XVI BUSINESS RATINGgeotimes.com.ge/uploads_script/magazine/georgian_times_red.pdf · Georgia. Sozar...

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XVI BUSINESS RATINGS P O N S O R

W W W W Weeklyeeklyeeklyeeklyeekly Newspaper, International Edition - Published by “ “ “ “ “ The Georgian TIMESThe Georgian TIMESThe Georgian TIMESThe Georgian TIMESThe Georgian TIMES””””” Media Holding SSSSS ince 199ince 199ince 199ince 199ince 19933333 www.geotimes.ge

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Mondey, 21 December, 201 5

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NEWS PAPER IN GEORGIAN01

cont. on 5-th pg.

‘Let us do what we know andlive in a prosperous country’

Remarks by Malkhaz Gulashvili,Founder and President of The GeorgianTimes Media Holding, President of DroTV, President of the Azri Centre forStrategic Research and InternationalRelations, journalist and political expert,to business

‘The national business awards aredesigned to reveal and introducesuccessful companies and businessmento the public, defend the rights ofentrepreneurs, encourage effectiveadvertising and proper and nonstop

communication,encourage thebusiness sector toengage in morecharitable andp h i l a n t h r o p i caffairs, developnew technology,create new jobs, grow and be financiallytransparent, gain international recognitionand reputation, attract new investmentand enter new export markets.

GRAND PRIZE GOES TOWISSOL PETROLEUM GEORGIA

The Best among Best - 2014-15

Grand Prize consisted of the Transitional Order, blessed by The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, and the Bolnisi Cross, made by famousGeorgian Designer Baadur Lezhava.

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Publisher/Editor in ChiefNana GaguaTel.: (+995) 555 293 003E-mail:[email protected]

The Georgian TIMES# 1 English-Language Newspaper in Georgia

Director:Kakha MaskharashviliTel: (+995) 551 501 313E-mail:[email protected] published in 1993.

The Founder and the President Malkhaz Gulashvili. Tel: (+995) 577 461 046The Georgian Times Media Holding.12, Kikodze str, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: (+995 32) 2934405,E-mail: [email protected]; http://www.geotimes.ge

Executive Editor:Mariam ToidzeTel: (+995) 577 727 207E-mail:[email protected]

Contributions to The Georgian TIMES are welcome. If you are interested in submitting an article ornews item, ect. please contact; Tel/fax: (+995 32) 2934405

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16th Georgian Times and GORBI JointBusiness Rating Awards Ceremony

The Georgian Times Media Holding and GORBI’s ideaof producing a rating of the best Georgian businesses hasstood the test of time since 1995, gained and maintainedpublic confidence, become a famous, credible and highlyregarded event and has never been proven wrong in its basicconcept: that Georgia will develop by supporting andpromoting national business.

At the 16th Business Rating Awards Ceremony onNovember 26, 2015 entrepreneurs, executives, members ofthe diplomatic corps, media representatives and officers ofstate came together to celebrate further business successand see who the winners would be. Everyone is keen toknow who the panel of experts regard as the most prominentcompanies and businessmen and who will win the grandprize - the Precious Transition Medal blessed by theCatholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

This year Soso Pkhakadze, the President of WissolGroup, was declared the winner. He was awarded anexclusive leather Bolnian Cross decorated with natural gemstones, crafted according to traditional methods by thefamous Georgian art expert, painter and designer BaadurLezhava.

The 16th Business Rating Awards Ceremony was heldat the Funicular Complex Ballroom. The platinum sponsorof the event was the Black Sea Group, the gold sponsor wasSOCAR Energy Georgia and the general sponsors wereWissol Petroleum Georgia” and Smart supermarkets. Theevent was supported by Tbilisi City Hall, the Ministry ofEconomy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, theMinistry of Finance of Georgia, the Ministry of Energy ofGeorgia, the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia, theMinistry of Regional Development and Infrastructure ofGeorgia, the Partnership Fund, the International Chamberof Commerce and the Georgian Chamber of Commerce &Industry and Georgian Employers Association.

The distinguished guests ofthe 16th Business Rating AwardsCeremony made the followingcomments to the GeorgianTimes:

‘This is a very special day,because today the merit of theprivate sector is celebrated onceagain, and we all give them a bigthank you for the paramountcontribution they make to theprosperity and economic growth

of Georgia. We are all well awarethat the private sector is the majordriving force of economic growthand new jobs, which we need somuch" - Dimitry Kumsishvili,Minister of Economy andEconomic Development ofGeorgia.

‘I would like to emphasize thatthe private sector is introduced,encouraged and supported by eventssuch as The Georgian Times

Business Rating Awards Ceremony,which is an additional stimulus forentrepreneurs. They receiveappreciation, and this encouragesthem to strive for furtheradvancement and create newenterprises and new jobs. Therefore,such events are vital for the furtherdevelopment of the country andprivate sector itself" - KetevanBochorishvili, Deputy Minister ofEconomy and SustainableDevelopment of Georgia.

‘The Georgian TimesBusiness Awards Ceremony is ofthe utmost importance, above all,because the right communicationis crucial, and success can neverbe achieved without cooperationbetween the private sector and thegovernment. We can say the same

in the context of agriculture. Thiscooperation is very important,especially at a time of greatchallenges, when we have tocomply with a raft of regulationsas part of the Europeanintegration process, which haveto go through the private sectorin order to get the final resultcalled European Integration" -Otar Danelia, Minister ofAgriculture of Georgia.

‘The country's future

development depends on howwell the business sector develops,whether there is a sufficientlyfree business environment andto what extent each businessactivity can be successful.

cont. on 3-th pg.

‘This is a very special day, because today the merit of theprivate sector is celebrated once again, and we all give thema big thank you for the paramount contribution they make

to the prosperity and economic growth of Georgia.‘ -Dimitry Kumsishvili, Minister of Economy and Economic

Development of Georgia.

‘Naturally, business needs stimulus, and this ceremony is one ofthe instruments for encouraging those companies which are

doing their best to employ as many people as possible,contribute more money to the budget and endeavour to besuccessful themselves" - David Narmania, Mayor of Tbilisi.

Founder and President of The Georgian Times Media Holding, Malkhaz Gulashvili, Merab Pachulia, Managing Director of GORBI(Georgian Opinion Research Business International).

Otar Danelia, Ministerof Agriculture of

Georgia.

Sozar Subari, Ministerof Internally Displaced

Persons from theOccupied Territories,Accommodation andRefugees of Georgia.

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It is of the utmost importance toupgrade public awareness of this, and

that businessmen feel they have somesupport not only from the governmentbut the public as well. It is significantto have a good understanding of thisinitiative, which has been gainingstrength over all these years, and I wantto express special thanks to theGeorgian Times for this particularinitiative" - Sozar Subari, Minister ofInternally Displaced Persons from theOccupied Territories, Accommodationand Refugees of Georgia.

‘I regard The Georgian Times'traditional business rating as animmensely important event forGeorgian businessmen. This is why Ihave willingly participated in it overthe years. I have taken part, as thehead of an organisation at different

16th Georgian Times and GORBI JointBusiness Rating Awards Ceremony

from pg. 2 times, but now I am here as the officialrepresentative of the local authority.Today, a vast number of interestingbusiness sectors are represented at this

event. Naturally, business needsstimulus, and this ceremony is one ofthe instruments for encouraging thosecompanies which are doing their bestto employ as many people as possible,contribute more money to the budgetand endeavour to be successfulthemselves" - David Narmania, Mayorof Tbilisi.

‘Such events, which promote theactivities and achievements ofbusinessmen over the year, are alwaysprecious because they grant them a goodopportunity to look through both theirown activities and those of their rivalsand share their views and experienceswith one another, which is a big jobindeed. New plans and proposals arethen set out. Therefore, similar

gatherings can only bring a positiveoutcome" - Nodar Javakhishvili,Minister of Regional Development andInfrastructure of Georgia.

‘Events like this are of paramountimportance. The healthy criticism wehear this evening within the frameworkof the business awards ceremonyunderlines the fact that business is free,and can receive criticism, evaluate itand listen to it objectively" - GiorgiGakharia, Business Ombudsman.

‘Entrepreneurs are people with themost progressive, advanced and risk-taking capacities, and those gathered hereare vital for the prosperity and economicdevelopment of the country. Events likethis, where entrepreneurship andleadership capacities are evaluated andencouraged, are very significant" -George Tabuashvili, First DeputyMinister of Finance of Georgia andGeneral Director of the GeorgianRevenue Service.

‘The Business Awards Ceremonyorganised by the Georgian Times is awell-known event among the Georgianbusiness elite. Over the years it hasplayed a very important role in thebusiness sector, which is of substantialimportance for the economic growthof the country. Business is motivatedand encouraged by means of similarevents, as employers are the creatorsof profit and new assets. Relativelynew companies can also be ranked asleaders of Georgian business at thisceremony, and this is another reason Iwelcome and support the event" -Irakli Lekvinadze, Vice-Mayor ofTbilisi.

‘Special thanks are due to theorganisers of this very important event.It has been with us for a very long time,and I remember each one because I haveattended them all. I think they serve tosupport and promote business" - KhatiaMoistsrapishvili, Head of the StaffOffice at the Georgian Revenue Service.

‘Meetings like this one are ofparamount importance, as they fosterthe exchange of ideas, mutualcommunication and a goodunderstanding of others' opinions andtheir approaches to the subjects ofeconomics, state relationships and theactions and positions of government"- Nikoloz Kizikurashvili, GeneralDirector of the United Water SupplyCompany of Georgia.

‘I am here to share the happinesscalled the triumph of business. In fact,the success of the business sector equalsthe success of the country, and of art,charity and education. The mostsuccessful businessmen are here this

evening, those who have managed tobecome the best in the market in thecurrent year" - Nino Surguladze.

‘This is the 16th Business Rating,and I would like to point out thatholding such an event is very importantfor a couple of reasons. The foremostis that businessmen, journalists andgovernment officials meet one anotherjust once a year, and it is here. Inaddition, this special business awardsceremony stimulates Georgianbusinessmen to demonstrate theirbusiness activities publicly. Wewelcomed the proposal of MalkhazGulashvili, President of The GeorgianTimes Media Holding, to contribute ourexperience to the process of selectingthe most successful companies, and itis worth noting that businessmen selectthe best company and neither theorganisers nor journalists are allowedto interfere in their decision. This addssome kind of intrigue to the wholeprocess" - Merab Pachulia, ManagingDirector of GORBI (Georgian OpinionResearch Business International).

‘The national business awards aredesigned to reveal and introducesuccessful companies and businessmento the public, defend the rights of

entrepreneurs, encourage effectiveadvertising and proper and nonstopcommunication, encourage thebusiness sector to engage in morecharitable and philanthropic affairs,develop new technology, create newjobs, grow and be financiallytransparent, gain internationalrecognition and reputation, attract newinvestment and enter new exportmarkets.

‘The first business rating waspublished in 1995, and not surprisingly

‘Such events, which promote the activities and achievements ofbusinessmen over the year, are always precious because they grant thema good opportunity to look through both their own activities and those of

their rivals and share their views and experiences with one another,which is a big job indeed.‘ - Nodar Javakhishvili, Minister of Regional

Development and Infrastructure of Georgia

‘I would like to emphasize thatthe private sector is introduced,encouraged and supported byevents such as The Georgian

Times Business Rating AwardsCeremony, which is anadditional stimulus for

entrepreneurs’ - KetevanBochorishvili, Deputy Ministerof Economy and Sustainable

Development of Georgia.

‘Events like this are of paramount importance. The healthy criticism wehear this evening within the framework of the business awards ceremony

underlines the fact that business is free’ - Giorgi Gakharia, BusinessOmbudsman.

George Tabuashvili,First Deputy Minister ofFinance of Georgia andGeneral Director of the

Georgian RevenueService.

Ia Basharuli, GeorgianPaper Production

Khatia Moistsrapishvili- Revenue Service.

‘The right communication iscrucial,especially at a time of greatchallenges, when we have to comply

with a raft of regulations...’ - OtarDanelia, Minister of Agriculture of

Georgia

only 11 companies were included. Thesouvenir photos of that event are inblack and white. Today we award prizesto 30 successful companies. Thisdemonstrates that business is going theright way; the days when business wassubject to ongoing terror and forcefulseizure have finally ended.

‘The long-term development ofthe country will not occur without thedynamic advancement of the businesssector. This is why the NationalBusiness Awards has lived through theepochs of three presidents withoutlosing its urgency, trustworthiness andinfluence. On the contrary, it hasreinforced its position and proved itsnecessity. - Founder and President ofThe Georgian Times Media Holding,Malkhaz Gulashvili.

Natia Bakradze

Nino Surguladze - worldwideGeorgian mezzo-soprano,

Founder of the CharityFoundation Desire Tree

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SOCAR has beenoperating for 9 years and hasa 30% share of the oil productsmarket in Georgia. It has alarge network of modernpetrol and gas filling stationsand owns the Kulevi OilTerminal, which has strategicimportance. By transferring abillion GEL to the statebudget, SOCAR hasmaintained its status as a largetaxpayer. In 2015 SOCARalso became the generalsponsor of the Wish Treecharitable foundation.

Awards: largest taxpayer,largest employer, high qualitystandards, effectivemanagement.

GT interviewed GeneralDirector of SOCAR MahirMammedov.

- We know, that Georgiawas the first foreign marketfor SOCAR to set up retailoperation. Please, tell usabout the beginning, how itall started?

- I am very glad to greetyour magazine, and will behappy to share informationabout our company and itsactivity in Georgia.

I would like to start bysaying that the first foreignrepresentation and jointventure for SOCAR was inGeorgia, in 2006. Whichestablished several daughtercompanies “SOCAR EnergyGeorgia” LLC is active on twomarkets in Georgia – naturalgas and oil products (petrol,diesel). Investments in Georgianow stand at more than 950million US dollars. Mainly thecompany operates through itstwo branch companies onGeorgian market – “SOCARGeorgia Petroleum” LLC and“SOCAR Georgia Gas” LLC.There are over 5500 peopleworking for our holding.

- For a very short timeSOCAR has becomeimportant participant intoGeorgia’s business, socialand cultural life. In youropinion what are the mainachievements, that companyhas reached so far?

- Georgia is the firstcountry where we have anetwork of petrol and gasstations, about 114 at themoment, it is planned toincrease this number up to 120.The first petrol station wasopened on April 25, 2008. TheSOCAR petrol station fullymeets European standards.The mentioned petrol stationas well as all SOCAR stations,is equipped with Japaneseequipment ensuring a 100 %preciseness of providing fuel.

“SOCAR Georgia Gas”LLC has implemented thelarge -scale project ofgasification in all regions ofGeorgia and it has more than5000 km – long distributionnetwork (mainly of averagepressure), which enables 200000 new subscribers toconnect to the common natural

gas network. The investmentmade by the company is morethan 200 million USD.

In previous 9 years in row“SOCAR Georgia Petroleum”LLC was named the winner inthe nomination “The LargestTaxpayer to the Budget ofGeorgia”, paid more than 700million US dollars and itreceived ISO 9001:2008“Quality managementCertificate” twice.

The joint multifunctionalcomplex of SOCAR andGOODWILL located at themain line of east and west, onthe Gori section is a jointproject. Goodwill provides thepetrol station and therecreation complex of SOCARwith the supermarket and fastfood facility.

The petrol station ofSOCAR in Batumi where the

McDonald’s is situated with itsoriginal and futuristic design,immediately attracted theattention of the world’sreputable publications. In 2013,

it was considered to be amongthe world’s 100 best buildingsby the American publication“The Huffington Post” as themost creative and beautiful fastfood establishment in the worldwhereas in the current year of2014, the reputable architecturalcompany “ArchDaily”nominated and included theSOCAR building located inBatumi in the list of the year’sselected architectural buildings.

SOCAR Oils the Wheels of Progress- SOCAR’S corporate

social responsibility is verywell known. What are theprojects that stand out foryou in terms of value forGeorgian community?

- We are proud, that ourcompany covers the monthlyexpense for natural gas supplyfor all religious confessions inGeorgia (churches, mosquesand monasteries).

