The FINANCIAL — International Corporation ICR is one of the largest and most stable organisations in the retail business in Georgia. The company represents international brands of shoes, clothes, accessories, as well as furniture and restaurants. Two of ICR’s brands – ‘Laboratory My Home’ and Georgian restaurant ‘Tabla’ have become Golden Brand Award winners this year.
“Tabla won Golden Brand because it is an innovative project. It has continuously developed and transformed in the last three years. We have good customer service, amazing dishes in terms of both taste and presentation. There is a favourable attitude towards every customer, thus we have a growing loyal customer base,” said the Director of ICR Nani Andiashvili.
“I am grateful to every expert who took part in the judging process and valued our hard work. We are ready to offer new developments and innovation to our customers. The competition on the market is harsh and we want to maintain Tabla’s Golden Brand status,” she added.
“As for Laboratory My Home, its nomination is also due to its innovative nature and constant developments. It has been just three years since we first introduced the brand to the market. I want to express my gratitude and thank the employees of ICR because if it was not for all of their hard work, loyalty and dedication, we would not have been able to accomplish this much,” Andiashvili said.
Q. How has ICR developed on the Georgian market over the years?
A. In July 1990, my friends and I gathered together and decided to start something useful for us and for our country. We wanted to create something new and interesting. Back then, I never imagined that our company would grow and develop this rapidly. If we had known this, it would have been harder to make certain decisions.
It was a difficult period, the governmental regime was changing and every step we made was connected to certain risks. Fortunately, everything went in the right direction.
In November 1991 we established TBC Group. I remember the day we registered the company as if it was yesterday. It was a spectacular day, we were one team, with the same interests.
After this we started planning the future development of our business. Soon we decided to establish a bank and then retail shops. That is when we presented the international brand ‘Bata’ to the Georgian market. The first Bata shop opened in Tbilisi on 9 August, 1993. It is still the largest and most popular footwear brand and chain in Georgia.
In 1995 we established the network of perfume shops ‘Voulez-Vous’ and the first hypermarket ‘Babiloni’, followed by advertising agency ‘Alma TBC’ in 1996.
After that, Heineken Group became our partner, we imported beer from Holland and opened a bar on Chavchavadze Ave.
The company started to grow and expand fast. Managing different sectors was hard for one group, thus we decided to divide it and manage business areas according to our interests. Kakha Khazaradze (Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ICR) and I stayed in the retail business. Luckily for us it turned out to be a successful venture, despite a rocky start.
Times were tougher, we needed large credit resources and had to run a company at a young age. Fortunately, we embarked on the right path, analysed each step in the process and understood that we had to take risks, not based on emotions and spontaneous choices, but rather rational ones. Our diligence was well appreciated and the company grew so fast, we didn’t even realize it.
Q. What are the main business areas ICR operates in today?
A. Our largest direction is the footwear business. We represent several international brands on the local market, such as Bata, Geox, Ecco, etc, and have multi-brand shops: ‘Studio by Shoes Gallery’ and ‘Laboratory Shoes Gallery’.
This is a successful direction and yields good results. We also manage successful clothes and accessories brands: Okaidi; Obaibi; Jacadi; and Parfois.
We are a leading company on the retail market. Diversification is the key to our success, further development and expansion.
In 2002, we entered the furniture business and thanks to our stylistically diverse products we attained a loyal customer base.
Competition in the furniture industry is high, thus in order to stay competitive on the market it is crucial to innovate and systematically provide customers with new offers. This is what prompted us to create Laboratory My Home, which helps customers to create a unique lifestyle.
This undertaking was interesting and hard at the same time. Laboratory My Home has been a successful brand on the market since its opening. I think that a business has to withstand time and be resilient to many external changes. The longer you are represented on the market, the bigger the responsibility to grow with your own customers.
When we saw that we had reached a level of success in the furniture business, we started to think about a new direction for our business. This was the food and restaurant business.
Nowadays, we own four brands: Italian restaurant Pomodorissimo; French bakery La France; Café Laboratory; and Georgian restaurant Tabla.
I would like to highlight the fact that Tabla is one of the most popular Georgian restaurants in the city for both Georgian and foreign guests. At Tabla we have a good representation of Georgian dishes, music, as well as our culture and traditions.
Last year, under the brand Tabla we developed two sub-brands – ‘Tabla Saloon’ and ‘Tabla Duqani’, which offer different tastes and experiences to guests. Additionally, we have a successful catering service which works from the base of our restaurants.
Q. What would your advice to women in business be?
A. Women’s involvement in the business sector is crucial and beneficial to business development.
Women are cautious and diplomatic, have the ability to multitask and take on a diverse range of responsibilities, which insures a business against any risks. Women have more sense of moderation than men.
I think it is crucial to have women in the governing body of a business, because they are better at solving conflicts and dissolving difficult situations, so that it benefits the business in the end. Men find it harder to acknowledge their mistakes which delays solving problematic situations. However, when it comes to successful endeavours, men are more prone to talk about it, while women mostly stay at the side.
