In the last 20 plus years, we have been working with a large number of successful privately owned Hungarian companies. EY‘s role in this publication was to recommend successful companies for the BÉT50 and coordinate the selection, contact and preparation process.

Each article portraying the 50 selected companies were composed based on interviews with the shareholders or management of these enterprises. I can only sincerely thank and congratulate all these entrepreneurs: it has been extremely inspiring, fascinating and revealing experience for us all. I am grateful to be able to help pass on their stories and accomplishments.

As you will see, they are all unique in their development and business models, what is common however, is the spirit of entrepreneurship and the enormous commitment and passion. Each company have a fascinating story, each having good and bad times, each has had to face risks and competition and moreover each of them are inspiring and became role models.

Success is relative, even in the economy, where the numbers are supposed to speak for themselves. Success can be found in a unique business model, a new, unconventional idea, an innovative product or way of reaching the customers. Success can mean continuous growth or a comeback after a major disruption in the operation. The measure of the success can be the amount of profits, but also the capability to attract financing or selling shares on the stock exchange. For family businesses succession between generations is also great success.

Success is even more complex, because it is different for those who are achieving it, than for those who judge it from afar. I believe the following stories show the roots of the success: they may have many turns but they show the consciousness, the strong determination and hard work to reach a solid foundation on which the success – the visible one – can be built on and also been seen and respected even from afar. 

Together with BÉT, we present a selection of successful small and medium size companies that illustrate such colorful and diversity of this segment of companies, entrepreneurs, in our country.  They all had less than a quarter of a century to build strong and successful medium size businesses –a reality we cannot escape in Hungary. Still, as this year and in the last year, BÉT50 demonstrates there are a large number of successful companies in this country and there are many more. There should not be an issue to compile a 2018 third edition of BÉT50.

Congratulations to all of the companies that are presented on the following pages, but also to the numerous number of other Hungarian entrepreneurs who are committed, live and represent the entrepreneurial spirit.