Issue 2
Oracle EMEA : Oracle In Europe
For most enterprises, and certainly most of Oracle's customers, a drive to simplify Information Technology (IT) is becoming of ever-increasing importance. Oracle has become one of the largest technology companies in the world on the strength of its extensive portfolio of software and hardware products to facilitate this simplification.
Amrest Holdings SE
Everything is possible The long standing significance of the "Everything is Possible" mantra for AmRest emulates the entrepreneurial spirit of the company's founders and the company's ambitious growth plans Writer Emily Jarvis Project Manager Glen Newton AmRest Holdings SE (AmRest, WSE: EAT) is the largest independent restaurant operator in Central and Eastern Europe with a growing international presence. Since 1993, the company have been building a portfolio of well recognised, power brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks based on a solid franchise and joint venture partnerships. AmRest also owns the La Tagliatella brand in Spain which is being developed internationally as both company operated restaurants and franchised stores. Recently, AmRest acquired two unique brands operating in China: Blue Frog and Kabb. Today, AmRest operates over 750 category leading quick service and casual dining restaurants, with headquarters situated in the southern Polish city of Wrocław. Through their "Everything is Possible" culture, every day 20,000 AmRest employees in 12 countries across 7 brands deliver delicious food and exceptional service at affordable prices. "Most restaurant holding companies are regional, whereas we have spread our wings across Central and Eastern Europe in order to provide for the ever-growing quick service market as a multi-brand operator," explains Wojciech Mroczynski, Executive Director of AmRest. Wszystko Jest Mozliwe – Everything is Possible Running throughout AmRest's history is the idea that "Everything is Possible" or "WJM". In 1993, the CEO and founder of AmRest, Henry McGovern, along with his business partners acquired a prime property at the beautiful, main square…
Chipsters
Gone Fishing Chipsters offer fish and fish related products at competitive prices, whilst providing excellent customer service and a high quality final product Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Glen Newton Chipsters Food Ltd is a fast-growing Finnish foodstuffs company with traditional values, providing high quality delicacies from the land and sea, for both commercial and domestic kitchens. "Our products taste of the ripeness, purity and freshness of the Finnish archipelago. We offer our customers a range of products that are attractive and affordable, accompanied by excellent customer service and efficient internal quality operations." The majority of the company's food products are Horeca (Hotel/ Restaurant/Cafe) products, but they also provide consumer products to retail stores. Chipsters is a leading brand in Finland when it comes to the best fresh and frozen fish and fish related products. Only the Freshest Produce With operational roots that can be traced back to 1934, Chipsters have a long tradition of providing high quality products and simple packaging solutions, to prolong the fresh taste of their fish. The company's business is customer-focused, with a secure supply chain and skilled personnel serving as the fundamental building blocks for their deliciously healthy and extensive food range. The company have offices in Kerava, Naantali and Vaajakoski, Finland, which enables them to have a distribution and sales network that stretches nationwide. Additionally, the company's own fish processing plant is in Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland islands. "We have also gone out to the oceans in order to offer our customers the broadest range of fish…
Quintens Group
Made in Belgium Quintens group works actively with clients to ensure individual bakeries develop a bread concept that suits a shop's identity Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Glen Newton Quintens group aims to be the sustainable and profitable supplier of fresh bread and confectionery for large-scale distribution in Belgium. the company wish to achieve this by offering a complete selection of products, by guaranteeing artisan quality, by respecting regional preferences, and by working with local bakeries. "Our most important attractions are the regional insertion of our bakeries, our customer service, and of course the outstanding quality of our products. We are literally and figuratively close to the customer. our bakeries are less than 50km from each retail location. That is how we guarantee the absolute freshness of all our products, seven days a week." In addition to the emphasis on quality, Quintens group's excellent customer service ensures the company offer customers sufficient help and guidance by determining the ideal selection for the bakery shop concerned, developing special offers, training staff , and planning the presentation of the assortment. "Thanks to our regional insertion, we have tradespeople that know the favourites, appearances, and sizes of each region." Quintens Group: Family Bakers since 1979 In 1979, the Quintens family bakery was established in Heusden-Zolder. That was the basis for a company that expanded into an enterprise with around 1,000 permanent and temporary employees. Especially in the 90s, the company developed due to internal growth and a fusion with six local bakeries. In order to guarantee the local character…
United Cast Bar
