG trademark in small appliances belong to the Emmanuel Classen family, who founded the CLATRONIC trademark, but more on that below.
Miele
In Russia, this brand is known as very expensive and truly German. The second is true, many models (for example, vacuum cleaners) are assembled in Germany. The first, alas, is a Russian exclusive: in Germany, Miele equipment costs 20 percent more than its competitors, in our country it costs several times more. This is due to the positioning of the brand, and the fact that the company does not have local production in our country, such as, for example, Bosch and Siemens (German concern BSH), Korean LG and Samsung and others.
Thomas
And this brand is much more famous in Russia thanks to powerful TV advertising. In Germany, he is not so popular (numerous polls of locals give almost zero results), but almost any Russian immediately begins to sing a song about Thomas. However, this is an old German production (the company was founded in 1900 and originally produced electrical equipment and tools), and most Thomas vacuum cleaners are still produced in Germany at a factory in Neunkirchen (North Rhine-Westphalia). Last year, the first models with multi-cyclones appeared in the company's assortment, for example, the Thomas Multi Cyclone Pro 14 and windshield wipers. These models are made in China, which is honestly written on the Thomas website.
Liebherr
A German brand known since the 50s of the last century, refrigerators and freezers are one of the activities (for example, the company produces tower cranes). The headquarters is now in Switzerland. Liebherr factories are located in Austria, Germany and Bulgaria.
Bosch and Siemens (BSH Group)
Aliya Kling, Head of Corporate Communications at BSH Bytovaya Tekhnika LLC, comments:
“The company has about forty factories around the world, two of them - for the production of washing machines and refrigerators - are located in Russia, in Strelna, in Leningrad region. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the enterprises in Strelna are not engaged in assembly, but in the production of equipment, with a localization level of more than 50%. The products of the factories in Strelna meet all the quality standards that are common for the BSH group around the world, and are exported to a number of countries, including Western Europe. On the Russian market there are products of various factories of the company. The habit of the consumer to look at the country of origin is a relic, and in the case of a large international business with uniform standards, the country in which the device was manufactured does not affect its performance in any way. It is in the interests of the company to provide single standard production".
We add that the structure of BSH includes the old luxury German brands of household appliances Neff and Gaggenau.
Karcher
The company was founded in 1935, and until now the headquarters of Kärcher is located in Germany, and the company remains a family business. Household appliances have been produced since 1993 (before that, only professional ones). Over the years, the company has become international: there is a factory in Brazil, a foreign branch in France, divisions in Austria and Switzerland, subsidiaries in North America, Africa and Australia. The company relies not so much on production in other countries (for example, vacuum cleaners with aqua-filtration are produced in Germany, but windshield wipers are made in China), but on the creation of branded service centers: now there are about 40,000 of them in more than 190 countries.
Brown
Braun GmbH - originally a German engineering company, a manufacturer of electric shavers, irons and steam generators, kettles, personal care devices, personal medical equipment - is headquartered in Germany, in the city of Kronberg. Since 2005, the Braun brand in the beauty and health category has been owned by the cosmetics giant Procter & Gamble (shavers, epilators, hair dryers and stylers), and Braun small home appliances have been sold to the De’Longhi Group. The equipment is produced in Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ireland, Spain, China and even Mexico (but, of course, for the American market).
Steba
Another family business. As the company explains, it is very important for a business to have a production facility in Germany - a factory for the production of household appliances is located in the old town of Bamberg. Only a few models are produced there, including electric grills, induction cookers and some others. On the official website, you can clarify this point, and on the devices themselves you can see the inscription either "Germany" or "made in Germany". At the plant in Bamberg, not only do they produce and assemble equipment, they also control consignments of goods that arrived from other countries, where products under the Steba brand are assembled at factories specializing in OEM production. This is traditionally China, and, for example, Belarus: Steba microwave ovens come from Minsk, are manufactured at the factory of the Chinese concern Midea, which produces the lion's share of microwave ovens in the world.
