Schréder named l’Entreprise de l’Année® 2024

EY has organised the 29^th edition of the prestigious company award L’Entreprise de l’Année^® in collaboration with L'Echo, De Tijd, BNP Paribas Fortis and WorxInvest. Tonight, Schréder was announced as the 2024 winner at the award ceremony at the Heysel. David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Self-Employed, SMEs and Agriculture, Institutional Reforms and Democratic Renewal presented the award to Philippe Felten, CEO of Schréder. The three other 2024 nominees were CE+T Group (Wandre), Mellow (Villers-le-Bouillet) and Sabena Engineering (Zaventem).

Earlier in the evening, Dog Chef (Woluwé-Saint-Pierre) was awarded the 2024 ‘Scale-up de l’Année’ award by Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Walloon Vice-President and Minister for the Economy, Industry, Digitalisation, Employment and Training.

Since its inception in 1996, l’Entreprise de l'Année^® seeks to recognise outstanding performances of French-speaking Belgian companies. The award, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in the Dutch-speaking part of the country tomorrow, has evolved into a prestigious accolade over the years.

David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, the Self-Employed, SMEs and Agriculture, Institutional Reforms and Democratic Renewal, presented the award this evening to Philippe Felten, CEO of Schréder.

Schréder is a world leader in smart and sustainable outdoor lighting solutions. The family-owned Belgian company which originated in Brussels is now active in more than 70 countries across six continents. The company draws on its long engineering and innovation tradition to offer integrated lighting solutions that are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable to cities, industries and sports and road infrastructure around the world. Schréder employs 2,600 people and generated a turnover of €560 million in 2023.

‘The four 2024 l’Entreprise de l’Année^® finalists all shared a long-term history, a strong passion for their business and an impressive growth record. In choosing Schréder, the jury is rewarding a dynamic family business that is over a hundred years old, with solid values and an international reputation. Schréder has successfully navigated a major technological revolution and managed to reinvent itself. It developed ambitious new growth drivers with a focus on sustainability, while remaining firmly anchored to its roots. Its global and sustainable conquest is an inspiring example for any current and future entrepreneur,’ explains Sébastien Dossogne, CEO of Carmeuse and chair of the jury.

‘We want to congratulate Schréder on winning the 2024 l’Entreprise de l’Année^® award, and are proud to be able to highlight great successful stories like Schréder's and those of the other nominees, CE+T Group, Mellow and Sabena Engineering. These companies embody the entrepreneurial spirit that forms the backbone of our economy. Exactly what we are looking for, want to support and encourage. As a global player, Schréder is a particularly powerful example of how a company with a long tradition that has spanned more than a century can keep successfully charting new technological territory. This company sets an example for all companies in Belgium,’ says Marie-Laure Moreau, partner at EY and responsible for the French-speaking market.

Impressive list of previous winners

As this year’s winner, Schréder joins an outstanding roll of honour: Technord (2023) – Meurens Natural (2022) – Odoo (2021) – I-care (2020) – EASI (2019) – Easyfairs (2018) – Spadel (2017) – Daoust (2016) – Pairi Daiza (2015) – Belourthe (2014) – Tilman (2013) – TPF (2012) – Groupe Hamon (2011) – Exki (2010) – Proximedia (2009) – FIB Belgium (2008) – Noukie’s (2007) – Stûv (2006) – Callataÿ et Wouters (2005) – Pharmadeal (2004) – Euroscreen (2003) – I.R.I.S. Group (2002) – Eurogentec (2001) – EVS Broadcast Equipment (2000) – IBA (1999) – Ariane II (1998) – Moorkens Projects (1997) – DB Associates (1996).
 

Dog Chef named Scale-up de l’Année 2024

EY has organised the 12^th edition of the ‘Scale-up de l’Année’ in collaboration with L’Echo, De Tijd, BNP Paribas Fortis et WorxInvest. Dog Chef, based in Woluwé-Saint-Pierre, was announced as the 2024 winner during the award ceremony for l’Entrepreprise de l'Année^® 2024 tonight.

The other nominees this year included Copains (Strépy-Bracquegnies), e-peas (Louvain-la-Neuve) and Soil Capital (Louvain-la-Neuve). Dog Chef received the 2024 ‘Scale-up de l’Année’ trophy from Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Walloon Vice-President and Minister for the Economy, Industry, Digitalisation, Employment and Training.

Founded in 2017 by Alex Cardon and Alexis d'Oultremont, Dog Chef’s mission is to put real food back onto the plates of man’s best friend. The company has evolved from the kitchen of a local butcher to a facility that is now producing 1.5 million fresh meals annually. As a Continental Europe leader with over 25,000 customers, Dog Chef continues to energise a market that is traditionally slow and dominated by large industrial brands. It has equally launched Cat Chef and is expanding to other countries, including Germany. Dog Chef employs 85 employees and generated a turnover of almost €20 million in 2023.

With the ‘Scale-up de l’Année’ award, EY wants to draw attention to fast-growing companies that have demonstrated a remarkable track record over the past year. Over the years, both this award and the l’Entreprise de l’Année^® award have gained a reputation as a prestigious recognition and distinguished benchmark. The jury of professionals selects a winner from a shortlist of nominees based on a number of criteria, including the nominee’s potential to take away the l’Entreprise de l’Année^®  award in the future.

Muriel De Lathouwer, company director and chair of the jury, explains its choice of Dog Chef: ‘Dog Chef has revolutionised the dog food market by creating a whole new category alongside kibbles, pâtés and raw meat: freshly cooked food. Its innovation also extends to their business model, with online distribution by subscription and integration of the entire value chain. With hypergrowth and cost control, this promising company has achieved a turnover of nearly €20 million and profitability in just 5 years.”

“Led by its two serial entrepreneurs and co-founders, Alexis and Alex, Dog Chef is already expanding beyond our borders to France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany. They are diversifying their product range with Cat Chef cat food and strive to become the European leader in fresh pet food. Our jury was impressed by Dog Chef's strategic vision, ability to execute and strong values, which make it a model for scale-ups and a shining example in French-speaking Belgium.”

Sophie Lefevre, Executive Director at EY, adds: ‘We want to congratulate all finalists for their determination, entrepreneurial spirit and their desire to create innovative ecosystems. These exceptional entrepreneurs also stand out for their commitment to tackling today's societal challenges. Their passion and perseverance are a source of inspiration to us all and bear witness to the entrepreneurial dynamism that exists in Wallonia. We extend our sincerest congratulations to Dog Chef, this year's winner, whose strategic vision and exemplary operational skills have set it apart. We are convinced that these initiatives will contribute to a better and more sustainable future.'

As the 2024 winner, Dog Chef joins the following list of previous winners:

Vertuoza (2023) – Aerospacelab (2022) – Cowboy (2021) – Proxyclick (2020) – CluePoints (2019) – NewPharma (2018) – Trasis (2017) – Real Impact Analytics (2016) – OncoDNA (2015) – CEFALY Technology (2014) – Odoo (ex OpenERP) (2013).

See more on Entreprise de l’Année^®.

-End of press release-