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Markets: Trade fairs K>MOBIL 31 // KIRCHHOFF Group
CDU Future Congress NRW 2008
r Düsseldorf. Prediction 2015: Major role of the middle market seen for the future
On 9 May 2008 the Future Congress of the CDU
of North Rhine-Westphalia took place for the
fourth time. The KIRCHHOFF Group was one of its
sponsors. 1,300 personally invited guests from the
worlds of both politics and industry followed the
speeches and discussions between well known
politicians with great interest regarding the main
topic of this year’s event: “North Rhine-Westphalia
2015: opportunities for future growth”.
The event began with an opening and welcoming
speech held by the General Secretary of the CDU
(Christian Democratic Union) of NRW, Hendrik
Wüst. This was followed by a lively panel discussion
titled, “Farewell to industrial jobs? The search
for the jobs of the future.” The panelists were State
Minister of Economics Christa Thoben (Deputy
Chairman of the CDU, NRW), Horst-Werner Maier-
Hunke (President of the Employers’ Associations in
NRW), Guntram Schneider (Chairman of the DGB
NRW) and Dr. Reinhold Festge (Chairman of the
Board of the Association of German Mechanical
and Plant Engineers, NRW) came to the positive
consensus “Hurrah for industrial jobs!“
The first part of the event was concluded with
speeches by the host, State Premier Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers
and the Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel.
After a short break the event was then continued
with the awarding of promotional prizes for 2008
by State Minister of Economics Christa Thoben. The
speech honoring the winner of the first prize was
held by former federal minister Prof. Klaus Töpfer.
All of the speakers emphasized the extraordinary
achievements and the significant role of middlemarket
companies in shaping the future with
regard to innovation, research and development,
vocational training and job security.
The middle market is hence the “supporting pillar
of the economy” – strongly characterized by its
family-run companies. “Around 723,000 small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up the
economic backbone of the region. 70 percent of employees
and 80 percent of trainees work for middlemarket
companies. Altogether these companies
account for almost half of the gross added value
produced within the state.” With a gross domestic
product of 529.8 billion euros, North-Rhine Westphalia
is the most productive of all German states
(see graph).
In the course of the event the political representatives
not only pointed out the economic strength of
the middle market, but also its high degree of social
commitment, which often extends way past the
boundaries of its companies.
Representatives of the middle-market companies
particularly welcomed the fact that topics such
as inheritance tax, equal taxation for limited and
public companies and the creation of standard
rules for competition within the EU were declared
by all politicians attending to be core topics of their
economic and social policies.
Susanne Macaluso
Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers, State Premier of North-Rhine Westphalia (center) talking to Hendrik Wüst,
General Secretary of the CDU NRW (left) Dr. Jochen F. Kirchhoff (2nd from l.) and Arndt G. Kirchhoff
(right).
NRW: economically strongest federal state
Gross domestic product per state 2007
North Rhine-Westphalia
Bavaria
Baden-Württemberg
Hesse
Rhineland Palatinate
Saxony
Hamburg
Brandenburg
Saxony-Anhalt
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Saarland
Bremen
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
in Eur.
billions
Germany’s total GNP 2007: Eur. 2.322 billion
.
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