Manufacturing top in Central Europe

78.8% of companies included in the Top 500 increased their annual revenues. Companies across Central Europe saw median revenue growth of 17% since the first quarter of 2010. Today the question is: how they are going to continue doing so in the years ahead?

"It will be fascinating to see how companies focus on driving profit growth now that they have already substantially reduced their cost base. I for one believe that 2011 will be seen as a year when innovative responses to changes in demand, financing conditions and the operational environment truly became the 'new norm'." Mike Barrington, CEO of Deloitte Central Europe

Only in two countries (Croatia and Bulgaria) did the total revenues of their Top 500 companies slip, while those in Slovenia and Slovakia saw the total revenues rise by an impressive 32% and 33% respectively. Poland’s entries comprised a dominant 35% of the ranking with 173 companies. The Czech Republic accounted for 16%, or 80 companies in the ranking. This represented an increase over 2010, when 73 Czech companies made the top 500 ranking. Another country to show an increased representation in the ranking was Romania, whose companies’ share of the top 500 rose from 6% to 8% (a rise from 32 to 38 companies), reflecting the ongoing pace of economic development, particularly in industries such as consumer business and transportation and energy and resources. Manufacturing experienced the greatest increase in the number of companies represented in the ranking. Not only did the number of manufacturers increase by 16 to a total of 117 companies, their median growth in euros over the year (23%) was also substantially ahead of the next best industry energy & resources (13%). We can also observe the increase in the state ownership in the growing manufacturing sector, rising substantially from 6% in 2009 to 10% in 2010. Some electronics manufacturers on the list: © Deloitte Central Europe Source: Deloitte Central Europe