Corporate | 5 March 2009 11:58
SMA Solar Technology AG / Miscellaneous
Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory
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The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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SMA Solar Technology AG Press Release
SMA is among the best employers in Germany once again
Niestetal, March 5, 2009 - The SMA Solar Technology AG has been recognized
as one of the best employers for 2009. SMA reached 6th place in the
nationwide competition 'Great Place to Work', in the category for
medium-sized companies. In addition, SMA received a special award for
'Lifelong Learning'.
The German Great Place to Work Institute names the best employer in Germany
every year. The award recognizes the credibility and fairness of
management, team spirit within the company, and the employees'
identification with it. In addition to an evaluation of the work carried
out by human resources departments within the companies, a comprehensive,
anonymous employee survey judges the quality of cooperative work, the
options for further professional development, and workplace satisfaction,
among other facets.
This year, SMA reached sixth place in the category 'Companies with 501 to
5,000 employees', following the awards of previous years. 'Good work and
good employers are a model for the future which will strengthen our
national economy', explained Olaf Scholz, Federal Minister for Labor and
Social Affairs, on the occasion of the award ceremony on February 13, 2009
in Berlin. 'The award recipients demonstrate impressively that good
management which offers support and appreciation to the employees pays off
economically as well', added Scholz.
'Our company culture makes it easy for the employees to participate and to
play a part with their ideas and commitment. The outstanding sixth place is
a renewed endorsement for our cooperative management', explains Jürgen
Dolle, head of SMA Personnel Management. 'Our employees identify themselves
with SMA and are proud of their company. As a result, we get a high degree
of commitment and competence. At the same time, we promote flexibility and
innovation through our unusual company culture, which accounts for the SMA
success strategy to a considerable extent.'
In addition, SMA received the special award 'Lifelong Learning' for its
overall concept in the field of employee development. 'Through the
establishment of a staff position for institutionalized knowledge
management and the introduction of a competence management system, the
topic of personnel development is firmly anchored within our company. With
the aid of formation control which takes the form of, for example, dialogs
with supervisors, tests and evaluations, the employee development measures
offered are evaluated for their success and they are continuously developed
further', was the Great Place to Work Institute's statement regarding its
motives for the special award. 'What is particularly positive concerning
the SMA further development concept is that the company is attaching great
importance to the development of special professional groups, especially
for those with low qualifications and elder employees.'
Already in 2006 and 2008, SMA was among the best employers, both at German
and European levels. Furthermore, the SMA Management Board was awarded the
'German Fairness Prize for 2008'.
About the Great Place to Work Institute
The Great Place to Work Institute is an independent and international
research-and-consulting institute which currently supports companies in 36
countries in the development of trusting and successful workplaces. Aside
from its individual research and consulting activities, the institute
identifies outstanding employers regularly within the framework of annual
benchmark surveys and presents them to the public. Since 2002, the German
Great Place to Work Institute has organized the renowned 'Germany's best
employer' competition annually.
About SMA Solar Technology AG
With a turnover of approx. 680 million Euros in 2008, SMA is the global
leader in the market for solar inverters, a central component of every
solar power system. The SMA group's head office is located in Niestetal,
near Kassel in Germany. It is represented internationally by foreign
subsidiaries on four continents in eight countries. The group currently
employs more than 2,500 people (including temporary employees). SMA
produces a complete range of inverter types which offers suitable inverters
for every photovoltaic module type used and for photovoltaic systems in all
power ranges. The product palette includes inverters both for
grid-connected photovoltaic systems and for stand-alone systems. Since June
27, 2008, the company has been listed in the Prime Standard of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92), and since September 22, 2008, the company's
shares have been listed in the TecDAX. In the past years, SMA was
recognized several times with awards for its outstanding performance as an
employer.
Press contact:
SMA Solar Technology AG
Volker Wasgindt
Head of Press and Association Work
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Germany
Tel.: +49 (561) 9522 11 - 21
Fax:+49 (561) 9522 11 - 03
Volker.Wasgindt@SMA.de
Disclaimer:
This document contains forward-looking statements and information - that
is, statements related to future, not past, events. These statements may be
identified by words such as 'expects,' 'looks forward to,' 'anticipates,'
'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' 'will,' 'project' or
words of similar meaning. Such statements are based on our current
expectations and certain assumptions, and are, therefore, subject to
certain risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors, many of which are
beyond SMA's control, affect our operations, performance, business strategy
and results and could cause the actual results, performance or achievements
of SMA to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. For us, particular uncertainties arise, among others, from
changes in general economic and business conditions (including margin
developments, the legal and regulatory framework, changes in currency
exchange rates and interest rates. Should one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the
relevant forward-looking statement as expected, anticipated, intended,
planned, believed, sought, estimated or projected. SMA does not intend or
assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements
in light of developments which differ from those anticipated.
05.03.2009 Financial News transmitted by DGAP
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Language: English
Issuer: SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)561 / 9522 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)561 / 9522 - 100
E-mail: info@sma.de
Internet: http://www.sma.de
ISIN: DE000A0DJ6J9
WKN: A0DJ6J
Indices: TecDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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