During the whole periodwere reconstructed 7 publicschools, 2 kindergartens, 3mini-stadium, constructedmore than 7.500 meters ofroads, 2 hospitals, 2 parks,building bridge andconstructing the modern watersupply systems.

SOCAR Representationhas sponsored the education of2797 Azerbaijani students inthe higher educationinstitutions of Georgia; morethan 700 students from themreceive monthly scholarshipfrom our company. Along withthat we contributed in receivingprofessional medical help formore than 120 families inGeorgia.

One of our proud Projectis the Tea House - the Centerof youth of Azerbaijan inGeorgia, which was opened in2012. With our contribution incultural center where 650children and youth of differentage category can attend thefaculty classes in different

subjects, such as Georgian,English and French languagecourses, carpet weaving, art,drawing, chess and dances forfree. Marneuli Tea House wonan award “Public ServiceArchitecture” of EuropeanProperty Awards Architecture2013-2014 in London

Supporting Georgian sportis just a part of SOCAR’scharitable activities. SOCAR isGeneral sponsors of Georgian

Chess and Football Federationand Olympic Comity ofGeorgia.

Several years we are theGeneral sponsors of verypopular intelligent game“What? Where? When? “

Since 2015 we are sponsorsof charity found “Natvris xe”.

During whole time of itsactivity the company hasspend more than 36 millionUSD for charity, social andhumanitarian projects.

We have many culturalprojects like- the park namedof Heydar Aliyev has beenfully reconstructed by theRepresentation of SOCAR inGeorgia in 2013. In,2013 wasopened the house-museum ofthe famous Azerbaijan writer,enlightener, philosopher,founder of national dramaturgyMirza Fatali Akhundzade(Akhundov). Now thisbuilding is called in that way –Akhundov House. In it islocated Art Gallery with thesame name, Museum ofAzerbaijani Culture, literaturecafé “Monsieur Jordan”, winecellar and library.

- During last daysSOCAR has again madeheadlines by rescuing theHistorical building in Tbilisiand giving a new life byusing the latesttechnologies. Please, tell usa few words about it too.

- The project has historical

value for everyone, it is specialbecause we are lifting the buildingby 3.5 meters to make its façadevisible from the central street.This is a remarkably historicalbuilding and we are treating itwith special attention. In thefuture this building will becomepart of a hotel complex which isnow being planned. This willhave a great importance in termsof cultural and historical sightsof Georgia.

‘The Georgian Times business awards, devotedly organised for many yearsbyMalkhaz Gulashvili, are a very significant event and an encouragement for thedevelopment of business. We are well aware of the problems and complicationsMalkhaz Gulashvili has had to endure in this regard, but he has neverthelessmanaged to keep that very special tradition going. The prize we have received todayis a great honour indeed. It means that someone sees and appreciates what we aredoing, which is a paramount motivation’ - Mahir Mammedov.

XVI BUSINESS RATING S P O N S O R

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Company Black Sea Group is aleading roadbuilding company,connecting towns, streets, buildingsand villages to each other. It combinestechnological databases, asphaltplants, stationary and mobile stonequarrying facilities, mobile concreteplants, up to date quality controllaboratories and dozens of highquality, professional staff to provideoutstanding services.

Awards: best constructioncompany, international recognition,development of quality, use of newtechnology, professional team.

GT interviewed AmiranMamutchadze, General Directorof Company Black Sea Group.

- What kind of stimulus is it tobe included in the business rating?

- Any business sector, especiallyours, requires encouragement andbacking. It is of the utmost importanceto know who supports you and whocan include you in a rating whichmakes the public aware of youractivities. This is a really significantfactor in itself. Special thanks go tothose companies who have recognisedus. We are the only Georgiancompany which implementsinfrastructure projects throughout thecountry, and just now we are workingon a bypass road in Yerevan, Armeniafor the Asian Bank.

The ratings conducted by mediaoutlets increase internationalawareness. When foreigners enterGeorgia, The Georgian Times is thefirst newspaper they read. That is whyinclusion in its rating is of paramountimportance for any company. As soonas we were focused on by the media,we succeeded in improvingcommunication with our businesspartners.

- What is your market share?

‘We have signed a very important contract with TAV GEORGIA and will therefore beconducting the rehabilitation of the runway and taxiway at Tbilisi International Airport’

- Unfortunately, infrastructureprojects and the constructionbusiness itself have always beentreated according to Soviet ideology.Therefore I cannot tell you preciselywhat market share we have, but weare one of the leading companies in

terms of conducting innovativeinfrastructure projects with newtechnology and well-trained staff. Ourkey tasks include ensuring quality,efficiency, and satisfaction ofcustomer need.

- Who do you deem to be yournearest rivals?

- All the organisations in thisbusiness support one another, asprojects cannot be completed withouta combination of physical and

technical resources. We have finerelations with each organization, sowe do not view any of them as rivals.There is no need for organisationsinvolved in the same business to beenemies or undesirable friends of. Wespecify again that we have close

relations with all organisations whichdeem quality to be their priority.

- How would you evaluate thecurrent situation in the constructionmarket?

- Unfortunately, the current lawon state procurement does notprovide efficient regulation for themarket. Buyers often meet seriousproblems, and have to discuss howthese can be solved as per the relevantregulations. Procurement should be

conducted in accordance with thesame regulations; the Ministry ofInfrastructure should not purchaseeither a multi-purpose building or anart building under the sameregulations it uses for buyingdisposable items. Proper and well-thought-out discussions arenecessary to develop relevantregulations for manufacturers of high-quality products.

In some cases companies are setup just in a day. Such companies donot have an interest in developingproper and good communications withthe state. It is very difficult, and eveninadmissible, for a single person tocontrol several companies; if any ofthese companies fail to fulfill theirresponsibilities (and get put on ablacklist), the others can still take partin different tenders on behalf of acouple of other companies.

It is clear that successful tendersfrequently fail to be delivered due tothe incompetence of foreign (Chineseor Russian) companies. It isimpossible to check whether thedocumentation submitted by suchcompanies is legally correct or not.But the law on state procurement isnot flexible. It should be improvedand worked through to ensure thedevelopment of the market. Theseissues are clearly highlighted in thestate budget devoted to theimplementation of infrastructureprojects.

- What is your investmentportfolio?

- We have signed a very importantcontract with TAV GEORGIA andwill therefore be conducting therehabilitation of the runway andtaxiway at Tbilisi InternationalAirport. As part of of this project,the company plans to make 5.5million to 6 million dollars in

investment in 2016. This willpurchase innovative technologies,new technical facilities and stafftraining.

- What kind of quality controlmechanisms do you have?

- The quality of constructionwork is controlled similarly to that inother segments. The quality controldepartment of the company managesconstruction works as per theregulations. The procurement ofbuilding materials is governed bystatutory instruments. The modernlaboratory of Company Black SeaGroup is the only such one in thecountry; none of the otherconstruction companies has alaboratory like it. This is what helpsus meet our quality standards. We alsocooperate with internationalorganisations which help us conductquality control and provide us withthe right instruments.

I wish to point out withhappiness that we have close ties withthe Georgian Technical University,from where we take the students andtrain them in every section of thecompany.

- Can you outline your futureplans?

- We have rather ambitious plans.We want to employ even more peopleand construct even more buildings,which our human resource andtechnical base will enable us to do.We will not only construct morebuildings but to take a properposition in terms of building materialsprocurement. This will be a greatimpetus for newly created companies.Our main priority remains thedevelopment of our business in asustainable, contemporary andcorrect direction and supporting thecompanies who have the capacity todo good things for the country.

‘Events like this grant us an opportunity to inform the publicabout the activities of Georgian business and their futureemployment perspectives. Our job is to build an economicbackground which will ensure that more people are employed andthat the resources for the economic growth of the country arecreated. This is what The Georgian Times also supports’ - AmiranMamutchadze, General Director of Company Black Sea Group.

‘Let us do what we know and letus live in a prosperous country’

The first business rating waspublished in 1995, and not surprisinglyonly 11 companies were included. Thesouvenir photos of that event are in blackand white. Today we award prizes tomore then 30 successful companies.This demonstrates that business is goingthe right way; the days when businesswas subject to ongoing terror andforceful seizure have finally ended.Today we need the promotion and rapiddevelopment of the business sector, andto develop more creative and promptapproaches to the regulations whichimpede business advancement andcreate a stimulus mechanism which willhelp the small and medium-sizedbusinesses in this country.

The long-term development of thecountry will not occur without thedynamic advancement of the business

sector. This is why the NationalBusiness Awards has lived through theepochs of three presidents withoutlosing its urgency, trustworthiness andinfluence. On the contrary, it hasreinforced its position and proved itsnecessity.

We are immensely glad to see heremembers of the government, theleaders of the economic ministries (theMinistry of Finance of Georgia,Ministry of Economy and SustainableDevelopment of Georgia, Ministry ofEnergy of Georgia, Ministry ofRegional Development andInfrastructure and Ministry ofAgriculture), Tbilisi City Hall, thePartnership Fund, the InternationalChamber of Commerce, the GeorgianChamber of Commerce & Industryand Georgian Employers Association,businessmen and particularly journalists

and diplomats, who have continuallysupported us and joined us inencouraging the business sector.

This year The Georgian TimesMedia Holding celebrates its 22nd andthe business rating its 20th anniversary.Our holding combines the English-language newspaper The GeorgianTimes, the trilingual online portalgeotimes.ge, the Dro TV company anda couple of advertising and PRagencies and magazines. The GeorgianTimes Media Holding will continuesupporting the business sector, seekingits popularisation, introducing newlyestablished companies, consolidatingdeep communications betweenbusinessmen and attracting theattention of the international businesscommunity.

So, let us do what we know and letus live in a prosperous country.”

from pg. 1

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The GeorgianIndustrial Group is aholding with a wide-ranging portfolio:coalmining, enriching andprocessing, electricityproduction, import-export,retail and wholesale tradein natural gas and realestate management. It usesthe latest innovations andtechnologies and is thelargest provider ofeconomic growth andenergy security in thecountry. Its daughtercompany, the GeorgianInternational EnergyCorporation, also won anaward at this year's rating.

GIG awards:Conducting new large-scaleinvestment projects,team working, big employer,using environmentallyfriendly technologies.

GIEC award: making asignificant contribution tothe development of theenergy sector in Georgia.

GT interviewed JoergMatthies, CEO of GeorgianIndustrial Group.

- What does beingincluded in the businessrating mean for you?

- First of all, thisn o m i n a t i o n p l a c e sincreased responsibility onGIG before the country andthe public, who haveappreciated our aspirationto conduct massive andvaluable projects in thisemerging economy. GIG haswon awards in severalcategories, each equally

GIG Group: Our Investments AreVery Diverse and Future Oriented

important for businessdevelopment. For me, as theGeneral Director of GIG,these nominations are anadditional motivation totake on new challenges andstay the course. Thesenominations mean that weare on the right path andthat our efforts are fruitfuland productive.

- Could you outline yourcompany's future plans?

- GIG is a leading holdingin the country, one of thelargest employers withapproximately 3,000 staff.Our companies have beenoperating in the Georgianand regional markets forsome 20 years. GIG activelydevelops new, strategicallyimportant projects withlocal and foreigninvestment.

Georgia is a country withvast energy resources. Weconstantly plan and

develop projects which willstrengthen the energysecurity of the country byusing local resources.

Our plans for the nearfuture include theconstruction of a coal-firedthermal power plant inTkibuli, the development ofHPPs on various rivers inGuria, enlarging thenetwork of gas fillingstations operating underour brand name Neogasand the development of awind farm project in ShidaKartli. The wind powerindustry is developing at ahigh pace worldwide andwe are keen to keep up withthe global progress, thusincreasing renewableenergy's share of the poweroutput in Georgia.

- Do you plan to enternew export markets, andwhat kind of strategicdevelopment plan do youhave?

- Apart from powergeneration GIEC is alsopursuing ambitious plansfor developing electricityand gas trade and transitwith Georgia's neighbors.Among other things, largequantities of electricity havebeen exported to Turkeyand Armenia this year.

Georgian InternationalEnergy Corporation ismaking its best efforts todiversify and increase itsexport possibilities and usethe country's transitpotential to the fullestextent.

- What kind ofinvestment portfolio do youhave?

- Our investments arevery diverse and futureoriented. In the energysector they include bothrenewable energy andfossil fuels. Such a mix isnecessary to meet thecountry's long term energyneeds in a secure and costefficient manner and allowus to be competitive in thegradually emerging regionalenergy market.

‘First of all, I want to express my gratitude forgiving us a chance to take part in this event. GeorgianIndustrial Group is ready to address such challengesall the time. The fact that our company is part of thetop’- Giorgi Kadagishvili, Administrative Directorof Georgian Industrial Group.

Georgian Carriage Building Holding- Tradition and Continual Progress

The Georgian CarriageBuilding Holding is inperpetual motion. Itcombines the longstandingGeorgian traditions ofcarriage building andelectric carriage buildingwith those of the Rustavimetallurgical plant. Thecompany is one of the oldestand largest carriagebuilding plants in theregion, and serves therailways of Georgia, Russia,Armenia, Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan and the BalticStates.

Awards: Continuity ofactivities, internationalrecognition, innovativemanagement, qualitystandards.

GT interviewed theChair of Supervisory boardof the Georgian CarriageBuilding Holding NinoTsilosani.

- What does inclusionin the Georgian Times andGORBI business ratingmean for you?

- The Georgian Timesand GORBI business ratingwill increase awareness ofour brand, give us morepossibilities to enterinternational markets andconnect with relevantenterprises in Europe.

Becoming a winner orfinalist is a greatachievement and a realopportunity to generatepositive publicity for yourbusiness across all media.

This event is alsoimportant for businessnetworking. Manybusinessmen contend thatnetworking is a more cost-effective method ofgenerating new businessthan advertising or publicrelations efforts.

- What is your marketshare, and how well are you

established in Georgia?- Our market share is

100%. We started in 1883 asa railway workshop calledthe Diesel Locomotive CarRepair Works. We are one ofthe most ancient enterprisesin the whole Caucasus. Everyyear the company madetechnological improvements,and in 2005 a new electrocarriage building factory wasopened 30 km from Tbilisi.

I want to share withpride that our company isone of only three in thepost-Soviet space whichproduces carriages. A lot ofcountries economicallystronger than ours do nothave such companies.

- Who do you see asyour nearest rivals?

- We don't have rivals.To produce carriages acompany needs a license,which is really difficult toget and takes a long time.We have the strong andexperienced constructingteam needed to get one, infactsome of them haveworked for us for 62 years.We have an educationalcentre which continues

producing qualifiedemployees. Every year weget a new constructionlicense and renew existingones. We are a uniqueholdingwhich hasnocompetitors in eitherGeorgia or the Caucasus.

- Can you tell us whatyour future plans are?

- We are working inpartnership with Chinese,Ukrainian, Czech and otherenterprises with relatedprofiles. Our future plansinclude producing innovativeproducts such as electric anddiesel locomotives, 20ft and40ft cargo shipping containersandpassenger and truck lifts.We are also entering into steelpipe production, wine tankmanufacturing and mobilewaste and recycling containerproduction and will introducea hot dip galvanizedproduction line and a tea andfruit processing factory.

- What is your investmentportfolio for 2016?

- We can say that 2016will be a new stage for us,as we are going to start newprojects. Our portfolio willreach 100 mln.

‘At this event we see the results of our toilthroughout the year. Today's ceremony isundoubtedly encouraging and important for us. Iam very proud to be here amongst the other businessleaders’ - Nino Tsilosani, Chair of Supervisory boardof Georgian Carriage Building Holding.

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Petrocas is a majorregional player in the fieldof oil products logistics andretail sales. It owns thelargest filling station and oilproducts terminal in Poti,the Gulf terminal. PetrocasEnergy Group will invest 200million USD in this portover the next three years andcreate 1,000 new jobs.

Awards: conducting newinvestment projects, bigemployer, internationalrecognition.

GT interviewed NikolozMchedlishvili, PetrocasEnergy Group Vice-President.

- What does inclusion inthe Georgian times andGORBI Business ratingmean for you?

