Volkswagen South Africa walked away with top honours in the inaugural Top 50 Awards, a Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality incentive initiative to recognize excellence.
The award was presented at a ceremony in Newton Park on Thursday with VWSA edging pharmaceutical company Aspen for the top spot.
Shatterprufe another well-known national brand based in NMB rounded off the top three with the third position.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor Dr Danny Jordaan acknowledged the crucial role played by businesses in boosting the local economy.
He encouraged the business sector to keep investing in the metro in order to achieve the goals of eradicating poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
The Eastern Cape Premier, Phumulo Masualle said the Metro had R1.7 billion in the bank, and if the council decides to continue in this vein, it will stabilise and strengthen the financial position of the metro.
"This morning is about you, our local businesses. We are here to celebrate the fact that you have worked hard in your different companies. We would like to congratulate all of you; your achievements bring forth the spirit of resilience, vision and action which is a living aspiration for all of us attain" he said
"So as we congratulate you we also celebrate the fact that in your different work environments and your sectors, you remain an inspiration for us to work hard to make this place, a place we can all love to live in," Masualle added.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Acting City Manager Johann Mettler said the municipal offices were open to the private sector.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the business sector, for allowing us this opportunity to celebrate them and their achievements. Our doors are open as the municipality to discuss and share ideas of growing our economy even further" he said.
The Top 50 Award is based on the municipality's trade and investment strategy to retain and recognize investors, past and present, as well as companies which serve the city in terms of economic development and growth through driving competitive growth in key sectors and creating thousands of sustainable employment opportunities.