Rommelsbacher
Also a family business, in Germany it is very developed. In Russia, brand products appeared only a couple of years ago, although the company has a considerable age. A story similar to the previous one: also a factory in an old Bavarian city - this time Dinkelsbühl, some models are also assembled in Germany, the rest are under control and undergo technical revision if necessary. In addition, the plant is engaged in OEM production and produces equipment for other brands. Rommelsbacher made in Germany products can also be identified by this inscription directly on the device. In other cases, it is also simply Germany. And here vacuum sealers Rommelsbacher are made in a factory in Italy. And, of course, no one canceled China.
Quasi-Germans: they are doubtful! Although sometimes they produce equipment in Germany
BORK
This brand is "the talk of the town" among specialists in the world of home appliances. There are almost no indifferent people, because the conquest of the Russian market by this brand and its very rapid development is due to a talented team of marketers, and everything talented does not leave people indifferent.
On the official website we read: “The Bork company was established in Germany in 2001 with the aim of producing high-quality household appliances for the markets of Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe. The head office of the company is located in Russia. In fact, the company is Russian, even if the trademark was registered somewhere else. The idea is beautiful: to collect all the best and conceptual on the world market of small household appliances and bring it to Russia under our own brand. But the embodiment was not so beautiful: the same stamp “made in Germany” was on the products, while the equipment was assembled mostly in China and Belarus. The price tag is off scale, something German is heard in the sound combination "Bork" ...
The SEB group of companies (brands Tefal, Moulinex, Krups, Rowenta - also originally a German brand, now Rowenta care equipment is manufactured in France, Germany and China) filed a complaint with the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation against the company that owns the BORK trademark. The essence of the claim: consumers are misled about the place of production of equipment, BORK is seen in unfair competition. In 2010, FAS and Bork Electronic GmbH reached an amicable agreement in which it undertook to eliminate violations and correctly label products. After that, on many products, the inscription simply “Germany” flaunted, without “made in”. It could mean anything - for example, a German design, and could be true. Now, under the BORK brand, products are sold, including those manufactured in Germany (for example, vacuum cleaners), in Korea (multi-cookers) and, of course, in the same China.
Zigmund & Stein
On the Russian site we read: "Zigmund & Shtain GmbH is a modern European production and trade holding company headquartered in Düsseldorf." Where the production facilities are located is not reported. Company website at German located at www.zigmundshtain.de, but looks non-working and shows no signs of life. In addition, the address is not in Düsseldorf, but in Berlin. Suspicious. But the equipment has been sold in Russia since 2002, the range is expanding, people like it. The technique is produced in different countries: China (small kitchen appliances), Turkey (hoods), France (electric hobs), Romania (built-in hoods).
Hansa
If you go to the website of the Polish brand Amica, almost unknown in Russia but popular in Europe, you will find that Amica and Hansa products are identical. In Russia, the company positions itself as a German company and emphasizes the “Germanness” of the brand. This is her strategic choice, the equipment she produces (in Poland) is no better and no worse from this. Personal experience the author's - positive: for five years the Hansa stove has been working perfectly.
The Russian site has the following information: “The Hansa brand was founded in 1997 by the German company Magotra Handelsgeselshaft and quickly spread throughout Russia and the CIS countries. Currently, it can be found in more than 22 countries around the world.
Further, everything is confusing so that the ends were not to be found. “The history of the company began in 1957, when the first coal-gas stove came off the assembly line of the factory where Hansa household appliances are now produced. Since 1961, for almost 20 years, the main consumer of the plant's products has been the Soviet Union, thanks to which the gas stoves of the plant are well known to the older generation of Russians under the Wromet brand. In 1981, the company entered the East German market, including in its portfolio not only gas, but also electric stoves. That is, the Hansa brand is registered by a German company. But in general, the brand has more to do with Poland than with Germany and belongs to the Polish company Amica Wronki S.A.