- It is very important forPetrocas Energy Group. Ourcompanies are among thebiggest employers andinvestors in Georgia, but it isone thing knowing what youare and another when someonenotices your work and

Petrocas, a Regional Playerin a Major Industry

appreciates it. This is why webelieve that appreciation of ourwork by The Georgian Timesand GORBI is reallyimportant.


- Petrocas Energy Group isa multifunctional holdingoperating in the sphere of thetransportation, trading and retaildistribution of oil products andpetrochemicals in the CaspianRegion, Central Asia and theSouth Caucasus, in the areaknown as the Silk Road Corridor,a direct and important link onthe global energy map. Theeconomies of the countries ofthis region are connected throughtransportation, trade, energy andinvestments. For oil-richTurkmenistan, Kazakhstan andAzerbaijan, the corridor offersdirect access to the world's thirdmajor player - Europe, and helpsattract FDI that brings thenecessary knowledge andtechnology to the region.

Our region has significantenergy reserves. It is an

‘Appreciation is very important for a company. Itis one thing to do something and another to see yourefforts appreciated. Appreciation is more meaningfulthan outsiders could ever imagine. It is a greatimpetus to do more, to make more investments, andcreate more jobs’ - Nikoloz Mchedlishvili, PetrocasEnergy Group Vice-President.

Rustavi Azot: FertilizingBusiness Growth

Rustavi Azot 's productsare inexpensive, reliableand high-quality. A chemicalenterprise with half acentury of experience, it isthe only manufacturer ofnitric fertilizers in theSouth Caucasus andmanages to maintain asignificant position on thedomestic and global marketsyear on year. Its nitricproducts are very widelyused in the numerouscountries of the Caucasus,Mediterranean and BlackSea areas.

Awards: finding newexport markets, introducingnew technology, socialresponsibility.

GT interviews LevanBurdiladze, General Directorof Rustavi Azot .

- What does inclusion inthe Georgian Times andGORBI Business Ratingmean for you?

- It's an honor for RustaviAzot LLC to be part of theGeorgian Times and GORBIBusiness Rating. We have helda leading position in theseratings for several years now,and this is a good form offeedback on how we're doing,where we stand and what ourgoals should be.

- What kind ofinvestment portfolio do youhave, and how firmly are youestablished in Georgia?

- Rustavi Azot LLC ownsa number of different plants,which produce Ammonium

Nitrate, Ammonium Sulphate,Ammonia Liquor and othertypes of chemical fertiliser andthe sodium cyanide used inleeching precious metals.These products are anenormous asset for RustaviAzot LLC. They helpGeorgian farmers and metalminers work more efficientlyand smartly and are costeffective in terms oftransportation, as they areproduced locally by RustaviAzot LLC.

- Do you plan to enternew export markets, andwhat sort of strategicdevelopment plan do youhave?

As you are aware, ourproducts are sold throughoutthe world. We're currently

important player in global oilproduction, as the CaspianRegion accounts for 3.4% of theworld's oil supply, and thatfigure is expected to double by2025. The oil output of theregion will increase sharplyover the next 5-10 years as aresult of the full-scaledevelopment of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) fieldsin Azerbaijan and the majorKazakhstan fields such asTengiz, Kashagan andKarachaganak.

Our activity ranges fromtrading, forwarding and supplyto the handling and storage ofoil and chemical productstransported from East to Westand West to East through thePoti oil terminal. The Groupalso owns one of the largestretail petrol stations in Georgia,which operates as part of theworld-renowned GULF OilInternational brand. The workof the group's subsidiaries isundertaken according to ISOcertified management systems.

The company wasestablished in 2009 and hasrepresentative offices inCyprus, Georgia and Russia. Itenjoys a broad network ofregional and internationalconnections with high levelpolitical and business figures.

- What kind ofinvestment portfolio do youhave, and how firmly are youestablished in the Georgianmarket?

- We plan to makeinvestments worth 200 millionUSD in the coming three years,which will create more than1,000 new jobs. Ourcompetitors in Georgia arewell-known companiesoperating in the oil retail,transport and wholesalesectors, but we have goodworking relations with themand often cooperate oncommon issues as they arise.

focusing on penetrating theSouth African market andfurther diversifying our salesthroughout the world.

- What can you tell usabout your future plans?

As a company focused oncontinuous growth anddevelopment, we're focusingon extending our plantcapacities, so that we canpresent the global marketwith more and more qualityfertiliser products fromGeorgia. We're not onlyplanning to increase ourcurrent production capacitiesin the medium term but opennew production lines, whichwill further increase ourexport share and improve theexport balance of Georgia asa whole.

‘I would like to emphasize that the business awards ceremony is as admirableas ever. It is a very important event and tradition for businessmen. The prizes wehave received are recognition of our success in the eyes of the country, and thisis an additional motivation to conductmore successful projects’ - LevanBurdiladze, General Director of Rustavi Azot.

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TBC Bank is a leadingbank in Georgia, offering abroad range of products andservices through itsextensively developed retail,corporate, SME and microbanking business lines. Ithas been listed on theLondon Stock Exchange(LSE) since June 2014, andhas confirmed its intentionto seek a Premium Listingon the LSE in 2016.

TBC is the largest bank inthe country by retail deposits,with a 34.6% market share. Ithas 28.3% of total loans marketsegment, 26.9% of total assetsand 30.7% of total deposits. Itserves over 1.1 millioncustomers and employs morethan 5,300 people. It has beenthe leader of the microfinancesegment since its January 2015integration of Bank Constantaand is represented in Azerbaijanby its nonbanking subsidiaryTBC Credit.

According to both internaland external research, TBCBank also maintained its leadingposition in terms of outstandingcustomer experience in 2015.It has received numerousprestigious awards over theyears, including being declaredBest Bank in Georgia seventimes by Global Finance and TheBanker magazines and fourtimes by Euromoney and EMEAFinance.

Awards: high credit rating,international recognition,universal bank with universalbanking services, socialresponsibility.

GT interviewed TBC Bank'sDeputy CEO Giorgi Shagidze.

- How would you evaluate2015? What were the Bank'smajor achievements andchallenges?

- TBC Bank has performedwell in the context of moderateeconomic growth and region-wide currency devaluation. Wehave been proactive and veryconservative in maintaining ourportfolio quality whilstdelivering strong financialresults. Despite the externalchallenges in neighboringcountries the Georgianeconomy remains strong, andgrowth continued at themoderate rate of 2.7% in thefirst 9 months of 2015.

‘TBC Bank has performed well in thecontext of moderate economic growth

and region-wide currency devaluation’

TBC Bank is one of thebest-known and most trustedbrands in Georgia. We have thelargest share of retail depositsat 34.6 %, and the number twoposition in total loans anddeposits with approximately athird of the market. We are themarket leaders in the highly-profitable SME and microsectors and the regional leaderin remote banking, with thehighest number of internet andmobile banking users in thecountry.

In 2015 we had to operatein a more complex environmentthan in the previous year. Thedifficulty came mainly from theregion's economic trends. Thenational currencies of almost allour trading partners depreciatedagainst the US dollar. Naturally,these events had an impact onthe Lari/US dollar exchange rateas well. However, when weconsider that Georgia'seconomy has already grown by2.7%, and growth is expectedto reach 3% by the end of theyear, the country has had thebest possible recovery.

As for TBC Bank, we havebeen working with our customersto minimise the negative effectsof currency depreciation. Wehave managed to maintain a veryhealthy portfolio, thelargestshare of the retail depositmarket,leading positions inalmost every segment and, whatis very important for us, asuccessful relationship with ourcustomers.

In 2015 TBC Bank receivedseveral prestigious internationalawards.We have always beendistinguished in this regard. TBCBank was named the BestGeorgian Bank of the year bythree influential financialpublications. In addition, TBCBank's internet and mobilebanks were named the best inCentral and Eastern Europe forthe third consecutive year.

2015 was very successful interms of attracting funds in localcurrency.This is especiallysignificant considering the localcurrency depreciation.Weattracted GEL 100 million fromthe Asian Development Fundand GEL 48 million from theBlack Sea Trade andDevelopment Bank. Several daysago we signed a loan agreement

Liberty Bank will developadditional remote services

Liberty Bank has thelargest regional bankingnetwork, 661 service centers,and rapidly growing asserts.Its service centers serve over amillion physical and tens ofthousands of legal entities.The bank is a strong employer.

Awards: largest servicenetwork, introduction of newtechnologies, innovative servicesand alternative methods ofservice.

Here GT interviews DavidVerulashvili, Deputy GeneralDirector of Liberty Bank.

- What does inclusion inThe Georgian Times andGORBI business ratingmean for you?

- Liberty Bank is one offastest growing banks in Georgia,having risen from 7th positionto 3rdin the banking sector overthe last 5 years. Certainly, it isof utmost importance when ourbank is included in this longestablished business rating.

- Can you outline yourfuture plans?

- Liberty Bank is the thirdbiggest bank in Georgia by assetvalue and has the widest servicenetwork in the country. Nextyear, we will focus all ourattention on the improvementof our services.We intend tocreate additional remote bankingservices, through whichcustomers can enjoy our serviceswithout even entering the bank.Liberty Bank is distinguished byits innovative products andservices, and we plan to do evenmore in this direction by offeringour customers better conditionsand higher standard services.

- What is yourinvestment portfolio like andwhat is your market share?

- Liberty Bank occupies thethird place in terms of totalassets, gross loans and deposits.The bank's market shares are6.3% of total assets, 4.8 % ofgross loansand 9.5% of deposits.It is noteworthy that comparedwith the country's banking sectoras a whole, Liberty Bank isgrowing fast. From September2009 to September 2015, thebank's assets increased by455.1%, while those of thebanking sector as a whole roseby 214.8%; gross loans increasedby 702.8% while in the sector asa whole this figure was 202.6%,

with two international funds, theEuropean Fund for SoutheastEurope (EFSE) and Green forGrowth Fund (GGF), in order tosupport local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) andenergy sector development.

I would like to emphasizethat we finalised our merger withBank Constanta in 2015. Thismeans our customers now havefull access to TBC Bank'sproducts and servicesthroughout the country.

- What is TBC Bank'sstrategy for the future?

- Certainly, obtaining aPremium Listing on the LondonStock Exchangeis one of the mainaspects of our strategy. We havealready started to work towardsthis objective, with the process setto be completed in 2016.

We will continue to offernew products and servicesthrough our remotechannelbanking services. We aim tomake the internet and mobilebanking experience, as well asthe other components ofmultichannel banking, evenmore convenient, user-friendlyand rich in functionality for ourcustomers.

We have taken significantinitiatives in the micro business andSME segment, which will naturallyimply offering new products andservices to the market. In addition,we provide access to unique value-added services to all our SMEcustomers - our special designedprogramme, 7 Steps to Success,offers consultancy, training andnetworking services to our SMEclients, including the region-firstonline SME tool kit, which wasdeveloped with the help ofinternational financial institutions..

As for our efforts in termsof brand development andCorporate Social Responsibility,this year TBC Bank launched twovery successful marketingcampaigns: "Hello Marketing"and "WriteInGeorgian". WriteIn Georgian promotes the ideaof preserving and developing theunique Georgian script andlanguage as a national treasure.Within this project, numerousinitiatives will be implemented,including more integration ofthe Georgian alphabet withinelectronic devices, creating newfonts and improving dictionariesand digital resources.

Through Hello Marketingwe aim to encourage opennesstoward ideas and relationships.This idea was widely sharedthough social media bythousands of people and Hellowent viral on a local scale. Wewould like to follow this ideathrough and become a moreopen brand for our customers,sharing knowledge, showinginitiative and building thefinancial and intellectualcapacity that people need tofulfill their desires and achievetheir goals.

To sum up, we had anencouraging year,and with ourclear advantages of a strongbrand, superior customerexperience and best regionalmultichannel capabilities, we arewell positioned to continuedelivering strong results goingforward.

and deposits increased by732.5% while in the bankingsector as a whole they increasedby only 227%. Liberty Bankserves more than 1.5 millionphysical and 71,000 legalentities.

- Who do you see as yournearest rivals?

- The Georgian bankingsector is very well developed.However, as competition in thismarket is really tough, we keepa continual eye on localdevelopments and financialnovelties around the world inorder to offer our customers atruly high-standard servicefitted to their needs and the bestconditions.

‘Being here this evening is a great honour for us. It is pleasing when ourcontribution to the Georgian banking sector does not go unobserved’ - DavidVerulashvili.

‘Special thanksto those people whogranted us the op-portunity to attendtoday's event. In ev-ery country astrong bankingsystem is a prereq-uisite of success. Ideem our bank, withabout 6,000 staffand multi-profiledportfolio, the bestexample of this’ -Tamuna Kirvalidze,Director of Exter-nal Relations andMedia Communica-tions at TBC Bank.

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BasisBank Lends to SMEsand the Agriculture Sector

BasisBank is asustainable and dynamicallyexpanding financialinstitution. By exercisingrational management it hasbecome a flexible, trustworthy,transparent and client-oriented universal bank. Itspartnerships with the EBRDand Hualing Group haveopened up unrestrictedbusiness opportunities for thebank.

Awards: attraction ofinvestments, consumerconfidence, teamwork,encouragement of small andmedium-sized businesses.

GT interviews DavidTsaava, General Director ofBasisBank.

- What does inclusion inthe business rating mean foryou?

- BasisBank is honored tohave been won more awards atthe business rating. Recognitionof the success achieved by thecompany is a very important

Geosteel - a GeorgianCompany of Global Standing

One of the largest steelcompanies in Georgia,Geosteel LLC, has joined theranks of the world's leadingsteel companies. It has beengranted the most importantcertification in the rebarsector of the steel industry,known as the UK Carescertification, which puts it onthe same level as the giantenterprises of Ukraine ,Russia or any other steel plantanywhere in Europe or Asia.

GeoSteel LLC is one of thelargest foreign directinvestments in the industrialsector in Georgia. It is a jointventure by JSW SteelNetherlands BV (which is whollyowned by JSW India, part of theJindal Group) and Georgian SteelGroup Holding Ltd (GSGHL).

GT interviewed Mr.B.Sajiv, General Director ofGeosteel LLC


- It is a matter of great prideto be rated as one of the bestcompanies in the country and weare grateful to you for bestowingthis honour on us. This awardwould definitely help in elevatingour reputation and would put anadditional stamp of credibility onour already well-establishedcredentials. Organizing such typeof events definitely provides amotivation for all theorganizations in Georgia to makean earnest endeavour forcontinual improvements.

- Why did the managementdecide to set up a steel plant inGeorgia?

- The primary reason forcoming here was the friendlyinvestment environment. Wefound that you had therightconditions for setting up abusiness enterprise. Onealsoneedsto have various facilities inplace - water, power, electricity,gas, and so on and these wereavailable in this country.

- What do you think aboutmanufacturing conditions andthe steel market in Georgia?

- Let me begin by sayingthat the steel market is goingthrough a slump all over theworld. It is absolutely downglobally, and Georgia being anintegral part of the globe cannotbe an exception. Moreover thewinter months are always verydifficult in terms of sales. Wealso have problems with scrap,which is important for makingsteel. Since we do not have ironore in this country we have todepend on scrap, which is now amatter of concern for us. Whenwe started here scrap metal wasavailable, but now we see thesigns of a supply crisis.

But our main problem is theGeorgian mindsetthat a Georgianproduct is inferior compared toan imported product. When westarted producing steel in Georgiawe were asked by severalconsultants to change the nameand opt for a European namefor our steel plant.We haveretained the namedespite verystrong recommendations thatbeing seen as Georgian couldharm our business. We are tryingto change this mindset andwehave changed it substantiallyover a period of time, but this is

not an overnight process. Wehave improved our market share,and thus been able to reduce steelimports to some extent, butthere is more to do.

I think we need moresupport from the government. Iwill not define exactly how, butthe government needs to bemore involved in the promotionof quality Georgian goods. Weare trying to invite more peopleto the factory and show themour production processesandinfrastructure. We have the sameinfrastructure you might see inFrance, Germany, China, Japanor India and anyone associatedwith steel making would endorseour claim that unless you havethe right infrastructure in placeit is impossible to make qualitysteel . We have the mostadvanced technology in placecoupled with the technologicalexpertise of more than thirtyyears of steel making by virtueof being a joint venture projectwith an international group likeJSW. Apart from this there areother difficulties.Georgia has freetrade agreements withneighbouring countries, but ineffect these are one-sidedagreements from a practicalpoint of view.

