The mittelstand are the 3 million mostly family-owned mid-sized businesses that employ more than two-thirds of Germany's workers and contribute half of its GDP.
They have helped Germany blow past its European neighbors with record setting exports and a projected 2010 3.7% GDP.
“That’s one of the secrets of the German mittelstand: most of them are managed by their owners; they grow long-term and they don’t have to please the financial community,” said one company executive.