Kaiser
The brand is 20 years old, and information is circulating on the Internet that the company was founded by a Russian businessman. There is no proof, no refutation either. The trademark is registered in Germany. There is a German-language site, from the content of which it is clear that Kaiser equipment is distributed in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan - not in Germany. In 2016, the brand exhibited for the first time at the international IFA exhibition in Berlin. On the official website of the exhibition in the section "Exhibitor profile" ("Card of the exhibiting company"), information about the legal entity to which the brand is registered - Kaiser OLAN-Haushaltsgeräte is repeated, and contact persons are indicated, whose names are Inna and Svetlana. In general, of course, this is a quasi-German brand that has aggressively emphasized German origins for a long time. What now? The equipment is produced in Italy, Poland (where Hansa is), in China and ... in Germany. Very high prices - in comparison with the same Hansa. Bet, of course, on the "German" positioning.
KUPPERSBERG
There is no aggressive positioning as a German brand - everything is quite intelligent. The official website contains information that the company was founded in the early 2000s and registered in Germany. The name is translated from German as "mountain top". Well, and, probably, the name of the Küppersbusch brand prompted this idea. The site also says that the brand has identified Russia as the main market for itself. There is an English-language site, but even if you choose German or English language and the region "Germany", immediately brings to the Russian version.
According to the site bitprice.ru, the equipment is produced in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, and Turkey.
Firms in Germany. Market relations in Germany are open to entrepreneurial activity in all fields of activity. The state applies equal treatment and conditions to all. Foreign investors, as a rule, operate under the same conditions as German investors.
Major in Germany
The German law firm offers an appropriate legal structure for every type of business.
Persons who are not residents of Germany can only establish the two most popular forms of companies or capital companies in the form of:
- Private limited company (Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung - GmbH or UG (Mini-GmbH);
- Joint stock company (Aktiengesellschaft - AG).
One of the most popular organizational and legal forms in accordance with German law is GmbH (UG Mini-GmbH) - an analogue of the Russian LLC.
Firms in Germany. Advantages
- Being modern rule of law with transparent, reasonable laws, Germany offers a high level of legal security.
- Legal certainty is achieved through the codification of contract law and freedom of contract. Among all countries, the country ranks fourth in terms of legal security.
- The German banking system and the German financial services industry are stable and well developed.
- Germany is one of the most active trading countries, the largest EU market and the strongest economy.
- The German economy is characterized by the private ownership of small and medium-sized firms.
- World famous brand name and quality mark - stands for high quality and plays a significant role in maintaining Germany's position as a major exporter.
- Germany's location in Europe makes it a hub for goods and services.
- Germany has a highly developed industry: a dense network of highways and railways, airports, access to sea routes.
The legal process of registering a company in Germany
*In 2008, the German "private limited company" law was completely updated. Thus, the Law makes it easier and more simple to approach the formation and operation of the GmbH.
- GmbH (UG Mini-GmbH) - designed specifically to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (often family businesses).
- Anyone can create a business in Germany - regardless of nationality or place of residence.
- Registering a GmbH (UG Mini-GmbH) company in Germany consists of two main steps: a) signing the constituent documents at a notary public and b) entering information about the company in the Commercial Register.
- The founders of companies can be any person, both natural and legal, including foreigners, the only condition is that it is necessary to register a German legal address, which must be indicated in the constituent documents. The GmbH is managed by a director who is elected by the shareholders. A shareholder can also be a managing director.
- The notary requests information about the company, including: passport details of all participants, the unique name of the company, the legal address of the company, the size of the authorized capital, etc.
- After preliminary coordination of all the details, the notary will name the time of the meeting and the list of documents that you need to bring with you.
- When registering a company, at least one founder must be present in person (the rest can issue a power of attorney) and a director.
- The process of signing the constituent documents takes about half an hour.
- After that, to enter minimum size authorized capital.
- Companies must register themselves with a Minimum Declared Share Capital GmbH of at least €000.00. It can be paid in the amount of 50% (€12.500.00). Once the Registration is completed, the corporation comes into existence.