- What are yourpriorities?

- Our priority right now isto control the cost of production.Last but not theleast, we want tofurther improve the quality ofour production. The fact that weare certified by UK CARES isprobably the biggestendorsement of the fact that weare one of the best in the worldglobally as far as rebars areconcerned. However continualquality improvement will be ourprimary focus area apart fromincreasing the volume

- What are your mainexport markets? Do the plant'sproducts meet internationalquality standards?

- We export to Armenia,Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and SriLanka. In terms of quality, wehave received the mostimportant certification in oursector, from UK Cares. (The UKCertification Authority forReinforcing Steels (CARES) wasestablished in 1984 to meet theneed for a specialist certificationauthority which could provideconfidence to the specifier,purchaser and user of reinforcingsteels. CARES has achieved bothnational and internationalrecognition,and offers both

advancement of SMEs, andcould be called the project ofthe year due to its importance.Whenever companies join thebusiness club they obtaincredit cards with 200,000 GELlimits and about 60 daysrepayment grace. They alsoobtain unique opportunities tofind new partners, enhancetheir sales networks and enjoyvarious benefits in terms ofservices or products. A specialportal outlines all this.

- Do you plan to enhancethe Business Club in thenear future?

- We will add moreGeorgian and Chinesecompanies. The close relationsbetween the Georgian andChinese economies are veryimportant for our country, asthey foster trade relationshipsand business contacts. Chinais a very interesting country,as it has the largestmanufacturing GDP in theworld, is one of the largestexporters and produces a widerange of products. Theeconomic relationship anddevelopment of trade betweenthe two countries will be of theutmost importance for theeconomic growth of Georgia,as Georgian entrepreneurs willgain the opportunity to selltheir products in China andintroduce Chinese products toGeorgia.

BasisBank is ready to makeits contribution to cementingbusiness contacts betweenGeorgian and Chineseentrepreneurs. However, we willremain a universal financialinstitution and will never berestricted to business lending only.

UKAS Category 1 and Category2 certification for the steel andreinforced concrete industriesbased on BS EN ISO 9000 andperformance criteria specifiedin CARES assessment schedulesand associated productstandards.) From an auditee'sperspective this is probably oneof the most difficult audits toclear in the steel industry andthat is precisely the reason whyvery few companies globallyhave this certification. TheyCertification is a very complexprocess and the auditorsmeticulously check every singleaspect of not only theproduction process but also theentire working of the company.Apart from this we havecertification against American,Turkish, GOST, British andIndian standards.

- Do you provide trainingfor your employees?

- When we started thisfactory it was really difficult tofind people with the rightqualification and experience insteel plants especially in areaslike electric arc furnaces.We hadto recruit people whohadliterally no experience inthis sphere. We trained themfor different jobs and in variousskills of steel making. This tooka lot of time and was a verypainful process. Training is acontinuous process and a keyfocus area of the management.

- How active are you incharitable work and CSR?

- We have contributed to alot of schools, buildingclassrooms in Rustavi etc.Apartfrom this we have responded tosome specific requests for help,for example, requests tohelpsportsmen to participate inparticular events. We have alsocontributed for the cause ofdisabled children and apart fromthese there have also often beenindividual cases of helpingpeople who have approached usfor help. It is important forevery company to undertakeCorporate Social Responsibilityand it is a part of theCompany's values and ethos.

We are also very committedabout following environmentalprotection rules in Georgia. Wecomply with Georgian nationalenvironmental standards andalso the EU environmentalstandards. We are the firstcompany in themanufactucturing sector inGeorgia to obtain ISO14001certification.

and glorious thing, especiallywhen it comes from successfulbusinesspersons.

- What are your futureplans?

- Our future plans arerather ambitious and long-sighted. Following theinvestments made in the bankby the large Chineseconglomerate Hualing Group,new opportunities haveopened up. BasisBank is noweven more beneficial andflexible for customers. Specialemphasis is laid on lending tosmall and medium-sizedbusinesses and the agriculturalsector, because BasisBank'sshareholders and managementhave a common view of theway to achieve economicgrowth and prosperity.

We continuously helpcompanies to run theiroperations and achieve furtheradvancement. BasisBankBusiness Club is one of themost prominent examples ofthis: it promotes the

‘Our award for being one of the largest investors in Georgia is distinguishedrecognition and additional encouragement. We deem that the Georgian Times MediaHolding award is the best recognition of the company's toil and will play an importantrole in its further advancement’ - David Tsaava, General Director of BasisBank.

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The RAK InvestmentAuthority Group, consistingof Rakia Georgia, RakeenDevelopment Georgia and theRakia Georgia Free IndustrialZone, has been making large-scale investments in Georgiafor eight years. The Poti freeindustrial zone is underdevelopment, and thecompletion of the renovatedSheraton Metekhi Palace andTbilisi Mall are majorpriorities. The group, theinvestment arm of the Ras alKhaimah Emirate, hasalready investeda hundredmillion GEL in Georgia andemployed thousands ofGeorgians.

RAKIA was awarded a goldbadge with a cross and awards forstrategic investment, corporatesocial responsibility and creationof new jobs.

GT interviews GiorgiGegechkori, CEO at Ras AlKhaimah Investment AuthorityGeorgia.

- Rakia Group has beenlisted as one of the topcompanies and awarded a silverbadge with a cross. Is thisrecognition by The GeorgianTimes and GORBI encouragingfor you?

- First of all, I would like toexpress my gratitude to TheGeorgian Times Media Holdingand its entire editorial staff, thewhole team that worked so hardto organize this event and providethe prizes which we won. It is agreat honor indeed to be listedamongst the most successfulcompanies, those which make acontribution to the economicdevelopment of the country.

It is alsovery significant thatthis event has been held for manyyears and become establishedassome sort of tradition. This isan additional stimulus forbusinesses.

- How is the SheratonMetekhi Palace reconstructiongoing and when do you plantoreopen it?

Giorgi Gegechkori: Rakia Group Continuesto Make Large Investment in Georgia

As you know, SheratonMetekhi Palace was closed. Sincethen very special architecturalworks have been undertaken inorder to restore the previousenchantment and color to thehotel. Our company took thedecision to do its utmost to fulfillits vision. Both the interior andexterior of Sheraton MetekhiPalace will be conceptuallyrenovated by means ofasophisticated and very detaileddesign.

The opening ceremonyisscheduled to be held at the end of2016, following completion of thereconstruction works. We haveincreased the number ofroomsnotably, from 150 to 220. Thehotel's new conference hall will bethe biggest in Tbilisi. We will makea public statement about our futureplans in the nearest future.

- Do you plan to undertakeanysimilar large-scaleprojects in the near future?

- We have already launchednegotiations with the governmentforformulatingcurrent liabilities ina way acceptable for the state andfinancially profitable for ourcompany.

- It has been reported thatleading global real estatecompany Colliers InternationalGroup has been appointed to sell

‘First of all, I would like to express my gratitudeto The Georgian Times Media Holding for such anice event. Such events and business awardsceremonies are very important for the encouragementof business, and our company is proud to be the winnerin the category of investor recognition. A profitableinvestment atmosphere is very significant for ourcompany, and we see that the public appreciates whatwe are doing. The media is the best signpost forbusiness, as it provides an adequate assessment ofthe situation in the country. In this regard, TheGeorgian Times Media Holding has made anoverwhelming contribution, as it has been evaluatingthe business environment and the most successfulcompanies for years’ - Giorgi Gegechkori.

Georgian Manganese has dominantposition of the ferroalloys market and is the

leading exporter of ferroalloysGeorgian American

Alloys is a large industrialgroup incorporating theGeorgian Manganese andFerromed companies theVartsikhe HPP It is thelargest exporter andemployer in the country andis a modernised andoptimised enterprise withan investment portfolio of45 million dollars since 2012.

Awarded: a gold badgewith a cross and awardsfor:largest employer,modernization of enterprise,corporate social responsibility,largest investment portfolio,strategic exporter.

GT interviewed ZakariaZalikashvili, PR Director ofGeorgian American Alloys.

- What kind of stimulusis your inclusion in thebusiness rating?

- In addition to its assetsin the USA, GeorgianAmerican Alloys owns largecompanies in Georgia,Georgian Manganese, theVartsikhe HPP and Ferromed,and is the largest industrialgroup and employer inGeorgia. The recognition ofour achievements in terms oftechnological renovation,management optimisation,employment and socialresponsibilityis significant forus.

Numerous issues hasaccumulated within thisorganization, with its long andrich history, and needed to beresolved in accordance withcontemporary industrialstandards. Our awards are anappreciation of the changes thecompany has made for its6,000 staff members in termsof social insurance, safeworking conditions,qualification improvement andsystem optimisation.

- What is your marketshare?

- Georgian Manganese hasdominant position of theferroalloys market and is theleading exporter offerroalloys.

- What kind ofenvironment is there inthis market?

Today’s businessenvironment is helpful toprivate enterprise anddevelopment in legislative orexecutive terms, but globalfactors (slump in prices of themostin-demand raw materials,inflation in neighbouringcountries, unsustainablepolitical environments etc.)significantly affect theattraction of investments andcurrency stability, and thisslows business growth.

- What kind of qualitycontrol mechanisms do youhave?

- Almost 90% of ourproduction is exported. Our

and plots such as yours, what canyou say about this?

- These reports triggered greatanxiety; however, we do not intendto sell, because the land plots andlocations assembled after 2007 arepart of our inactive portfolio.Initially, we planned to fulfill somelarge-scale projects on these lands,but as you know, business andinvestment projects are dynamicorganisms, so sometimes plans areimplemented and sometimes theyneed to be reconsidered.Consequently, we brought anotherprofile of land plots at the market,and these are part of our activeportfolio.

The agency reports that ourland plots are loaded with liabilityare not true. They areunder theownership of the company andsubject to optimization to movethe attracted capital in the rightdirection,for instance, towards theimplementation of the plannedprojects. We do not excludepartnership with the eventualbuyers of the afore mentionedplots, and we might undertake jointprojects with them.

- Rakia Group has invested100 million GEL in Georgia. Isthere is a profitable investmentenvironment in Georgia,anddo you intend to increase theseinvestments even further?

We are indeed planning toimplement more large-scaleprojects in Georgia. The last phaseof negotiations iscurrentlyunderway within the company andwe will make a public statementabout the content of these projectsin a couple of months.We willimplement projects consistentwith the investment climate andcontinue investing in Georgia andits economy.

First of all, I would like toexpress my gratitude to TheGeorgian Times Media Holding forsuch a nice event. Such events andbusiness awards ceremonies arevery important for theencouragement of business, and ourcompany is proud to be the winnerin the category of investorrecognition. A profitableinvestment atmosphere is verysignificant for our company, andwe see that the public appreciateswhat we are doing. The media isthe best signpost for business, as itprovides an adequate assessmentof the situation in the country. Inthis regard, The Georgian TimesMedia Holding has made anoverwhelming contribution, as ithas been evaluating the businessenvironment and the mostsuccessful companies for years.

biggest customers are US steelmanufacturing companies.Thisproves that ourproduction is high quality andentirely meets customer need.But certainly, we do not feelself-satisfied. This is why wehave put dozens of millionsinto technical reshuffling, non-waste enterprise systems,heavy-duty vehicles andsmelting furnaces.

- What is yourinvestment portfolio like?

- We have put 10-15 milliondollars into renovating ourtechnical and technologicalprocesses each year since2012.

- Can you outline thecompany’s future plans?

- Georgian Manganesepays special attention toresolving the social problemsof its employees.

We also place specialemphasis on environmentalprotection, and these willremain our ongoing priorities.

‘Events such as the Georgian Times and GORBI business awards ceremonyplay an essential role in the economic development of the country. The prize wehave received here is of paramount importance for us. Georgian American Alloyshas won an award in the category of big employer for the significant changes wehave conducted in a very short period’ - Merab Lominadze, Financial Director ofGeorgian American Alloys.

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The Georgian Times,organizer along with GORBIof the 16th and now traditionalBest Georgian Businessrating and awards, hadanother trick up its sleeve.Alongside businesses, morethan 20 media outlets alsoreceived awards at the event.

Georgian Times publisherNana Gagua handed symbolicgifts to the representatives of thewinning media outlets herself anddelivered the following speech:

“Today we have gatheredhere theentire foundation of astate, which fulfills the mostdifficult mission of leading ourcountry in the internationalarena. But I would like to getback to ourstarting point andaddress my colleagues and friends.If it were not for them everysingle day would be dull.

“Today a whole set ofGeorgian media personnel are herewith us to report on the 16th

Business Awards Ceremony. I wishto draw your attention to someopinions expressed by famouspeople in order to highlight theimportance of their work.

“The task of journalism is tocalm down the outraged and upsetthe calm, ”American writer andjournalist Jerome Lawrence usedto say. “Investing a dollar in thepress is more profitable thanspending 10 dollars on a gun. Thegunwill never start talking,andthepress talks all day long” – saidUS President Richard M. Nixon.“The press obtains informationeither from you personally or oneof your most malicious rivals.Separating yourself from thepresswill not benefit you” said

More Than 20 Media Outlets Receive Awardsat the 16th Business Awards Ceremony

John Tsirmi, an American politicalanalyst. “Newspapers are thestrongest pillars of civilization,declaring war and appointing andremoving politicians from office”said American newspaper magnateWilliam Randolph Hearst.

Today I want to introduceyou to our media representativeshere in this hall,who have beenworking hard for you for yearsand years”.

Nana Gagua then presentedgifts to the Public Broadcaster,Rustavi 2 TV, Imedi TV, Dro TV,TV3 and TV8, Saperavi TV, TVPirveli, Obiective TV, FortunaHolding, the Baidu video portal,

georgianpress.ge, the Kvira newsportal, expressnews.ge, for.ge,newsday.ge, aword.com.ge PrimeTime, The Georgian TimesEnglish language newspaper, theCaucasus Business Week English-language newspaper, theSvabodnaya Gruzia newspaper,Versia, Qartuli sityva, Tbiliselebi,Rating , Georgia today

Giving awards to andencouraging media outlets inGeorgia was positively assessed bythe journalists and mediarepresentatives present, whoexpressed their special gratitudeto the organisers of the event fortheir appreciation of their work.

“Establishing such a traditionis a very good thing indeed. Anysort of prize and encouragementis pleasing. I know that businesseslook forward to this event yearonyear. The work of the media isthe most unappreciated, so it isvery positive to see it recognizedlike this. The Georgian Timesbusiness rating is made by highly-qualified professionals, and thatis why this project has been mostsuccessful for years,” saidjournalist Eka Mishveladze at theceremony.

“The media plays a

significant role in business. Wehave witnesseda very positivetendency in the last few years –the media has got interested inbusiness, and there are a numberof TV programmes aboutbusiness on the various channels.This stimulates business itself, andconsumers can become wellinformed about what is going onin this sector,” Sergi Gvarjaladzeremarked.

“This evening is especiallypleasant for me. I would like tothank youon behalf of the mediafor what you are doing in the fieldand I hope our activities willremain appreciated. We willendeavor to be not only efficientbut consistent as well,”GiaIakobashvili, Editor in Chief ofFor.ge, stated.

“I have always admired thisproject. I have been an activeparticipant of it and the anchorof it. Do you know whatapproach I have? It is like whenyou adopt a child and wish tobring it up to be a good person…this relationship is a fundamentalstimulus for both the businesssector and the media. The mediais of special importance indeed,”said Inga Grigolia.

“The media is essential forboth business and government,and if the government keeps adistance from the mediathis willdefinitely end badly. Businesscannot advance if it does not usemedia resources to the full. Weprovide the same information tothe public which you wish toprovide, and thus we asjournalistscan put someinterpretation on it. That is whywe need your help to make thatinformation profitable for you.Provide us with the rightinformation and we will joint careof Georgia,” said BondoMdzinarashvili, founder ofObiective TV.

