Grand Prix Mittelstand - US-Repräsentanz


Pegasus Group -
the US representative of the Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung

The first US representative of the Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung and the “Grand Prix of Medium-sized Businesses” competition is the Pegasus Group in Atlanta, which has been supporting European medium-sized companies in their expansion in North America since 1978 and often accompanies and supports them in the various growth phases for years. The managing partner Andreas Heine advises on the strategy for market entry. His many years of experience at well-known investment banks with a focus on transatlantic transactions provides the necessary background. "Our unique approach – a one-stop shop – includes advice, access to top lawyers and interim management – the entire value chain." Partners are located in Atlanta, New York, Detroit, Denver, San Diego and Nashville. Expertise includes business development, industry research, operations and management consulting. Before founding Pegasus, Andreas was a founding partner and CIO of a family office in Atlanta, managing liquid and illiquid portfolios. Andreas Heine began his career working at several investment banks in New York, London and Frankfurt with a focus on sales, trading, research and capital markets.

Andreas Heine is a member of the executive board of the Oskar Patzelt Foundation.

International developments

In 2019, the EU trademark “Grand Prix Mittelstand” was registered and the international extension of the trademark was completed in the USA, Japan and so on. 

For almost 30 years the nationwide active and solely honorary organized Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung (Oskar-Patzelt-Foundation) based in Leipzig/Germany attends to the appraisal of extraordinary accomplishments of small- and medium-sized companies and each autumn awards the "Großen Preis des Mittelstandes" (Grand Prix Mittelstand).

It is the only business competition whose quality management has been certified annually by DEKRA according to DIN ISO 9001:2015. And it is the only business competition that was awarded the 1st level of the Federal Cross of Merit (Medal of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany).

More than 4,000 enterprises was nominated for this competition every year. Nominating took place via the city load-separates or other institutions, enterprises and citizens. In the link nominated enterprises with the written answer of a whole catalog of questions of the jury had to place itself. Less than 1,000 enterprises achieved last year the 2. Level of the competition. 12 regionally organized juries with more than 100 jurors are deciding, which enterprises are to be honoured in this year as finalist or winners. Finalists and winners are awarded at grand gala in several cities each autumn.

Outstanding performance is evaluated on the basis of five criteria:

  1. Total development of the company
  2. Creation and protection of jobs and traineeships/apprenticeships
  3. Innovation and modernisation
  4. Commitment to the local region (corporate citizenship)
  5. Service, customer focus, marketing

Such criteria distinguishes the profile of a responsible and competitive company.

The importance for a company of this nomination was defined as follows from the President of the Bavarian Parliament, Barbara Stamm: “Anyone who has been nominated here, has already experienced only through this selection an award the first order”.

Such an honour becomes possible only, if one constantly strives for it, to offer to the customer a particularly good performance.

The first award ceremony organized by Oskar-Patzelt Foundation took place in 1995. The “Grand Prix of Small and Medium Business” is according to a study by the isw Halle / S. done in autumn 2010, the most important German prize in the economic sector.

For more information about this award, please visit www.mittelstandspreis.com