What would I advise women in business? You should love the work you do and it will never tire you. My advice would be to do your job correctly, with love and care and you will get good results. Otherwise it will take on a form of obligation, it will get boring and you will constantly be in an unpleasant mood.
When you see the growth of your company, it gives you pleasure. Thus, I would recommend learning to love what you are doing, loyally serving your job and expressing your gratitude towards your co-workers and partners.
Our company showcases the importance of women in business. Out of 700 employees, 76 percent are women, and on the managerial level out of 88 employees – 61 percent are women.
This data illustrates once again that the company is successful. On a final note, I would advise women to use humour in daily situations. This is a helpful trick.
Q. Can you tell us about the human resources of the company and the skills required for future professionals?
A. I am really proud about the number of people working at ICR. The company, which started with 20-22 employees, today has more than 700 people.
The company is still expanding and in two years’ time it might go up to 1,000 employees.
It is also pleasant to know that these people feel secure at ICR. Many of our employees have worked here for 5-10 years. We also have an employee who has been with us for 20 years and has matured with the company.
Our employees perceive that they are working in a stable and reliable company, where their rights are protected and they have the ability to grow, develop and acquire higher positions. I encourage employees to be oriented towards their own self-development, to be independent, know their job well and be loyal to it.
In my opinion, a company is strong when everyone in the team is equally strong and share the responsibilities as well as the successes. Otherwise, you might make many mistakes.
A company is sustainable when it has a strong human resource. I always ask my employees to do their job independently and with honesty, take part in being a member of the team and respect each other. I believe that one individual alone cannot reach success without a strong team. The stability of a company is determined by its social capital, its employees.
At ICR we have around 700 employees, out of which 24 percent have been with us for more than 10 years. About six percent have worked at the company for more than 15 years. This 24 percent have a very important role in determining the strength and stability of the company.
Quality of workforce is linked with the education system which has to be implemented in a way that guarantees preparation of innovative, analytical people with a narrow field of expertise and specific skillset. Today, students graduate from universities and are unable to find a specific job they can take on. If in parallel with the theoretical studies students had the opportunity to turn acquired knowledge into practice, it would give us a better picture.
Before one takes on the position of financial manager, it is better to start with lower levels and develop basic capabilities in practice. The wish to take on a higher position one is not ready for, is incorrect. After finishing school, young people choose professions instinctively, study them and then change. It is not required to go to university right after one graduates from school.
I started learning finance four years after I finished school, before that I was studying on a humanitarian degree. At some point I realised that finance was actually not that far from me. It is important to understand what you want. Practical work will help you understand what you are passionate about and what you want to learn in the future.
Laboratory My Home and Georgian Restaurant Tabla Win Golden Brand
International Corporation ICR is one of the largest and most stable organisations in the retail business in Georgia. The company represents international brands of shoes, clothes, accessories, as well as furniture and restaurants. Two of ICR’s brands – ‘Laboratory My Home’ and Georgian restaurant ‘Tabla’ have become Golden Brand Award winners this year.
“Tabla won Golden Brand because it is an innovative project. It has continuously developed and transformed in the last three years. We have good customer service, amazing dishes in terms of both taste and presentation. There is a favourable attitude towards every customer, thus we have a growing loyal customer base,” said the Director of ICR Nani Andiashvili.
“I am grateful to every expert who took part in the judging process and valued our hard work. We are ready to offer new developments and innovation to our customers. The competition on the market is harsh and we want to maintain Tabla’s Golden Brand status,” she added.
“As for Laboratory My Home, its nomination is also due to its innovative nature and constant developments. It has been just three years since we first introduced the brand to the market. I want to express my gratitude and thank the employees of ICR because if it was not for all of their hard work, loyalty and dedication, we would not have been able to accomplish this much,” Andiashvili said.
Q. How has ICR developed on the Georgian market over the years?
A. In July 1990, my friends and I gathered together and decided to start something useful for us and for our country. We wanted to create something new and interesting. Back then, I never imagined that our company would grow and develop this rapidly. If we had known this, it would have been harder to make certain decisions.
It was a difficult period, the governmental regime was changing and every step we made was connected to certain risks. Fortunately, everything went in the right direction.
In November 1991 we established TBC Group. I remember the day we registered the company as if it was yesterday. It was a spectacular day, we were one team, with the same interests.
After this we started planning the future development of our business. Soon we decided to establish a bank and then retail shops. That is when we presented the international brand ‘Bata’ to the Georgian market. The first Bata shop opened in Tbilisi on 9 August, 1993. It is still the largest and most popular footwear brand and chain in Georgia.
In 1995 we established the network of perfume shops ‘Voulez-Vous’ and the first hypermarket ‘Babiloni’, followed by advertising agency ‘Alma TBC’ in 1996.
After that, Heineken Group became our partner, we imported beer from Holland and opened a bar on Chavchavadze Ave.
The company started to grow and expand fast. Managing different sectors was hard for one group, thus we decided to divide it and manage business areas according to our interests. Kakha Khazaradze (Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ICR) and I stayed in the retail business. Luckily for us it turned out to be a successful venture, despite a rocky start.