“I regard the 21st century asthe century of the media. Thepublic would be absolutely unawareof any information without mediasources. The media is some sortof horn in society. Freedom ofthe media is the best thing I couldwish for Georgia. The level ofmedia freedom demonstrates thelevel of freedom in the country.Therefore, I applaud Malkhaz andNana for their toil over manyyears,” said Nino Nadiradze-kuzanova.

Whilst presenting the awardsto media outlets Nana Gaguaasked Inga Grigolia, LaliMoroshkina and Eka Mishveladzeto come on stage and address theaudience. They said the following:

Inga Grigolia: “In the

nineties canons were growling inthe air and we had to work in coldrooms with no electricity; thesegirls were twinkling stars eventhen. They worked on the businessrating without any salary. Therewere only 11 businesses in thecountry then, and thephotographer had to take blackand white photos. This is why weare awarding them handmade,exclusive, highest quality silvercrosses decorated with diamondstoday for popularising ournational business sector”.

Eka Mishveladze: “I wouldlike to wish good luck to TheGeorgian Times for having takensuch an excellent initiative,whichis still with us today, and I amvery glad that the number offriends, supportersand visitorsincreases year on year. We havereally tried to make acontribution, as far as we could,to the establishment of thistradition. Thank you for theprize, which is very pleasing for arepresentative of the media”.

Lali Moroshkina: “Therehas never been a year when TheGeorgia Times Media Holdinghas not offered a novelty to thepublic. I think the past year hasbeen outstanding in terms ofjournalism-business synthesis. Infact, it could not have beenotherwise. Neither business northe media can exist separately”.

Nino Nadiradze-Kuzanova, Nana Gagua‘The level of media freedom demonstrates the level of freedom in thecountry. Therefore, I applaud Malkhaz and Nana for their toil over

many years,’ - Nino Nadiradze-kuzanova.

Malkhaz Gulashvili, President of The Media HoldingGeorgian Times, Nana Gagua, Georgian Times Publisher

‘We do what we know!’

Lali Moroshkina, Nana Gagua, Inga Grigolia, Eka Mishveladze‘The Georgian Times business rating is made by highly-qualified professionals, and

that is why this project has been most successful for years’ - Eka Mishveladze

Georgian Times publisher Nana Gagua awarded more than 20 media outlets‘The task of journalism is to calm down the outraged and upset the calm’

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‘WE DO WHAT WE KNOW’

Gegi Kelbakiani: Quality is My Top Priority

XVI National Award for BusinessThe Winners of Various Prizes

AVERSI - Paata KurtanidzeDynamic development, public recognition,teamwork, effective management

BasisBank - Davit TsaavaAttraction of investments, consumerconfidence, teamwork, encouragement ofsmall and medium-sized businesses.

Company Black Sea Group - AmiranMamutchadzeBest construction company, internationalrecognition, development of quality, useof new technology, professional team.

Dugladze Wines & Spirits / Gomi Vodka- Davit DugladzeNational status brand, high ecologicalstandards, acquiring new export markets,effective re-branding.

Georgian Industrial Group - JoergMatthiesConducting new large-scale investmentprojects, team working, big employer,using environmentally friendlytechnologies.

Geosteel - Jaspal SinghSustainable development, internationalrecognition, confidence and reputation,attraction of investments, possession ofquality marks, first accredited UK Caresand TSE company in the Caucasus.

Georgian Carriage Building Holding -Badri TsilosaniContinuity of activities, internationalrecognition, innovative management,quality standards.

Georgian American Alloys - Volodymyr“Velvel” LozynskyyLargest employer, modernization ofenterprise, corporate social responsibility,largest investment portfolio, strategicexporter.

Georgia Water and Power - GiorgiTskhadadzePossession of quality marks, effectivemanagement, corporate socialresponsibility, ecological standards.

Geocell - Pawel SmalinskiIntroducing new technologies, innovativeservices, effective marketing, socialresponsibility and continual progress.

Georgian Beer Company - VasilSulkhanishviliConducting new investment projects,finding new export markets, creativemarketing, possession of quality marks,journalists’ favorite.

Geoplant / Gurieli - Mikheil ChkuaseliGeorgian premium export brand, newinvestment projects, prospering in atraditional field of industry.

Georgian Products - Davit BardavelidzeCreation of new jobs, attraction ofinvestment, international recognition.

GIEC - Joerg MatthiesMaking a significant contribution to thedevelopment of the energy sector inGeorgia.

Liberty Bank - David VerulashviliLargest service network, introduction ofnew technologies, innovative services andalternative methods of service.

Nikora Supermarket - Davit UrushadzeDynamically expanding network,possession of quality marks, effectivemarketing, continual progress.

NCC - Gegi KelbakianiFinancial transparency, innovativeresolution of complex issues, desire tochange life for the better.

Orbi Group - Irakli KvergelidzeBig employer, leading developmentcompany, innovative projects, worldwiderecognition, leader in quality.

Petrocas Energy Group - Nikoloz MchedlishviliConducting new investment projects, bigemployer, international recognition.

PSP Group - Gocha GogilashviliHigh standard of service, attraction ofinvestment, big employer.

Rustavi Azot - Levan BurdiladzeFinding new export markets, introducingnew technology, social responsibility.

Rakia Group - Giorgi GegechkoriStrategic investment, corporate socialresponsibility, creation of new jobs.

Tetri Qudi - Ivane IoselianiRapidly and dynamically growingcompany, achievement of quality mark,agricultural product manufacturing anddistribution, best new company.

Sarajishvili - Zurab BubuteishviliPossession of quality marks, internationalfame, synthesizing traditions andcontemporary standards, developing newexport markets.

SOCAR Energy Georgia - Mahir MamedovLargest taxpayer, largest employer, highquality standards, effective management

Smart Supermarkets - Soso PkhakadzeHigh standards of products and services,most successful brand in the supermarketssector, consumer choice.

Schuchmann Wines Georgia - NutsaAbramishviliPossession of quality marks, introducingnew technologies, innovative and diverseactivities.

TBC Bank - Vakhtang ButskhrikidzeHigh credit rating, internationalrecognition, universal bank with universalbanking services, social responsibility.

Tegeta Motors - Temur KokhodzeRegional vehicle service leader, highquality services, international recognition,big employer.

Wissol Petroleum Georgia - Vasil KhoravaPublic image and reputation, highstandard of products and services,innovative service products, corporatesocial responsibility.

Supplementary awards outside thecompetition

Georgian Paper Production - Soso ArchvadzeFirst manufacturer of hygienic recycledpaper in the Caucasus

Georgian Paper Mill - Vasil BarnovElimination of waste, best employer,attraction of investment.

International Black Sea University - IlyasCilogluAccredited curriculum, professionalism,consolidation of multicultural relationships,encouragement of innovation, socialresponsibility.

Management Systems - Elduja MeladzeInternational standards certification, bestconsultancy company, reliable partner forlocal business.

Mister Master - Boris SoseliaCustomer satisfaction, effectivemanagement, high-quality service, creativemarketing.

Favorite Of Georgian Times - Tetri Qudi

Favorite Of Journalists - BreweryZedazeni

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Sarajishvili, a legendaryinstitution with 130 years ofhistory, is the mostvenerable of Georgiancompanies. The oldest of theleading wine and spiritbrands, it has developed therarest cognac reserves andthe high quality productsderiving from these havewon it great internationalfame over many years.Having introduced Georgiato numerous Europeancountries, Sarajishvili nowintends to master the Asianmarket too.

Awards: Possession ofQuality Marks, InternationalFame, Synthesizing Traditionsand Contemporary standards,Developing New ExportMarkets.

GT interviewed theGeneral Director of Sarajishvili,Zurab Bubuteishvili.


- Sarajishvili has been partof the business rating for years,and this is of the mostsignificance for us. First of all,we would like to expressourgratitude to you for allowing usto take part in such an importantevent. Winning in so manydifferent categories is a greathonor for our company. Theseawards are very important forboth the company and thecountry.


- Sharing our 133 years ofexperience, history and valuesthroughout the world is ourfuture priority. We areintroducing a new product,Sarajishvili Night, for theupcoming New Year. When ourcustomers share the New Yearmood with each other they canalso share it with Sarajishvili.This will be a limited edition andwe hope the Sarajishvili NewYear will become a start ofsurprises and novelties.

The Legend Continues

We will continue thetraditions which began a centuryago and keep striving to presentnovelties at the Georgian andforeign markets by combiningtradition and innovation.

- What role does yourcompany play in the wine andspirits market?

- Davit Sarajishvili isconsidered the founder of brandyproduction in Georgia, thehistory of which goes back 133years, and Sarajishvili has led themarket for more than a century.Combining tradition, innovationand quality,we setthe standardsfor Georgian brandy production.

You can find our productsinover twenty countries; the CISmember states are particularadmirers of our production, andat the same time, our brandy isvery popularin Europeancountries.

The number of countries we

Georgian Beer CompanyDrinks to Further Success

Zedazeni hasinaugurated a new era forGeorgian beer. Using thelatest European technology,modern manufacturingprocesses, high-quality rawmaterials and perpetualproduction control methods,it has become the leadingproducer of beer and non-alcoholic fizzy beverages inthe Caucasus, and isbranching out into newinvestment projects andexport markets.

Awarded: a gold badgewith a cross, and awards forconducting new investmentprojects, finding new exportmarkets, creative marketing andpossession of quality marks.It is also journalists' favoritecompany of the year.

GT interviewed TsezarChocheli, Chairperson of theBoard of JSC Georgian BeerCompany.

- Zedazeni has beenawarded a gold badge with across. What does the prizemean for you?

- JSC Georgian BeerCompany Zedazeni actuallywon in five categories at theBusiness Awards. I would liketo express my gratitude toevery journalist whoparticipated in the survey andexpressed their attitude to ourcompany in such a way. I amimmensely grateful to TheGeorgian Times and GORBIfor organizing this grand event.The fact that such an eventisheld is a huge motivation forbusiness and we areenormously glad to have wonthese awards.

- What mechanisms doyou use to ensure productionquality?

- Beside five sorts of high-quality beer, Zedazeni alsoproduces five types of natural

soft drink. The waters of theZedazeni Spring are unique,and this is crucial inproducinghigh-quality beer andsoft drinks. We achieve oursuccess by combining fourmajor components: our springwater, high quality natural rawmaterials, the latest technologyandhighly qualifiedEuropeanstaff.

Our Czech and Germanexperts are constantly workingto establish international levelquality standards which willput Zedazeni in the forefrontof beer and soft drinksmanufacturers. We produce aproduct which is undercontinual and very strictcontrol.

- Do you use local rawmaterials or import themfrom abroad?

- Zedazeni is providedwith raw materials for its beerby the German Global Malt,Weyermann and Hofsteinercompanies. Our soft drinksarealso made from naturalflavourings, especially for the

admirers of natural fruit taste.Our assortment isthe bestaccompaniment for anyfamily holiday or feast. Wecurrently have a range of fivesoft drinks, but I would liketo provide you with theexclusive information that weintend to add two more to ourcollection: feijoa and melon.

- Do you export yourproducts?

- Zedazeni exports itsproducts to 22 countries.Based on the negotiationscurrently underway, I can tellyou that we will be increasingthis to 25 countries.

- Who are your nearestrivals, given that a varietyof Georgian and importedbeers and non-alcoholicfizzy drinks are availablein Georgia?

- I can see no rivals interms of producing high-quality beverages fortheGeorgian market. As formarket shares, I can tell youthat we maintain the leadingpositions.

‘The business awards ceremony is very significant for the economic growthof Georgia because the development of Georgian business is the fundamentalbasis for the economic development of the country as a whole. Malkhaz Gulashviliis doing a great job. Winning a top award is recognition and a great stimulus forus, and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the decision-makingprocess’ - Kakha Paichadze, Commercial Director of Zedazeni Brewery.

export to increases every year.The company continuallydevelops; new products arecreated which are introduced toforeign markets.


- The fame of the Sarajishvilicompany has been establishedfor more than a century on bothGeorgian and foreign markets.Our company is in intensecompetition with the strongestworld brandy houses. Thisinvolves not only producing high-quality products but respectinghistory and traditions. In thisway the Sarajishvili companydemonstrates the culture ofGeorgian wine and spirit makingthroughout the world.

Our unbroken experience,continual motivation andaspiration to progress have madeus theunquestioned leadingcompany on the Georgian market.

‘First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the organisers of this veryspecial ceremony. The business awards ceremony is very important because itgives companies the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience. Wewelcome such events and hope they are organised frequently’ - Ketevan Matiashvili,Marketing Manager.

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Tetri Qudi LLC is thelargest mushroommanufacturing company in theregion, offering field, wood andPortobello mushrooms. It hasgained a sustainable reputationand trustin the Georgianmarket in only two years andhas been a large-scalemushroom exporter since 2013.Tetri Qudi producesapproximately 200 tonnes ofmushrooms a month andemploys about 200 people.ItsGeorgian mushrooms areavailable in all large andmedium-sized stores in thecountry.

Awarded: a gold badgewith a cross and awards for:rapidly and dynamicallygrowing company, achievementof quality mark, agriculturalproduct manufacturing anddistribution, best newcompany.

GT interviewed IvaneIoseliani, General Director ofTetri Qudi LLC.

- What kind of motivationis it for your company to bepart of the Georgian Times

‘We Would Like to Preserve ourStatus of Market Leader and Become

a Large Exporter’ - Ivane Ioseliani

and GORBI business rating?- We are a new and rapidly

growing company. We beganmushroom production in 2011and originally managed 300tonnes per annum. Since thenwe have kept developing andre-tooling. For example, weproduced more than 1,500tonnes last year and beganexporting mushrooms toArmenia. From 2016 onwardswe plan to enter other marketplaces. We are in the process ofapplying for internationalstandards, which will allow usto present our products in anycountry after certification.

Participation in theBusiness Rating is an evaluationof our fruitful labor. It alsorepresents an additionalencouragement for managementto pursue our ambitious plansand make them real.

- What is yourmarketshare?

- We are the outright leaderof the Georgian market as wehave defeated mushroomimporters. A lot of smallgreenhouses have also openedin Georgia, and these popularise

‘Appearing in the top businesses rating is an enormous stimulus. Frankly speaking,we could not even have dreamt about this before. This win pushes us to do more andenhance our development’ - Ivane Ioseliani, General Director of Tetri Qudi LLC.

Mikheil Chkuaseli: ‘We Expectour Overall Market Share to

Increase to Around 15 Percent’Geoplant has been on

the Georgian market for 19years. This ecologically pureGeorgian product is madefrom whole tea leaves witha great aroma. It has newexport markets andambitious investment plans.Its premium quality exportbrands Prince Gurieli,Gurieli Classic, Fruit andHerbal are exported to theCIS and more than 10countries in Europe. It hasbuilt a new tea packingfacility equipped with hightechnology.

Awarded: a Gold badgewith a cross and awards for:Georgian premium exportbrand, new investmentprojects, prospering in atraditional field of industry.

GT interviewed MikheilChkuaseli, Director ofGeoplant.

- Your company has beenawarded a silver badge witha cross as one of the mostsuccessful companies of theyear. Is this recognitionimportant to you?

- This prize is really verysignificant for us. It isimmensely important for ourcompany that we have beenranked in the top businessrating for the third time; weare very proud of beingrecognized for both ourmanufacturing and exportaspects. Customer loyaltytowards Gurieli products thusintensifies, and this is a keystimulus for us. Ourenterprise is of internationalstandard and is equipped withnew and innovativetechnologies which facilitatehigh-quality production.

- What is your marketshare, and who do you deem

to be your closest rivals?- Our products are

popular throughout Georgiaand have customers in eachregion of the country exceptthe occupied territories ofAbkhazia and Tskhinvali. Ouroverall market share is 14%;we expect our market sharewill increase to around 20%in 2016, which means a 15%increase in the enterpriseitself. The multinational teamanufacturing companiessuch as Lipton, Ahmad,Greenfield, Maryam etc.controlled 100 percent of thepacked tea market from 2010onwards. Then Geoplantmanaged to produce high-quality products aimed atdifferent segments which arein line with internationalstandards. This enabled us toobtain our share of theGeorgian market and at thesame time launch internationalexports.

- How do foreigncustomers respond toGeorgian tea and do you planto enter new export marketsin the future?

