Handheld wins Scandinavian top quality company award

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The Handheld Group, supplier of rugged PDA's and devices, has for the fourth year running been awarded "Gazelle" status as one of Sweden's fastest growing and profitable companies. Handheld has been celebrating a successful year with new models launched, new international offices opened and big tenders won.
 
The status as a "Gazelle" company is awarded to the fastest growing yet profitable companies in Sweden by Dagens Industri (DI), the Nordic business magazine. Fewer than one in 100 Swedish companies can meet the strict quality criteria set up. Handheld has now been named a "Gazelle" for four years in a row. Handheld was presented with the Gazelle award during the award ceremony in Gothenburg, western Sweden, last night.

The "Gazelle" status is the icing on the cake in a very successful year for Handheld, during which the following achievements can be mentioned:

• In February, Handheld opened an office in Sydney, Australia to serve the Asia-Pacific region.
• In April, Handheld won one of the largest tenders ever in the world for rugged PDAs when Netherlands Railways ordered more than 10,000 rugged handhelds for ticket control and travel information. Handheld was also awarded public transportation contracts from the cities of Montreal, Canada, and Helsinki, Finland.In May, Handheld was selected as a Red Herring 100 Tech Europe company as one of Europe's most innovative tech companies.
• In September, Handheld launched its state of the art Algiz XRW rugged notebook with touchscreen.

Handheld's line-up of rugged PDAs and mobile computers are specifically developed for use in tough environments in industries such as mining, geomatics, logistics, forestry, public transportation, construction, utilities, maintenance, military and security and extreme sports.
 
Fast-growing, profitable and sound
The basic criteria for 2011 Gazelle companies are a considerable increase in sales for the past three years, positive operating results for the past four financial years, organic growth (i.e. not through acquisitions and mergers), and sound finances. Fewer than one percent of Sweden's joint-stock companies meet the requirements to be classified as Gazelle companies.

"Being named a Gazelle company for four years running is almost unprecedented", said Jerker Hellstrm, CEO of Handheld Group. "It is a great honour and a stamp of approval for our competent and dedicated staff turning out such top quality and sought after products. Being a strong and financially solid company is of course uplifting and reassuring not only for our staff but also for our partners and customers."
 
The term "Gazelles" was created by American scholar David Birch of Cognetics, Inc., who differentiated fast-growing companies (Gazelles) that create the most new jobs in the economy from the "Elephants" the huge companies that are always striving for efficiency and therefore reducing the number of jobs. He considered the Gazelles to be the dynamic intermediate layer of the industry.