EMDEN / DÜSSELDORF Ems Ports Agency and Stevedoring Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG (epas) was awarded the ‘Großer Preis des Mittelstandes’ 2026 on 12 September. The award was presented by the Oskar Patzelt Foundation, which honoured 28 finalists and ten winners at the Hotel Maritim Düsseldorf. The focus was not solely on financial indicators. A total of five criteria were assessed: the company’s overall development; the creation and safeguarding of jobs and apprenticeships; innovation and modernisation; commitment to the environment and the region; and service, customer focus and marketing. “Our role today extends far beyond port handling. Together with our staff, we ensure that international supply chains, industrial projects and the energy transition function reliably. We are therefore particularly delighted that, following our selection as a finalist last year, we have now been named a winner,” said Timo Siebahn, Managing Director of epas.
Photo: Susanne Kuntz, Oskar-Patzelt-Stiftung