- Confirmation of contributions to the authorized capital is submitted to the notary in the form of a certificate from the Bank, who forwards all documents to the commercial register.
- After entering the details of the company in the registry, which takes 2 to 5 weeks, the company must obtain a tax number from the tax office and register with the local municipality.
What are the main features of a Limited Liability Company (GmbH)?
- This is a common format for small and medium businesses;
- The name must be unique and approved by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the abbreviation "GmbH" is required;
- The minimum declared share capital is 25.000 €, and the minimum amount to be paid is 12.500 €;
- The minimum number of shareholders is at least 1, there is no residency requirement. A shareholder - an individual - may be a director of the company. Shareholders are not personally liable for the company's debts. The general meeting of shareholders makes decisions and appoints the director of the company;
- Mandatory presence of at least one director, which can be either an individual or a legal entity. There are no residency requirements for directors. Information about the director is in the public domain. The director of the company has;
- The director is responsible for day-to-day decisions and represents the company before the German authorities;
- The company must have a registered address in Germany for correspondence;
- The possibility of obtaining a residence permit in Germany;
- A visit to Germany is required.
Request information, consultation on company registration or request an appointment at our office
What are the main features of a Limited Liability Company (UG Mini-GmbH)?
- Smaller version of GmbH;
- Minimum share capital of €1 (recommended between €500 and €1000);
- The minimum number of shareholders and directors is one;
- A registered office is required;
- A visit to Germany is required.
Firms in Germany. What are the main features of a joint stock company (AG)?
- This is the standard structure for large businesses;
- The name must be unique and approved by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the abbreviation "AG" is mandatory;
- The minimum share capital is 50.000 €. At least a quarter of the authorized capital must be paid immediately at the time of registration;
- The minimum number of shareholders is one. The liability of members is limited to their contribution to the capital;
- At least 1 director and at least 3 additional members of the supervisory board. The chairman of the board may be a non-resident;
- The company must have a registered address in Germany to receive correspondence;
(www.vfsglobal.com/germany/russia/moscow)
German Academic Exchange Service - Moscow Office of DAAD (www.daad.ru)
Deutsches Historisches Institut Moskau (www.dhi-moskau.org)
German cultural center. German language courses with an international certificate. Library of books in German. (www.goethe.de)
Club of German Architects and Engineers in Moscow - Klub deutscher Archirekten und Ingenieure in Moskau (Kdai.ru)
Russian-German building portal
German school in Moscow - official website (www.deutscheschulemoskau.de)
German school in Moscow - Wikipedia article
- private school. Pupils - 500. Address - Vernadsky Avenue, 103/5
The German School in Moscow (German: Deutsche Schule Moskau) is a private comprehensive school in the Troparevo-Nikulino district in Moscow, where teaching is in German. Since 1989, the school has been named after a Russian doctor of German origin Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz.
German Book Information Center in Moscow / BIZ Moskau- Facebook page
German Book Information Center (KnIC) - information on the portal of German events (www.po-nemezki.ru)
Embassy of Germany in Moscow (www.germania.diplo.de)
Russian-German Chamber of Commerce VTP (russland.ahk.de)
Russian-German House in Moscow (www.drh-moskau.ru)
German memorial places in Moscow
Vvedenskoye (German) cemetery in Moscow -
The Vvedenskoye cemetery was founded in 1771, during the plague, at the same time as Vagankov. It is located in the east of Moscow in Lefortovo. It is part of the State Unitary Enterprise "Ritual".
Vvedenskoye cemetery - Wikipedia article
Buried at the Vvedensky cemetery (my selection):
Adzhubey, Alexei Ivanovich (1924-1993) - well-known journalist, Khrushchev's son-in-law.
Andronikov, Irakly Luarsabovich (1908-1990) - Russian Soviet writer, literary critic, master of fiction, TV presenter, People's Artist of the USSR.
Bakhtin, Mikhail Mikhailovich (1895-1975) - philosopher, philologist, literary critic.