- There is vast interest in

the product.- Who do you consider

your nearest rivals?- We have many rivals, but

I consider that our main rivalsin terms of raw mushroomsarethe importers of cannedmushrooms. But their quantityreduced after we appeared onthe Georgian market. Cannedmushrooms imported fromChina are quite cheap, but theyare defined by their low qualityand organo-leptic features.Their low price is mainlyachieved by not checking theirquality, but is also the mainfactor delaying ourcompany'sdiversification in thatdirection.

- How do you control thequality of your own products?

- As I mentioned above, weare working on achievinginternational standards, likeGlobal G.A.P. and ISO:22000.After certification we willbecome the only company inregion to hold both standardssimultaneously. We willthussatisfy quality requirementsworldwide. Tetri Qudi LTD hasalready been awarded a QualityMark by the QualityManagement Association. Wewere one of the first companiesto conduct research into GMO.

- What kind of futureplans does your companyhave?

- We would like to preserveour status of market leader andbecome a large exporter. Wealso plan to increase thepopularity and use ofmushrooms. Our priority is toreplace imported goods withdomestic production.

The company managementis also working on newinvestment projects. Our maininterest is in producing goodswhich are not yet beingmanufactured or are beingproduced in small volumes. Wewill refrain fromfurthercomment at this stage.

Georgian tea productsabroad. We have madenumerous prominent exportshipments to the CzechRepublic and Ukraine in2015; we intend to enter newmarketplaces in Poland,Lithuania, Belorussia andTajikistan, and also the USAand Russia.

- Can you outline yourfuture plans; do you planto produce any new brands?

- In 2016 we intend toexpand the assortment andpacking method of the currentbrands. We will introduce thepremium brand Prince Gurieliin December-January inclassic, fruit and herbalassortments packed bothloose and in tea bags in tinboxes. In addition, we havecreated new, premium qualitypyramid-shaped PrinceGurieli bags, individuallypacked in sachets, designedfor restaurants and hotels. Wehave refined Gurieli Exportand now introduced GurieliClassic.

Gurieli Fruit and HerbalTeas are dignified competitorsof similar products around theworld; we intend to expandthis line of packaging as well.The Georgian Baikhi N36export assortment will also beenhanced.

- How have youmaintained your positionin the market through theyears?

Our Customers are themain stimulators of oursuccess and advancement.Our team works around theclock to improve theproducts and create newassortments. Every year weendeavour to offer attractivenovelties to our customersby using our high-techpacking facilities and machineequipment, improvingquality and entering newexport markets.

‘Ranking as a top business is of the utmost importance for us. We have beenranked in this category a couple of times, and I should say once again that this is greatrecognition for us. We are very proud of it indeed. I think events like this are a greatimpetus for the further development of the business sector and push businessmen toimplement more successful projects in the future. Any sector needs to be appreciated,especially business, and today's business awards ceremony bestows this appreciationon us. - Nika Bakarishvili, Commercial Director of Geoplant.

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GWP Won't Let You DownGeorgian Water and

Power renders a range ofongoing services to residentsof Tbilisi. The people ofTbilisi trust their safe andsecure tap water. 2,300 GWPstaff members work 24 hoursa day to provide the 500,000people with high-qualitywater.

Awarded: a gold badge witha cross and awards for:possession of quality marks,effective management, corporatesocial responsibility, ecologicalstandards.

GT interviewed GiorgiTskhadadze, General Directorof GWP.

- Is inclusion in theGeorgian Times and GORBIbusiness rating encouragingto you?

- The Georgian Times andGORBI business rating is aprominent event which has beenheld for many years. Theinclusion of our company in thetop business rating is of theutmost importance, as it givesour customers an idea aboutwhat we are doing.

Our work touches everyoneand everything in the capitalcity, because everyone uses ourservices. We produce a product- high-quality drinking water -and supply the residents ofTbilisi with it, but very few ofthese know that high-qualitywater and a continual watersupply are achieved by round-the-clock toil, undertaken witha high sense of responsibility.This is why inclusion in thebusiness rating, which is drawnup by experts, is of paramountimportance.


GWP is a communal-typeprivate company and one of thelargest enterprises in Georgia. Itis the second largest watersupplier in Georgia, providinghigh-quality water for almost athird of our citizens. It alsosupplies water and waste waterto organizations, enterprises andfacilities in the city, and thereforehas 500,000 customers in total.

- What kind of businessenvironment is there in thewater supply sector?

- There are several water

‘I regard this evening as very important for thedevelopment of the business sector, because eachcompany represented here today is very successful anddeserves to be properly appreciated by the public.Certainly, it is a big stimulus when our service orproduct is appreciated and I am hopeful that thetraditional business awards ceremony will continue infuture’ - Tiko Makaridze, PR Manager of GeorgianWater and Power.

‘Geocell is one of the majorcontributors to the country's

economic pulse’ - Pawel SmalinskiGeocell is always in the

forefront of establishingtechnological innovations.The mobile communicationscompany continuallyprovides updated servicesand new products, neverleaves anyone out of itscoverage area and is aconvenient and integral partof our everyday lives.

Awarded: a gold badgewith a cross and awards for:introducing new technologies,innovative services, effectivemarketing, social responsibilityand continual progress.

GT interviewed PawelSmalinski, CEO of Geocell.


- Recognition of thebusiness we run in Georgiaplays an important part inmotivating us to conductsustainable and customer-focused operations. Geocell isone of the major contributorsto the country's economicpulse. We continually moveforward and introduce the latesttechnologies to our customers.Their loyalty and motivationinspires us to do even better.Our leading position in thebusiness rating gives us a strongbasis to continue conductingresponsible business inGeorgia.

- What can you tell usabout your future plans?

- We have remainedrelevant, and highly responsiveto growing customer demands,in this fast-paced world. As aresult, our company is stillmuch more IT/technologyoriented than its competitors.In other words, we have a smartand flexible way of doingbusiness, in which the two mainpillars - consumer andenterprise (B2C and B2B) arealways in focus, and dictatehow we set our goals andprovide the most effectiveproducts and services.

We would like to positionourselves as a one stop-provider of the wholetelecommunications sphere. Wewill achieve this by conductingjoint projects with strong,reliable global brands, whichwill partner exclusively withGeocell. We recently launcheda consolidated service withSilknet called Twist, and moreglobal partnerships will follow.

We are expanding ourpresence in Tbilisi. This yearthere will be 10 Geocell shopsin the city, with a uniqueatmosphere and highlyprofessional staff. In themedium term we intend to offer53 sales points all over thecountry. The active expansion

of our shop outlet portfolio toother cities of Georgia is a pillarof our strategy for the comingyears. We will stay ahead of themarket. Our enduring aspirationis to remain the leader bysetting the trend.

- Who do you view as yournearest rivals?

- Competition is whatmakes us better. Healthycompetition is what keepsevery business highly sensitiveto changes and instantlyresponsive to consumer need.We only focus on the strongaspects of the activities of ourcompetitors. If they canpositively surprise us, wewould like to take this forgranted so that we can motivateourselves to go beyond ourcomfort zone. Every companywhich makes good progress andsets precedents of goodbusiness is most welcome to beour "rival". In this we see thefuture sustainable developmentof this country.

- What kind ofinvestment portfolio do you

company's future plans?- On December 8 of the

current year our company wascredited "BB" by the internationalagency Fitch Group Ratings.GWP is the first non-financialprivate company which has beengiven the highest sovereign long-term rating by Fitch at the firsttry. This Fitch Group credit ratingdemonstrates a high level ofconsumer confidence, financialsustainability and effectivemanagement. This rating willattract significant investor interestand persuade them to makesignificant loan and financialdecisions.

We are intending to build ahydroelectric power station.Georgian Water and Power laidthe foundations of the SaguramoHydro Power Station onDecember 7, 2015. The buildingwork will be completed inNovember 2016.

Galt & Taggart and PashaBank are about to issue us with6 million GEL in preferencebonds. This is the second suchbond issue for GPW, and we willhave been allocated 9 millionGEL of bonds in total by theend of the year. Georgian Waterand Power is working with topconsultancy companies such asPrice Waterhouse Coopers andFichtner, who have made specialrecommendations concerningour tariff methodology. The largeengineering consulting groupAECOM has helped us draw upa development plan, which willbe the driving force of us enteringthe international stock market.A new corporate managementprogramme is also beingdeveloped in cooperation withMicrosoft.

We are continuing torehabilitate the water and wastewater systems in Tbilisi - this isan ongoing process, and involvesthe rehabilitation of water pipesand sewerage systems beneathTbilisi streets against thebackground of the reconstructionof highways and relevant objects.It is noteworthy that GWP hasremained in step with the newtechnological era. Remarkably,the main works on our GISsystem are almost completed.This will make our work evenmore effective and facilitatefurther advancement.

have, and how firmly areyou established in theGeorgian market?

- During the 18 years wehave been in Georgia a lot hasbeen done. But for us it's onlythe beginning. We will investin expanding our shopnetwork and invest in ouremployees. We will invest ininnovation and are ready toparticipate in the coming 4Gauction. Most of all, we expectto be here for another 18 years,and beyond that.

The world is a place ofconstant change, and we see thesame here in Georgia. We noticethe number of recentconsolidation initiatives in thetelecom market. As this is aglobal trend in the telecombusiness, we'll give it theappropriate attention. We'll setour strategy accordingly, inorder to secure Geocell a leadingposition in the market. We aregoing to be an active player inshaping the market and the maintrendsetter in the telecombusiness in this country.

‘For us, the Best Business Awards ceremony is one of the most significantand glorious events. We have won awards in many categories. Geocell is the onlycompany which has won Best Georgian Business three times. The grand prizedecorates the most prominent site in our office, as this reminds us of therecognition we have gained’ - Lika Metreveli, Corporate CommunicationsManager of Geocell.

supply companies in Georgia.The United Water SupplyCompany of Georgia operatesin most of the regions, AdjaraWater and Sachkhere Water arealso regional companies andRustavi Water and MtskhetaWater and daughter companiesof Georgian Water and Power.

- What quality controlmechanisms do you have?

- Tbilisi has been listed asone of the top ten capital citiesin terms of drinking water. Thismeans the domestic watersupply fully meets therequirements and nationalstandards of the World HealthOrganisation. The process ofmanufacturing drinking waterhas several stages and is verycomplicated and difficult.

It is worth underlining thatwhole some and secure drinkingwater is supplied to the residentsof Tbilisi only after laboratorytesting. This is conducted on aperpetual, 24-hour a day cycleby our chemical-microbiologicalspecialists.

Every Georgian Water andPower laboratory is accreditedwith the ISO-17025 standardand each is one of the best inGeorgia, using contemporaryequipment and facilities, givingus the means to keep waterquality at the highest level.

- Can you expand on your

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Gegi Kelbakiani: Quality is My Top Priority Orbi Group - High Sense of Responsibility,Well-Planned Management and Hard Work

Orbi Group is a leadingconstruction developmentcompany with many years'experience. It is responsiblefor 5,800 newly built and soldapartments. Orbi Group isthe first apart-hotel buildingcompany in Georgia, whosepremium class blocksinclude the Sea Tower inBatumi, Orbi Residence,Orbi Plaza and Orbi Palacein Bakuriani. Itsconstructions cover an areaof 1,500,000 square metres.

Orbi Group has sales officesin Georgia, USA, Germany,Belarus, Russia, Ukraine andIsrael. The company'sdistinguishing features are:quality, high architectural values,effective management, highlyqualified staff and maximumsatisfaction of customer needs.It has won many internationalexpositions and contests.

Awarded: gold badge witha cross and awards for: bigemployer, leading developmentcompany, innovative projects,worldwide recognition, leader inquality.

GT interviewed IrakliKvergelidze, General Directorof Orbi Group.

- What does inclusion inthe Georgian Times andGORBI rating mean for yourcompany?

- It is pleasing but not asurprise to win. We exert all ourefforts to be successful. However,it is a huge stimulus andresponsibility when you receivesuch high ratings. We do not lackprizes, either in Georgia orbeyond, but believe me, we donot relax even for a minute.

Certainly, it is pleasing thatOrbi Group is listed amongst thebest companies once again; thisis the outcome of great effort byeach staff member which theyput in round the clock. Thisrecognition pushes us to keepadvancing and remain in stepwith the raft of contemporarychallenges. We will achieve andinnovate more in order to createmore jobs and achieve greateradvancement.

Each prize is a great honourfor us. The number of prizesincrease every year, so I am

confident we will have similarmoments in future as well.

- What distinguishes youfrom your rivals?

- This is a very interestingquestion. Our major characteristicis that we have establishedourselves as a trustworthy andinnovation-oriented company. Ifyou take a rest even for a minute,the success of your business willslip from your hands because youmust always be oriented on results.Thus, the road to success is longand difficult, but we are orientedon the needs of our customers,not the contrary as in mostcompanies. We are also notrestricted to the local market, andtry our utmost to reach everyspot where we are necessary, forthe sake of Georgia. 80% of ourcustomers are foreigners, whichis not an easy thing to achieve.

It follows from this that weintend to continue on the samepath. We view the otherconstruction-developmentcompanies in Georgia more aspartners than rivals. Together weare building a new, modernGeorgia.

Orbi Group is the onlydevelopment company inGeorgia which has built apart-hotels in the Caucasus with itsown resources. The Sea Towerapart-hotel in Batumi has 1,900apartments, is distinguished byits unique architecture and hasbecome the visiting card of thecity. We have also built dozensof premium class homes withunique architecture in both thehistoric districts and newboulevards in both Batumi andBakuriani.

- What kind of businessenvironment is there in theconstruction market today?

- This market always offerssufficient resources to achievethings even though it carriessome risks. The fact thatregulations are being perfectedgives us an additional stimulus,as this helps create anatmosphere of wholesomecompetition. Business is free, andthis provides an additionalstimulus to undertake many moreprojects. Any type of businessrequires the backing of thegovernment, political stability

and the development of thecountry in various directions.From these points of view wehave no problems, and thismakes us more successful.

- What kind of qualitycontrol mechanisms do wehave?

- Quality is a gooddeterminant of success,alongside the factors mentionedabove. Orbi Group is the leadingdevelopment company inGeorgia. We control everyaspect of our work 24 hours aday and often invite foreignexperts to establish newstandards in the field.

- Can you outline thecompany's future plans?

We will expand our salesoffices abroad. We already haveoffices in the USA, Russia,Ukraine, Israel, Belarus,Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan andBelgium, and will soon add acouple more. The popularisationof our company in the countrydetermines how far Georgia inpopularised worldwide. We aredoing our best to achieve this,and I expect us to succeed. Thefact that Orbi Group isacknowledged abroad as aguarantee of stability withinnovative ideas, quality andcredibility imposes on us a greatresponsibility to think and createmore.

Our plans have always beenambitious and remain so. I won'treveal all the details, but we willimplement grand projects in theareas of multifunctional homesand hotels.

- Do you think there is aformula for success?

- A high sense ofresponsibility, well-plannedmanagement and hard work arethe key factors for achievingsuccess, in our view. You willnever succeed if you removeany of these components. It isnot sufficient to be in the rightplace at the right time. Thereare many other elementsinvolved, but the mostimportant thing is to like whatyou are doing. Every day eachOrbi Group staff member goesto work with such a mood. Wewill make you happy with ouroverwhelming success.

‘Today's prize is very significant, not only for us but for many other businesses.Autumn is the period when the year's activities and projects are assessed. It isnoteworthy that this is not the first time the Georgian Times and GORBI havebestowed a prize on Orbi Group; I would like to express my gratitude to theorganisers of the event, who perpetuate this very special tradition. We have beenparticipating in this event for 4 years, and I should underline that each year theceremony becomes more attractive and interesting’ - Irakli Kvergelidze, GeneralDirector of Orbi Group.

NCC has been providinginnovative solutions inconstruction and engineeringmanufacturing for the pastseven years. Its productsguarantee a high quality of life.NCC has very clearly definedmanagement priorities, such asfinancial transparency, promptservice, accuracy, reliability,quality and effectiveness. Thecompany has alreadyaccomplished 47 successfulprojects in Tbilisi. "Buddha BarTbilisi" is one of them. Itrepresents one of the mostexciting entertainment placesfor the citizens and contributesmuch to the tourismdevelopment of the country.Currently, the company's corebusiness is construction, butHoreca development is one ofthe priorities for the nearestfuture.

