Lothar Barth, Director Sales International, accepted the "Großer Preis des Mittelstandes" on behalf of SOMIC at the awards gala in Würzburg. © Susanne Kurz | Oskar- Patzelt-Stiftung
After being named a finalist in 2024, SOMIC has now taken the top spot. SOMIC Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG of Amerang was named a prizewinner at the Großer Preis des Mittelstandes (Grand Award for German SMEs) on September 26, 2026, at the Maritim Hotel Würzburg.
The Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung selected the packaging machinery manufacturer from more than 800 companies entered in Bavaria alone. This year’s renewed nomination led to the competition’s highest level of recognition.
Under the motto “Trust Creates Opportunity,” twelve regional juries—comprising around 100 leaders from business, politics and public administration—honoured 27 finalists and 13 prizewinners across six regions: Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin/Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony and Thuringia. In those regions, 3,224 companies competed in the award’s 32nd year.
From a four-person workshop to a global end-of-line automation specialist
Over more than five decades, SOMIC has grown from a small workshop into a global company serving the food, pet food, non-food and healthcare industries. Based in Amerang, the family-owned business specialised early in carton-based secondary packaging and has continued to develop that expertise.
Today, its modular machine series range from entry-level automated carton packaging to highly flexible, high-end systems. The jury cited SOMIC’s specialisation and scalability as key factors in the company’s success.
Companies are evaluated against five criteria: overall business development; the creation and safeguarding of jobs and apprenticeships; modernisation and innovation; commitment to the environment and region; and service and customer focus.
The jury also recognised SOMIC’s technological development. Its AI-supported operator guidance and digital services, SOMIC Eagle and SOMIC Connect, demonstrate how the company is applying new technologies to deliver practical value for customers worldwide.
“The journey from finalist in 2024 to prizewinner today shows just how consistently we at SOMIC work on innovation, quality and customer focus. This award belongs to our entire team, who for more than 50 years have made sure that SOMIC stands for reliability in end-of-line packaging worldwide,” says Patrick Bonetsmüller, Managing Director of SOMIC.
The award was accepted on SOMIC’s behalf at the Würzburg gala by Lothar Barth, Director of International Sales.