Vasnetsov, Apollinary Mikhailovich (1856-1933) - Russian artist, master of historical painting, art critic, brother of Viktor Vasnetsov; 20 accounts
Vasnetsov, Viktor Mikhailovich (1848-1926) - Russian artist and architect, master of painting on historical and folklore subjects; 18 accounts
Veselovsky, Alexander Nikolaevich (1838-1906) - Russian literary historian, philologist.
Vinokur, Grigory Osipovich (1896-1947) - linguist and literary critic.
Gutman, Teodor Davidovich (1905-1995) - pianist, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1991), professor at the Moscow Conservatory, Musical and Pedagogical Institute. Gnesins
Zagladin, Vadim Valentinovich (1927-2006) - Russian political scientist, adviser to the President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev
Kedrin, Dmitry Borisovich (1907-1945) - poet.
Kolmanovsky, Eduard Savelyevich (1923-1994) - composer, author of many famous songs - “Do Russians Want Wars” (1961), “I Love You, Life” (1958). People's Artist of the USSR
Levik, Wilhelm Veniaminovich (1907-1982) - poet-translator, literary critic, artist.
Maksakova, Maria Petrovna (1902-1974) - opera singer
Melnikov, Konstantin Stepanovich (1890-1974) - an outstanding Soviet avant-garde architect.
Peltzer, Tatyana Ivanovna (1904-1992) - Soviet theater and film actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR, People's Artist of the USSR; 29 accounts
Prishvin, Mikhail Mikhailovich (1873-1954) - Russian writer.
Chulaki, Mikhail Ivanovich (1910-1989) - composer, teacher, director of the Bolshoi Theater
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul - official website (www.lutherancathedral.ru)
Starosadsky per. 7/10, Kitay-Gorod metro station
Evangelical Lutheran community of St. Peter and Paul in Moscow - local religious organization (www.peterpaul.ru/old_history)
Lutheran Church of the Annunciation in Moscow - Bolshoi Kislovsky per., 4, building 1 (luthers.ru)
Lutheran Church of St. Michael (Moscow) - Wikipedia article
The church itself has not survived.
These lists are interesting not only in terms of statistics - they very clearly reveal the features of the German economy and its development trends. In addition, they provide an opportunity to compare German concerns with their foreign competitors, since the Frankfurter Allgemeine simultaneously publishes lists of the largest companies in Europe and the world. So, let's leaf through the appendix to the Frankfurter Allgemeine together, which contains the most interesting information and a lot of surprises.
DaimlerChrysler and the gigantic sums it earns
Several firms can claim the title of the largest company in Germany at once. In terms of financial indicators such as annual turnover and net profit, DaimlerChrysler is the undisputed leader. Its worldwide sales of Mercedes, Cherokee SUVs and other cars and trucks totaled 150 billion euros last year. As for the profit, it exceeded 4 billion 700 million euros. No other German company earns such gigantic sums. However, DaimlerChrysler can hardly be called a purely German company, because the American corporation Chrysler has been part of it for five years now.
Nevertheless, the headquarters of DaimlerChrysler is located in the city of Stuttgart, and therefore this concern is both actually and legally German, and its shares are "assigned" to the German stock market.
Siemens is the largest German employer
Siemens headquarters in Munich.
But the largest employer in Germany, that is, the company with the largest number of employees, is the electrical engineering concern Siemens, headquartered in Munich. A total of 445 thousand people work for him in various cities of Germany and in subsidiaries around the world. Such personnel (almost half a million workers, scientists and managers!) are not managed by any other German company.
Deutsche Telekom is Germany's most valuable company
If we take market capitalization as a criterion, then the most valuable company in Germany will be the Bonn telecommunications concern Deutsche Telekom. The total price of all shares of this former state monopoly is now 55 billion euros. No other German joint-stock company is currently worth so much on the stock exchange.
For comparison: the market capitalization of the Siemens concern, which took second place in this category, does not even reach 40 billion.