Awards: financialtransparency, innovativeresolution of complex issues,improvement of quality of life

GT interviewed GegiKelbakiani, the founder ofNCC.

- What does GeorgianTimes recognition andGORBI business rating meanfor you?

- Any award or businessrating mean more incentives andmotivation for us... Also, It givesus more responsibility for doingand creating much more… Thisis my personal attitude that isshared in my company. I neverfeel self-satisfied to be relaxedafter the execution of anyproject. Moreover, it drives meto do more. The most importantincentive is satisfaction of ourcustomers, citizens. I alwaysthink how to provide them withmaximal benefit, high-qualityservice and comfort while startingnew project.

Any award, recognition orbusiness rating is equallyencouraging for us and gives usgreater responsibility to do evenmore. Personally I never feelsatisfied and am alwaysencouraging myself to do more.The satisfaction of our customers

is the most important issue forour company, and I alwayshighlight this whenever I startwork on a new project. I attemptto provide our customers withhigh-quality service and comfort.

- What makes youdifferent from your nearestrivals?

- Frankly speaking, ourproducts are particularly reliablebecause quality is our top priority!That and so-called "Know How"are our advantages. I like complexprojects where the way to fulfillthem has to be discovered, as thisrequires critical thinking, analysis,professionalism, creativity andselection of right approach. Ialmost always choose toundertake those kind of projectsand endeavor to overcome thedifficulty by providing the highestquality solution. This is what ourcompetitive advantage is.

- What atmosphere isthere in the Georgianconstruction market today?

- The competition betweenconstruction companies is ratherstrong, mainly triggered by theopenness of the market. Iwelcome such challenges. Thelargest customer today is thestate. Accordingly, we often haveto concentrate on pricecompetitions due to the currentProcurement legislation. Thisitself influences on quality andtimescale of the work. At thesame time, alongside the largecompanies, new small companiesare appearing which by itself isgood sign, but quite often theywin tenders by quotinginadequately low prices. Thisultimately creates huge obstaclesfor both their clients and thegeneral public due toprocrastinated constructionworks. This gets in the way ofhigh-quality service, and so on.

All these factors impede thedevelopment of the largecompanies.

I am never going tocompromise quality, which is ourtop competitive advantage -quality implies high-standardconstruction works and theircompletion within reasonabletimeframe.

- What quality assurancemechanisms do you have?

- The fact that quality is ourtop priority can be confirmed bythe fact that we possess an ISO9001 Quality Standard Certificate.This means the procedures andprocesses we follow arecompletely in line with theapplicable international standards.On the other hand, my educationbackground and experience helpme perfect these processes andcontrol mechanisms.

My company focuses onbringing modern materials andimplementing appropriateattitudes, solutions and executionsin our country. This is our attitudewhile constructing new roads,residential or other types ofbuildings, bridges, tunnels, parks andunderground communications…our company is multi-profiled, andhas huge experience ofimplementing complex projects inwhich quality is the basic marker.

- In spite of your seriouseducation and workingexperience, you still continueto study… How do youcombine such a busy schedulewith studying at the LondonBusiness School?

- I cannot stay in one place;I will always seek personaldevelopment, perfection of myproducts and greater progress. TheLondon Business School is a veryspecial institution, and I will soonreceive the LBS Master Degreein Business Administration(MBA).. I agree it is not easy tocombine a difficult learningprocess with a busy work schedule,but it is a matter of timemanagement. I don't regret,moreover, I am proud of mydecision to study in LBS.Alongside with further educationin business administration, theLondon Business School has givenme great international contactsthat I will definitely use in mybusiness in future.

- Can you outline thefuture plans of your company?

- Once again I would like tooutline my interest in innovativeand complex projects. I believe wewill offer more distinctive productsto the public and our citizens. Weare also intending to expand ourtechnical team. We have justjoined Infrastructure ConstructionCompanies Association ofGeorgia, and together with otherlarge companies we will endeavorto provide the furtherdevelopment of the constructionfield and high standard serviceswithin it. We also plan to take partin projects outside Georgia withour foreign partners.

- Do you think there is aformula for success?

- I cannot tell you that thereis a universal formula for gainingsuccess, as this depends on theindividual - what matters is howthe idea of success is perceived.Definitely, there are many factorsin every kind of activity orbusiness that generate success; youcan read about these in manybooks. I have my ownformulation for it - it is importantto precisely analyze what is themost important value for you andthen concentrates on it.Afterwards, everything is sortedout…Once I mentioned and wouldlike to repeat -You must believein what you are doing…

‘Holding such business awards ceremonies isimmensely important, as whenever the public seessuch events, each businessman is motivated to domore, because they show that their work isappreciated by the people and the country and willnever disappear. Everyone needs to be well aware ofthe fact that we do not work only for profit. We seekto provide efficient resources to the country and thepeople. This is the second time we have won thisimportant award; we are happy that our efforts areappreciated, and are being properly evaluated in spiteof numerous difficulties’ - Gegi Kelbakiani, Founderand General Director of NCC

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Gomi Brings New Lifeto Georgian Tradition

The Gomi spirit andvodka manufacturingcompany has a century ofhistory. It is the only Georgiancompany equipped withdistilleries and laboratoryfacilitieswherea wide range ofchemical tests can be made.Itholds an ISO22000certificate, and this year itconducted a successfulrebranding, offering itscustomers the updatedGeorgian product.

Awards: national statusbrand, high ecologicalstandards, acquiring new exportmarkets, effective re-branding.

GT interviewed GigiAronishidze MarketingManager of Dugladze Wines &

‘This event is of the utmost importance, and today's prize is an appreciation ofGeorgian business and the activities the company undertakes throughout the year.Such prizes will evidently push the company to succeed in future. Once again I wishexpress my special gratitude to the organisers of this event and inform you that ourcompany will soon introduce more pleasant surprises and innovations to its customers’- Gigi Aronishidze, Marketing Manager of Dugladze Wines & Spirits/Gomi VodkaCompany.

Schuchmann Wines - WesternManagement, German Quality

and Georgian Products

Schuchmann WinesGeorgia has a tradition ofperfection. The SchuchmannHolding combines winemaking, tourism andgastronomy enterprises andowns a contemporarychateau, a boutique hotel anda restaurant which offeringwine tourism and otherattractions. SchuchmannTravel, a leading travelagency, promotes wine,cultural and adventuretourism in Georgia.

This year SchuchmannWines Georgia was listed as oneof the 100 best winemanufacturing companies. Itproduces two million bottles ayear of high-qualitytraditionaland European wines.

Awarded: a gold badgewith a cross and awards for:possession of quality marks,introducing new technologies,innovative and diverseactivities.

GT interviewed NutsaAbramishvili, GeneralDirector of Schuchmann WinesGeorgia

- What does inclusion inGeorgian Times and GORBIjoint business rating meanfor you?

- Schuchmann WinesGeorgia has been winningawardsin the highly regardedbusiness rating for years,as aleading player in the nationalbusiness sector. It is a hugeresponsibility to beawardedsuch a glorious prize.It means that our customers'trust in our company and ourdecent contribution to thenational business sector areproperly appreciated and mustbe maintained.

- What is your share ofthe Georgian market?

- Schuchmann WinesGeorgia is an export-orientedcompany, and 80% of its salesarefrom exports, therefore thelocal market has an imagemakingfunction for us. We havea conspicuous responsibility tokeep the Georgian winery

traditions going. The companyplays an active part in thewholesale market; we aredistinguished by high qualityproducts, and combine the wine,tourism, agriculture andgastronomy sectors, which iskeyfor developingthe Georgianbusiness infrastructure. Westernmanagement, German qualityand Georgian products arethekey to our success.

- What kind of businessenvironment is there in theGeorgian wine market?

Wine is the key sector oftheGeorgian economy. It is one ofour main export products,andhas colossal potential, directlyproportional to that of thedevelopment of the country.Growth is increasing, which isa promising indicatorof thefuture success of Georgianwine. It means Georgian winewill becomepopular worldwide.Georgian wine will gain greaterrecognition through strenuouseffort and the outcomewillbenefit the country as a whole.


- Schuchmann Wines doesnot seem to have an obviousrival within Georgia. AsGeorgian wine is a nationalproduct, our competition comes

from world wines. Georgia isvery small marketandcompetition within itcannot be determined.

- What quality controlmechanismsdo you have?

- Schuchmann Wines is ahigh standard boutique-typeenterprise. Quality is ourpriority. Quality control isconducted at each stage of themanufacturing process. As thewinery has vineyards of itsown, quality controlprocedures are conducted fromgrowing to bottling.


- Schuchmann Winestransformed itself into aholding-type company withina very short period as a resultof business sectordiversification whichconsolidated the leadingsectors of the Georgianeconomy: agriculture, wine,tourism and gastronomy, inone portfolio. Our plan is tosupport the development ofthis portfolio via implementingdifferent projects, creatingnew products and offeringhigh standard services whichwill popularise the traditionsof Georgian wine, which hasan 8,000 year history.

‘Our company has been ranked in the joint business awards rating for thesecond time. It is the utmost honor to be the leader of the winery and tourismsectors. Special emphasis should be laid on the fact that business supported byforeign investment is much appreciated here in Georgia. The more we encourageit, the more successful the Georgian business sector will be, and the stronger thecompanies that operate the stronger the Georgian economy will be’ - NutsaAbramishvili, General Director of Schuchmann Wines Georgia.

Spirits/Gomi Vodka Company.- What does being

included in theGeorgianTimes and GORBI businessrating mean for you?

- Following the re-brandingwe have undertaken, beingincluded in the Georgian Timesand GORBI business rating,which has a great history, isimmensely positive for us.


- Our new brand has justemerged on the Georgianmarket. Consequently, we arejust making efforts to becomeestablished and will be able toprovide an exhaustive answerto your question a year fromnow. However, we have ratherambitious plans.

- What is the state of thealcoholic beverages marketin Georgia?

- Demand is high, and thereare very interesting tendencies inthis market at the moment. Theprocess of "shifting/shearing" ofpremium quality beverages isunderway, thus the level ofcompetition is notably high. Atthe same time, some marketformation and reshuffling isunderway due to recent changesto excise rates. The picture willbe clearer next year.

- Who do you deem to beyour nearest rivals?

- Already well-establishedcompanies and brands, forinstance, Sarajishvili, and othercompanies which appeared inthis segment relativelyrecently("The Chamber ofWine" and so on).


- We have complex systemof quality control. We havehigh-quality raw materials inthe form of unique cognacspirits, highly qualified staff, anISO certified qualitymanagement system and ourcustomers, the best controllersof production quality.

- Can you outline yourfuture plans?

- At the moment, I canunderline two major plans: tocapture an important place onthe local market and maximizeour export potential.

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PSP Group gives anongoing guarantee of highstandard, readily availableservice. With more than5,000 staff, 177 pharmacies,insurance services,itsWestern-style highstandard and multi-profileNew Hospital clinics, ultra-contemporary equipmentand over 10, 000 high-qualitymedicationsfor the domesticand export markets PSP isthe leading pharmaceuticalcompany in Georgia.

Awards: High standard ofservice, attraction ofinvestment, big employer.

GT interviewed GochaGogilashvili, GeneralDirector of PSP Group.


- For 21 years PSP hasbeen a quality guarantee for theGeorgian population, both interms of the products we offerand our services. Over theyears we have received manyawards, however each one isvery important to us.

These national businessawards are the product of eachPSP employee's dedicatedefforts. For the 5,000 PSP staffit is a significant incentive forfuture success andachievement.

- What are your plans forthe future?

- PSP has more ambitiousexpansion plans for 2016. Ournew pharmacies will have openformats, giving customers freeaccess to their desiredpharmaceutical and OTCproducts. The transformationof our already functioningpharmacies into open typepharmacies is ongoing. We areworking on increasing theassortment of medical noveltiesavailable in Georgia,

PSP Group Keeps Georgia Healthy

introducing new products andnew brands. This willsignificantly improve medicineavailability.

We are focused onincreasing our export coverageand finding new markets.Weare pursuing the registration ofGMP medicines in variouscountries, among themEuropean countries. A newinsurance product is also underdevelopment, and this willinclude both health andautomobile insurance packages.

As a result of introducingthe latest technologies andhiring highly qualifiedspecialists our New Hospitalshave become very popular inneighboring countries. Lastyear, 8,000 non-Georgianpatients received medicalservices in our multi-profileclinics. We are hoping toincrease this number next yearthrough our new product Medtour, which will give Georgiaan important place on themedical tourism map.


- The pharmaceuticalmarket is characterized by ahigh level of competition. Allplayers have to be taken intoaccount, as small companiescan become seriouscompetitors over time.Therefore, all the companiesin the pharmaceutical marketare our competitors.

- What kind ofinvestment portfolio do youhave, and how firmly areyou established in theGeorgian market?

We have started to expandour New Hospitals, PSP'smulti profile clinics, and in twoyears'time their capacity willincrease from 150 beds to 400beds, which will make them thelargest such clinics in theCaucasus. We are alsoexpanding our pharmaceuticalmanufacturing arm, GMP,which will give the companynew opportunities and increaseits production capacity.

‘All recognition is important for us. The Georgian Times and GORBI BusinessRating is a very interesting event indeed. We are glad that our enterprise has wonnumerous awards at this ceremony. This recognition pushes us along the path tofurther success’ - Natia Khabeishvili, Public Relations Manager of PSP Group.

Aversi Works to Help YouAversi is a leader in a

spirally-developing marketand a guarantee of goodhealth and spiritual peace.It has been in Georgia for12 years and operate achain of 228 pharmacieswhich are staffed by 8,000employees. Aversi holdsISO 9001 and FDAcertifications and alsooffers the Alpha insurancecompany and a network ofup-to-the-minute medicalcentres. Its highly qualified

staff keep the company thebest of the best at thepharmaceutical market.

Awards: dynamicdevelopment, publicrecognition, teamwork,effective management.

GT interviewed PaataKurtanidze, the Founderof Aversi.


- It means we have aresponsibility to do our jobmore diligently andeffectively.

- What can tell us aboutyour future plans?

- Talking about specificfuture plans doesn't feelright to me. Our main goalis to constantly increasecustomer satisfaction.

- Who do you view asyour nearest rivals?

- Everyone is considereda rival.

- What kind ofinvestment portfolio doyou have, and how firmlyare you established in theGeorgian market?

- We have conductedsome large investments inrecent years and a lot moreare yet to come. Steadinessin the market is determinedby time.

‘I want to express my gratitude to Mr. Gulashvilifor helping Aversi Pharmacy focus on this event fromthe very beginning. I am grateful for suchapproaches. I wish to thank all the businessmen andcompanies who successfully cooperate with AversiPharmacy. Speaking on behalf of Aversi, I assureyou that the company will continue to high standardservices, replenish the state budget and conduct allthe activities we have been’ - Malkhaz Kurtanidze,Executive Director of Aversi.

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David Urushadze: We Make Hugeinvestments in Quality Management

Nikora Supermarket hasa 17 year history. The largestandmost dynamicallydeveloping network ofsupermarkets in Georgia, itemploysthousands of staff inthe capital and the regions. Itis distinguished by highstandard products andservices, a friendlyatmosphere and unusually lowprices. Being very deliciousand Georgian makes Nikoraa market leader.

Awards: Awarded a goldbadge with a cross and awardsfor: dynamically expandingnetwork, possession of qualitymarks, effective marketing,continual progress.

GT interviewed DavitUrushadze, Executive Directorof Nikora Supermarket .

- What does inclusion inthe Georgian Times andGORBI rating mean for you?

- The Georgian Times andGORBI are companies with thebest qualifications and the topratings. Accordingly, inclusionin their top business rating isvery prestigious for us.

- What is your marketshare in Georgia?

- We account for about 30%of organized retail market sales.

- What kind of environmentis there in the Georgianbusiness world today?

Today the Georgian marketis at acomplicated stage of itsdevelopment, and this impactson almost all areas. The keyproblem is still reducedpurchasing capacity and sloweconomic growth. Entrepreneurscannot increase business levelsdynamically due to the severemacroeconomic situation in thecountry; nevertheless, businessutilises its powers ofadvancement and creates a stableground for the development ofnational enterprise.

