The FINANCIAL — The year 2012 has been widely successful for Wissol Group according to Samson Pkhakadze, the President of the Group.
The FINANCIAL — The year 2012 has been widely successful for Wissol Group according to Samson Pkhakadze, the President of the Group. Among others, the important challenges in 2013 will be launching of Wendy’s restaurants in Georgia and further expansion of Smart supermarkets.
“In 2006 we made strategic decision to diversify of our business portfolio andstarted searching for new sources of cash flow to successfully maintain our financial indicators in the long run. We have implemented several successful projects since then. As a result of successful diversification by the end of 2012 we came up withWissol Group’s corporate logo.The latter has very attractive look. Since 2012 all of our daughter companies are united under the name Wissol Group,”Pkhakadze said.
“Forming the Wissol Group was the most important step in our corporate history. It required thorough, well-thought managerial and administrative decisions. We are happy thatthe group already employs several thousand people and several successful companies are united under one umbrella.
In our quest for diversification, one of the successful projects has beenlaunching of Smart supermarkets. We added several outlets in 2012 and met the year 2013 withalready 10 (ten) Smart supermarkets in total.
“In order to further develop the supermarket chain throughout Georgia, Smart received a USD 26 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as a resultof which additional 28 stores will be launched in the country until the end of 2015. The development of the Smart supermarket chain began in 2010. Today, Smart supermarkets are successfully operating across the country. Wissol Group will further expand the supermarket chain and plans to employ about 3,000 people in total within the next three years,”Pkhakadze said.
In the last week of 2012 the annual Golden Pergament awards (organized by News Agency GHN) named Smartas the “Best Brand of 2012”.
The very same day, the Golden Pergament awards named Samson Pkhakadze as the “Best Entrepreneur of2012”.
“One of the biggest achievementsof our company in 2012 was signing thefranchise agreement for Georgia and Azerbaijan with multinational fast food company Wendy’s International. The Wendy’s International announced an agreement with Wissol Group in April 2012 to develop over 25 restaurants in Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan over the next 10 years.”
“We are very proud tobring Wendy’s to the Georgian market, where we will focus our development efforts over the next several years. Wendy’s is a very well-established global company with significant brand image and brand loyalty. Wendy’s hashighly standardized business practices and serves a good variety and the highest quality fresh products that will be immediately attractive to the Georgian customers. We are also excited that, through Wendy’s, Wissol Group will create additional jobs in our local economy. After French oil giant TOTAL and Italian API, we expect Wendy’s to become one of the most important and highly respected brands in our growing business portfolio.” Pkhakadze said.
According to Pkhakadze, the main reason of the Group’s success is its hardworking, persistent, motivated, talented and dedicated employees at all levels. “ We pay so much attention whom we hire and put lot’s of efforts in staff trainings at our own academy” – said Samson Pkhakadze.
In 2012, Wissol Group became an official representative of one more multinational company in Georgia–Finnish Vianor. As a result of the agreement between the two companies, all existing car service centres of Wissol AutoExpress, one of the daughter brands of Wissol Group, will berebranded into Vianor.
“Vianor is a member of Nokian Tyres Group and operates up to 1,000 tyre and car service centres in 24 countries. It’s a 4 bln USD company. By the end of 2013, Vianor’s 20 (twenty) auto service centres in Georgia will be providing its customers with Nokian and Nordman premium quality tyres, along with French Total and Fina lubricants, Fram filters, Energizer batteries and brake pads from ATE, TEXTAR, ABS and other car related services,” Pkhakadze stated.
“JSC Wissol Petroleum Georgia is one of the top companies in our business Group. This year JSC Wissol Petroleum Georgia has managed to maintain its leading position on the petroleum market. We added several petrol and CNG stations. In 2013 we are planning to expand our CNGnetwork as well as add several petrol stations. We already have 107 petrol stations and over 40 new sites/locations which will bedeveloped within 2-3 years,” Samson Pkhakadze said.
In 2012 Wissol Group opened the hotel Lomsia in Akhaltsikhe. German architectswere working on the project and a French manager runs the hotel. Itis a 3 to 4 star hotel.
In 2012 Wissol continued the development of Georgian sports by increasing its input in supporting football club Torpedo Kutaisi, football school Avaza, fitness centre Laguna Kutaisi, Torpedo Kutaisi training base and football academy.
“We are negotiating with the Government of Georgia on creating new initiatives for developing sport in Georgia. Several private clubs already exist in the football and it would be good if their number increases. The Government should play a crucial role in the development of Georgian football, which is currently facingcertain difficulties. The Government should motivate companies to invest in this field as being successful in football directly reflects on a country’s overall success and the fame. It’scertain that achievements if football arena is the quickest way topromoteany country abroad,” Pkhakadze said.
“In addition with internally generated cash flows we need capital for our companies to expand and capture further market share. As interest rates are still high in Georgia our group companies always try to be funded by foreign banks and international institutions. We are happy that during all these years we have created a sound track records with a few foreign lenders and are successfully continue to enjoy mutually beneficial partnership with them” noted Pkhakadze. We plan to gain new partners in this direction in 2013. We are already in negotiations with some new lenders who expressed the interest to work with us”.
“At the end, let me sincerelywish Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to your newspaper. I trustthat your paper will continue to enjoy the leadership position in 2013”said Pkhakadze.
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