Times were tougher, we needed large credit resources and had to run a company at a young age. Fortunately, we embarked on the right path, analysed each step in the process and understood that we had to take risks, not based on emotions and spontaneous choices, but rather rational ones. Our diligence was well appreciated and the company grew so fast, we didn’t even realize it.
Q. What are the main business areas ICR operates in today?
A. Our largest direction is the footwear business. We represent several international brands on the local market, such as Bata, Geox, Ecco, etc, and have multi-brand shops: ‘Studio by Shoes Gallery’ and ‘Laboratory Shoes Gallery’.
This is a successful direction and yields good results. We also manage successful clothes and accessories brands: Okaidi; Obaibi; Jacadi; and Parfois.
We are a leading company on the retail market. Diversification is the key to our success, further development and expansion.
In 2002, we entered the furniture business and thanks to our stylistically diverse products we attained a loyal customer base.
Competition in the furniture industry is high, thus in order to stay competitive on the market it is crucial to innovate and systematically provide customers with new offers. This is what prompted us to create Laboratory My Home, which helps customers to create a unique lifestyle.
This undertaking was interesting and hard at the same time. Laboratory My Home has been a successful brand on the market since its opening. I think that a business has to withstand time and be resilient to many external changes. The longer you are represented on the market, the bigger the responsibility to grow with your own customers.
When we saw that we had reached a level of success in the furniture business, we started to think about a new direction for our business. This was the food and restaurant business.
Nowadays, we own four brands: Italian restaurant Pomodorissimo; French bakery La France; Café Laboratory; and Georgian restaurant Tabla.
I would like to highlight the fact that Tabla is one of the most popular Georgian restaurants in the city for both Georgian and foreign guests. At Tabla we have a good representation of Georgian dishes, music, as well as our culture and traditions.
Last year, under the brand Tabla we developed two sub-brands – ‘Tabla Saloon’ and ‘Tabla Duqani’, which offer different tastes and experiences to guests. Additionally, we have a successful catering service which works from the base of our restaurants.
Q. What would your advice to women in business be?
A. Women’s involvement in the business sector is crucial and beneficial to business development.
Women are cautious and diplomatic, have the ability to multitask and take on a diverse range of responsibilities, which insures a business against any risks. Women have more sense of moderation than men.
I think it is crucial to have women in the governing body of a business, because they are better at solving conflicts and dissolving difficult situations, so that it benefits the business in the end. Men find it harder to acknowledge their mistakes which delays solving problematic situations. However, when it comes to successful endeavours, men are more prone to talk about it, while women mostly stay at the side.
What would I advise women in business? You should love the work you do and it will never tire you. My advice would be to do your job correctly, with love and care and you will get good results. Otherwise it will take on a form of obligation, it will get boring and you will constantly be in an unpleasant mood.
When you see the growth of your company, it gives you pleasure. Thus, I would recommend learning to love what you are doing, loyally serving your job and expressing your gratitude towards your co-workers and partners.
Our company showcases the importance of women in business. Out of 700 employees, 76 percent are women, and on the managerial level out of 88 employees – 61 percent are women.
This data illustrates once again that the company is successful. On a final note, I would advise women to use humour in daily situations. This is a helpful trick.
Q. Can you tell us about the human resources of the company and the skills required for future professionals?
A. I am really proud about the number of people working at ICR. The company, which started with 20-22 employees, today has more than 700 people.
The company is still expanding and in two years’ time it might go up to 1,000 employees.
It is also pleasant to know that these people feel secure at ICR. Many of our employees have worked here for 5-10 years. We also have an employee who has been with us for 20 years and has matured with the company.
Our employees perceive that they are working in a stable and reliable company, where their rights are protected and they have the ability to grow, develop and acquire higher positions. I encourage employees to be oriented towards their own self-development, to be independent, know their job well and be loyal to it.
In my opinion, a company is strong when everyone in the team is equally strong and share the responsibilities as well as the successes. Otherwise, you might make many mistakes.
A company is sustainable when it has a strong human resource. I always ask my employees to do their job independently and with honesty, take part in being a member of the team and respect each other. I believe that one individual alone cannot reach success without a strong team. The stability of a company is determined by its social capital, its employees.
At ICR we have around 700 employees, out of which 24 percent have been with us for more than 10 years. About six percent have worked at the company for more than 15 years. This 24 percent have a very important role in determining the strength and stability of the company.
Quality of workforce is linked with the education system which has to be implemented in a way that guarantees preparation of innovative, analytical people with a narrow field of expertise and specific skillset. Today, students graduate from universities and are unable to find a specific job they can take on. If in parallel with the theoretical studies students had the opportunity to turn acquired knowledge into practice, it would give us a better picture.
Before one takes on the position of financial manager, it is better to start with lower levels and develop basic capabilities in practice. The wish to take on a higher position one is not ready for, is incorrect. After finishing school, young people choose professions instinctively, study them and then change. It is not required to go to university right after one graduates from school.
I started learning finance four years after I finished school, before that I was studying on a humanitarian degree. At some point I realised that finance was actually not that far from me. It is important to understand what you want. Practical work will help you understand what you are passionate about and what you want to learn in the future.
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