- Who do you deem to beyour nearest rivals?

‘We are full of positive emotions. Appreciation of our business is a key issue forus. Business is the driving force for our country, as it is what pushes our countrytowards further development. This event specifically is very important indeed’ -David Urushadze, Executive Director of Nikora Supermarket .

- Our nearest rivals are thosecompanies who offer similarfood markets,Food Mart andTwo Steps supermarketsamongst them.


- Our production enterpriseand the supermarketsthemselves are different

companies united in a singleholding, and we make large-scaleinvestments in terms of qualitymanagement. The enterprises areequipped with high standardlaboratories. We follow strictrules of product storage in allthe stores, with detailedstandards in areas such astemperature, and the QualityManagement Department takesall necessary measures to ensurethe correct application of thesestandards and continuallymonitors this.


- Continually increasing ournumber of supermarkets andenriching our productassortment are our top prioritiesfor the nearest future.We planto increase our network in theregions, and every regionalcentre in Georgia, and makehigh-quality products and a highstandard of service available forevery citizen of Georgia, nomatter where they live.

Tegeta Motors Drives Georgia Forward

‘I feel much pride when the 20 years' work of each staff member is properlyappreciated and recognised. Being awarded this honourable prize is a great stimulusand great responsibility’ - Temur Kokhodze, General Director of Tegeta Motors.

Tegeta Motors is abusiness group with an 18-year history of success. It is aleading player in the localand Caucasus region vehicleservice markets with fivedaughter companies,thousands of employees, alarge number of wholesaleoutlets, around 10,000corporate customers, 18branches throughoutGeorgia and more than 300partners around the world.Tegeta Motors serves morethan 30,000 companies inGeorgia by offering themmore than 50,000 productsand mutually beneficialterms.

Awarded: a gold badgewith a cross and awards for:regional vehicle service leader,high quality services,international recognition, bigemployer.

GT interviewed TemurKokhodze, General Directorof Tegeta Motors.

-Your company hasbeen listed amongst the

most successful companiesof the year and awarded asilver badge with a cross. Isthis recognition importantfor you?

- Being included in theGeorgian Times businessrating is certainly verysignificant because it meansthe purpose of Tegeta Motorsis fulfilled - we strive alwaysto be the best, and be qualityand development oriented.Our 20 year experienceenables us to provide high-quality products, and a widerange of international standardservice centres and makecontinual progress.

- How have youpreserved your leadingposition for so long?

- We continually focus onthe development of hightechnology with the supportof global leading brands; bysharing Western knowledge andexperience and establishingthem in our own activities weremain quality oriented. Thisis what makes Tegeta Motors

one of the most successfulcompanies.


- Tegeta Motors is a multi-brand company which sells sixdifferent types of product: tyres,spare parts, accumulators,lubricants, equipment andservices. As the Georgian marketis very diverse we have manyrivals in each of these areas, butwe maintain the leading positionin each sector. For instance, weaccount for 80% of tyre sales.

- Tegeta Motors has 5daughter companies and workswith numerous organisations.Can you outline your futureplans?

- Our plans for 2016include the refinement ofexisting projects, because weare a business-orientedcompany which addresses theneeds of its customers. Theholding always keeps itspromise to offer innovations toits customers by utilising its 20year experience and future-oriented technologies.

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Mister Master Will Sort it Out

Mister Master has beendoing minor repair works forTbilisi residents for the pastsix years. The company isknown for its professionalism,credibility and a highstandardof service appropriateto the individual needsof thecustomer.

awarded: a silver badge witha cross and won in the categories:customer satisfaction, effectivemanagement, high-quality serviceand creative marketing.

GT interviewed GeneralDirector of Mister MasterBoris Soselia.

- What does winning fiveawardsin the GeorgianTimes and GORBI businessrating mean for you?

- Getting nominated forsuch awards is veryimportant,and it is also veryimportant to winand gainrecognition for our work. Weare particularly pleased to havegained a high assessment ofourstandard of service andcustomer satisfaction, as ourteam works to improve theseaspects of our work every day.Awards such as these makeclear that we are following theright path and what we are doingis effective.

- Exactly what kind ofservices do you offer yourcustomers?

- We call our service area‘communal householdservices", which means we doall minor and major repairworks in the home, suchasplumbing, electrical work, airconditioning, heatingrepairs,lock fitting and other small andlarge scale repair works.In fact,we provide all types of repairworkwhich may be necessary,eitherin homesor offices.

- Is there muchcompetition in this field,andwhatadvantage does MisterMaster have?

- At first sight, competitionis rather high in this field becausethere are many self-employed

Mister Master Sales Manager DatoTskhvaradze: ‘We have a good feeling aboutthis. Such events and awards are very good inducements for small companies. Itmotivates them to do their utmost to join the big companies and become moresuccessful. Participation in such awards gives a company a positive image’

Tamaz Barnov: We HaveLargely Replaced Imports

Georgian Paper Mill isa leading company with 20years' experience ofmanufacturing corrugatedcardboard sheets. It was thefirst company in Georgia toproduce modern standardwrapping materials andcontinues to provide a highstandard of service thanksto its modern technologyand effective management.

Georgian Paper Mill wasawarded a silver badge with across and won the main awardin three categories: eliminationof waste, best employer andattraction of investment.

GT interviewed theFounder of Georgian PaperMill, Tamaz Barnov.

- What does inclusion in

the Georgian Times andGORBI business ratingmean for you?

- Involvement in the jointawards is a really great honorand stimulus for us.

- Can you outline theactivities of your company,and do you find involvementin the business awards amotivating factor?

- Georgian Paper Millhasbeen a leading company for 20years, manufacturing corrugatedcardboard sheets for theGeorgian market, butit hascontinually developed, takingnew steps from importing somecorrugated cardboard sheets tointroducing zero wasteproduction technology and usinglocal raw materials inpapermanufacturing.

Tamaz Barnov: ‘This evening, the national business awards ceremony, is agreat stimulus for business; such events encourage businessmen to work evenmore enthusiastically, employ more people and do manyother good things. It is agreat pleasure to see the company's work through the year appreciated’.

craftsmen and some customersstill use so-called Eliavaservices. But I can assure youthat our services are absolutelydifferent from those offeredelsewhere, sowe do not regardanyone as a direct competitor.Each customer who chooses ourservicesacquiresa properlytrained, experiencedcraftsmanwith high professionalskills who does high qualitywork. All are services arewarrantied andwe can addressthe legal part of the work easily,asour document exchangesystem works perfectly, whichis another significant advantagewe have. These are the factorswhich have gained us anincreasing number of loyalcustomers.

- Are your pricesreasonable?

- As I have alreadymentioned, we provide highquality services to our customers,

and we now have over30,000families and 3,000 companies ascustomers. This demonstrates thatour prices are accessible.

Any resident of Tbilisicanaccess our standardservicesfor only 35 GEL, at thecurrent standard rates, and mightbe offered other services for free,depending on their needs.

We want to make ourservices available for everyone.Our rates have remained thesame since 2010 for this reason.

- What are your futureplans? Do you plan to addsome new services?

We do not plan to offer anynew services in the nearestfuture, but a review of ourtechnologies and systems isunderway. This will makethemmore oriented to the needsof customers and help usprovide the highest standardsofservice. We are also workingon a regional development plan.

- Who do you see as yournearest rivals, and how haveyou managed to maintainyour leading position for somany years?

- As I have alreadymentioned, we manufacturepaper on site and then producecorrugated cardboard wrappingsheets from it; by doing this wehave managed to replace importsto a very large degree.No othercompany has achieved such athing at the Georgian market,andthis is a great plus point for ourcompany.


- Modernisation of thepaper manufacturing processis a key issue. This is acontinuous process andcannot be hindered.

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Management Systems Point the Way

Management Systems isa leading company providinginternational managementsystem consulting andcertification services. It hassuccessfully implementedover 200 projects and is acorporate partner of theworld's leading systemcertification organizations,TUV and SUD, and theirGerman holding companiesin Georgia.

The company holds, andhelps others gain, the followingaccreditations: ISO 9001, ISO27001, HACCP, ISO 22000,Global G.A.P., ISO 18001,GMP/GHP, ISO 14001, FAMIQS, ISO 30001 and ISO 5000.It is a reliable partner of localbusinesses as they attempt toharmonies with Europeanstandards.

Awarded: a silver badgewith a cross and won awardsfor: international standardscertification, best consultancycompany, reliable partner forlocal business.

GT interviewed ManagementSystems Head Elguja Meladze

- What does involvementin the business rating meanfor you?

- It is important for ourcompany, as we have operatedin the Georgian market for 12years and this is the firstoccasion, as far as I know, inwhich an award has been givenin the consultancy field.However, we would like to point

‘Being here this evening is really exciting for me. This is the first occasion wehave participated in this event. Very often the hard work of companies cannot beseen, and only outcomes are obvious, but outcomes cannot be achieved without hardwork. We are filled with honour at gaining such recognition, which is significantindeed’ - Elguja Meladze.

International Black Sea University- Educating for Futures

The International BlackSea University is asuccessful higher educationinstitution. With accreditedprogrammes and highly-qualified academics, itprovides access to highquality education. Itsstudents come from a varietyof countries, and thissupports the development ofmulticultural relationshipsin Georgia.

Awarded: a silver badgewith a cross and the awards:accredited curriculum,professionalism, consolidationof multicultural relationships,encouragement of innovation,social responsibility.

GT interviewed ProfessorIlyas Ciloglu, Rector of theInternational Black SeaUniversity.

- International BlackSea University has beenlisted alongside the mostsuccessful companies in theGeorgian Times and GORBIbusiness rating. What doesthis mean for you?

- Winning in theeducational institutioncategory is of the utmostsignificance for us, as it is anappreciation of the work wehave put in to become asuccessful company. Today'srecognition will undoubtedlybe a stimulus for us to redoubleour efforts to achieve furtheradvancement.

- The InternationalBlack Sea University wasfounded in 1995 and was verysoon regarded as a successfulhigher educationalinstitution. As there are avariety of educationalinstitutions in the country,what is your key priority andhow have you managed toovercome the enormouscompetition?

- Our University providesaccess to high-qualityeducation, and the number ofour students employed is thebest indicator of this. BothEnglish and Georgian-accredited curricula have been

offered since the universitywas founded, and these aresubstantially fitted to therequirements of the local andinternational employmentmarket.

If you wish to study withus, you can apply for manybenefits such as: grant + grant,scholarships, funding forschool Olympiad contestants,financing of gold and silvermedal holders and so on.

We conduct exchangeprogrammes with approximately80 universities worldwide;numerous students and academicpersonnel are involved in these.The educational environment ismaximally adapted to the needsof students and their activities arevery interesting and diversified.In our free academic atmosphere,professors and teachers are alsogranted an opportunity toenhance their professional skillsand make innovations within theeducational process.

- It is known that thereare approximately 30 clubsat the university, includinga charity which providesassistance to vulnerablepersons. Can you provide adetailed description of itsactivities?

- International Black SeaUniversity pays particularattention to socialresponsibility and is

"The Georgian Times Business Rating is a stimulus for businessmen inGeorgia today. It bestows on us the paramount responsibility to do even more.When you give someone an award, it pushes them to become more self-motivated.I feel the utmost happiness at today's recognition." Professor Ilyas Ciloglu,Rector of International Black Sea University.

out that there are variousdifferent types of consultingcompany, and ManagementSystems itself has a diverseportfolio of activities, whichfocus on the development ofvarious systems of managementwithin the companies and theircertification in compliance withinternational standards.

We own a major portion ofthe market for these servicesand offer high performance toour customers. We ensure thatlocal companies obtain thecertifications they need to enterthe European market andexport their goods.

- Exactly what kind ofservices do you offer?

- We develop and introducemanagement systems forcompanies and organize theircertification through the TUVand SUD German holdingcompanies. However, gettingthem certification is not the endof our relationship with ourclients. The companies areaudited annually, and they haveto be prepared for this and passthe audit; we therefore involveourselves in these processesand continue to serve alreadycertified companies. Today weserve more than 250 companiesin the Georgian market.

- What criteria do you usewhen selecting clients, andwhat key factor has guaranteedthe success of the company forseveral years now?

- We actually work with anycompany which wants our

service. The key criteria is theirdesire to set up real systems inthe company, not only achievecertification. It is vital that thetechnical processes of anenterprise are in compliance withlocal and international practicesand regulations, and very oftenclients are encouraged to makeserious investments in ensuringthis. The qualification andefficiency of the staff team arealso essential, as thedevelopment and establishmentof management systems is onlypossible through commonendeavour, one of the specificfeatures of this field.

Therefore ManagementSystems provides systemswhich are precisely fitted to theneeds of our client companies,fully reflecting their activities,targets and tasks. Thosesystems determine their futuresustainability, ongoingdevelopment and success. Theyare why all our customers aresatisfied with the services wehave provided and recommendus to other companies.

- What are your futureplans?

- In the near future we will:- expand our service to the

regions- implement a support

project for food operatorcompanies

- develop global standardsin Georgia

- provide full-scale servicesfor our customers within thecertification period

- consult our partnercompanies about everyinnovation they introduce intheir systems

- involve new companies indeveloping and establishinginternational standard systems

- provide full informationto our partner companiesregarding amendments to thelaws relating to standards andhelping them make anynecessary changes

- offer new services tocompanies which are alreadymeeting European standards.

vigorously involved in variouscharity events. For instance,we have a close relationshipwith the government ofAutonomous Republic ofAdjara and offer free foreignlanguage courses to internallydisplaced children. We are alsointending to begin cooperatingwith the Ministry of Defenceof Georgia to offer free foreignlanguage courses and trainingto family members of soldiersinjured in hostilities.

As for the charity clubyou are talking about, thestudents themselves initiatedit. They organise concerts,exhibition and trade fairs anddonate the accumulated sumsto those in the greatest need.The foundation cooperateswith charity organisations andarranges other fundraisingevents with them.

- What are the futureplans of the university?

- A new ultra-contemporary campus willsoon be opened, and this willenable us to receive manymore students. We also planto introduce new curricula,double the number of exchangeprogramme participants andundertake various othernoteworthy activities. We arehopeful that the New Year willbe productive and prosperousfor us.

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MAHIR MAMMEDOV, SOCARVASIL KHORAVA, WISSOL

PETROLEUM GERGIA

IVANE IOSELIANI, TETRI QUDI

SOSO PKHAKADZE,WISSOL GROUP

JOERG MATTHIES,GEORGIAN INDUSTRIAL GROUP, GIEC

BADRI TSILOSANI, CARRIAGEBUILDING HOLDING VAKHTANG BUTSKHRIKIDZE, TBC

DAVID VERULASHVILI,LIBERTY BANK

NIKOLOZ MCHEDLISHVILI,PETROCAS ENERGY GROUP

DAVID TSAAVA, BASISBANK B.SAJIV, GEOSTEEL LLCVOLODYMYR “VELVEL” LOZYNSKYY,

GEORGIAN MANGANESEGIORGI GEGECHKORI,

RAKIA GROUP

GOCHA GOGILASHVILI,PSP GROUPPAATA KURTANIDZE, AVERSI GEGI KELBAKIANI, NCC

MIKHEIL CHKUASELI, GEOPLANT

LEVAN BURDILADZE,RUSTAVI AZOT

GIORGI TSKHADADZE, GWP PAWEL SMALINSKI, GEOCELL

TEMUR KOKHODZE,TEGETA MOTORS DAVID DUGLADZE, GOMI

NUTSA ABRAMISHVILI,SCHUCHMANN WINES GEORGIA

DAVID BARDAVELIDZE,GEORGIAN PRODUCTS

DAVIT URUSHADZE,NIKORA SUPERMARKET

IRAKLI KVERGELIDZE,ORBI GROUP

TSEZAR CHOCHELI,GEORGIAN BEER COMPANY

ZURAB BUBUTEISHVILI,SARAJISHVILI

XVI National Award for Business

AMIRAN MAMUTCHADZE,COMPANY BLACK SEA GROUP

TOP 30 Companies

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