Deutsche Bank is the largest bank in Germany
Deutsche Bank headquarters in Frankfurt am Main.
This trio - DaimlerChrysler, Siemens, Deutsche Telekom - should be considered the largest companies in Germany. We add that, according to the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, the largest bank in the country is Deutsche Bank, and the most important insurance company is Allianz. In the field of trade, the Metro concern is unconditionally the leader.
What determines the structure of the German economy
Looking at all these lists more closely, we can draw several important conclusions about the structure of the German economy. First, it is striking that the top five largest German industrial companies in terms of income include three automotive concerns - DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen and BMW. The first two are also among the five largest employers in the country. The conclusion is clear: the automotive industry is still the leading branch of the German economy.
Secondly, it is hard not to notice that among the largest German employers, the group of leaders includes companies that are more or less owned by the state. So, in second place is the former postal department, and now the partially privatized concern Deutsche Post. It has 370 thousand employees. In fifth place on the list is the former telephone monopolist Deutsche Telekom, whose privatization began back in 1996. Nevertheless, the state is still the most important shareholder of this concern. And, finally, in sixth place among the largest employers is the joint-stock company Deutsche Bahn, that is, the German railway. This company, which now employs a quarter of a million people, is still completely in the hands of the state, but in a few years it is also going to be privatized. And here is what is characteristic: of these three state or semi-state concerns, only Deutsche Post got into the top thirty most profitable companies - postal companies took a very honorable ninth place. But the telecommunications giant and the railway cannot boast of high profits. Moreover: they operate at a loss. The conclusion here is obvious: the enterprises, one way or another connected with the state, are clearly overstaffed, which negatively affects their efficiency. This problem, it should be noted, is typical for many countries. However, in today's Germany, it may lead to a further increase in unemployment in the near future, since the state is now in dire need of income from privatization. Therefore, it will certainly seek efficiency gains from these companies - otherwise who would want to buy their shares? And in order to increase efficiency, it will be necessary, in particular, to radically reduce staff.
Energy concerns have an important, but not a key role
Another conclusion that suggests itself when analyzing the lists of the largest German companies is this: energy concerns play an important, but far from a key role in the German national economy. Thus, the country's two main energy concerns - E.ON and RWE - are among the ten most profitable companies and the twenty largest employers - no more, but no less. In terms of market capitalization, they are ranked 5th and 12th, respectively. At the same time, the E.ON concern is worth 30 billion euros on the stock exchange - twice as much as its competitor RWE. E.ON is of interest to Russian listeners primarily because at the beginning of this year it absorbed the Ruhrgas concern and, as a result of this deal, became a co-owner of the Russian Gazprom. After all, Ruhrgas, which is the most important buyer of Russian natural gas in Western Europe, holds more than five percent of the shares of Gazprom. So, in the German economy, E.ON plays an incomparably more modest role than Gazprom plays in the Russian one.
It should be noted here that both E.ON and RWE are engaged in electricity, water supply, natural gas, but not the oil business. There are no large national oil companies in Germany: the German market is supplied with oil and gasoline mainly by foreign concerns, primarily British-Dutch Shell and British BP.
AUTHOR M: It is these two companies that top the list of the largest European companies published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper. In third place is DaimlerChrysler. In general, the top ten European companies with the highest annual turnover included four German firms: DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen, Siemens and Allianz. France is represented by three companies, and Switzerland by one. Breaking down the top ten by industry, three companies are in the oil business, three more in insurance, two in the automotive industry, and one each in electrical engineering and retail. Here is a brief portrait of European big business.
The largest companies in the world
If we take a list of the largest companies in the world, the picture will change significantly. The first ten places were actually divided between representatives of only two industries - the oil business (five companies) and the automotive industry (four concerns). In the first place is the American oil concern Exxon Mobil, in the second place is the American automobile corporation General Motors, in the third place is the British-Dutch Shell.
Exactly half of the companies in the top ten are American. Germany is represented by only one company - DaimlerChrysler.