Rock The Cast Bar The growing European support for the manufacturing sector is a solid foundation that secures UCB's position in the economy Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Serge Utting United Cast Bar (UCB) are one of the world's largest manufacturers of continuous cast iron bars, to this date holding the record for the largest bar, measuring in at 665mm in diameter. Moreover, they produce the broadest range and size of any continuous cast iron bar and supply to a wide array of blue chip companies. A cast iron bar (Unibar) can be produced in a multitude of forms to meet customer design requirements. It is commonly used in general engineering applications, but primarily in hydraulic, fluid power and pneumatic equipment. United Cast Bar was formed in 1998 from a merger of 3 companies: Eurocast Bar Limited (UK), Starkey's Technicast Limited (UK) and Cast Profil SA (Spain); fusing together a wealth of technical expertise and knowledge for the production of cast iron bar, along with a strong distribution network across Europe. In 2001, the 'Unibar' brand of products were launched to establish best industry practice and standards of quality, consistency and customer service that exceeded market demands, and to provide the best technical and commercial support. Delivering Cost Effective Solutions As in most industries, the global market collapse of 2009 affected United Cast Bar. Following investment in melting capacity in their UK facility in 2007, the Group was able to rationalise their production base without any loss of total capacity – consolidating production into the two…
Deloports
The Black Sea Bastion Deloports have implemented an investment programme over the last 3-4 years, with a view to become the operator of the most modern and fastest growing dry cargo terminals in the Black Sea region Writers Matt Bone Project Manager Arron Rampling Deloports is a holding company that owns and operates container, grain terminals and a bunkering service company, situated in the South East region of Novorossiysk, Russia. This Black Sea port is perfectly situated to offer a logistical haven for containerised import cargoes coming to main consumption centres in the European part of Russia, as well as for handling Russian exports, such as oil, grain, metals, timber products etc. Deloports was founded in 2012 by consolidating stevedoring assets of Delo group. Deloports actively invests in the development of terminals and storage infrastructure, equipment and human capital in order to improve the level of its services. Andrei Bubnov, chief Financial Officer of DELOPORTS, has overseen the recent investments and terminal upgrades being undertaken by the company, and believes that it has put Deloports in a commanding position as the premier port operator on the Russian Black Sea coast: "we have implemented an investment programme over the last 3-4 years, with a view on capitalising on the increasing volumes of Russian grain exports and on containerised cargo shipments to and from Russia. This has already paid dividends for us in terms of modern capacities and turnover. We have placed a strong emphasis on utilising the space we have and creating an efficient operating area." Investing…
Energi Sverige
Northern Lights under the watchful eye of managing Director ulf Dahlin, Energi Sverige's mission is to increase the competitiveness of the power generation sector by providing advice, support and real prices to business customers in Sweden Writers Matt Bone Project Manager Dave Alexander Energi Sverige (energy Sweden) are one of the biggest electricity trading companies in Scandinavia, who for the last 8 years, have been helping Swedish companies and consumers with their need-based electricity contracts, qualified advice and invoice services. Energi Sverige, which is owned by parent company Energi Denmark - Denmark's leading company in trading business - have grown strongly over the last 5 years thanks to a dedicated team of employees whose entrepreneurial spirit has enabled the company to attract over 10,000 customers across several different industries, both in the private and public sectors. Ulf Dahlin, managing Director of Energi Sverige, has overseen this organic growth and puts it down to not only having a dedicated staff , but also the time spent analysing market trends: "We have really seen the business grow over the last few years and although there are many contributing factors, the two that really stand out are our staff 's working ethos and our attention to market trends. our employees are constantly liaising with consumers and businesses to work out the best deal possible to suit their needs, and then tailoring a package accordingly that will meet those needs. we keep a very close eye on how the market is fluctuating in terms of new technology and innovation as…
Minesto
Making Waves Around the Globe Minesto's Deep Green tidal power technology is small, lightweight and very efficient and is able to accelerate the water velocity by up to a factor of 10 Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Dave Alexander Minesto is a marine energy technology company with a patented technology for cost efficient electricity production from tidal and ocean currents. Minesto's award winning product, Deep Green, is the only known marine power plant that operates cost efficiently in areas with low velocity currents. Deep Green resembles an underwater kite with a wing and a turbine that is attached by a tether to a fixed point on the ocean bed, moving swiftly in an 8-shaped trajectory in the current. Compared to other traditional and renewable energy sources, tidal and ocean current energy is considerably more predictable and reliable; with minimal visual, noise and environmental impact. Marine energy from the world's ocean has huge potential. Deep Green, with its low weight and ability to operate in low velocity currents, has several advantages compared to other tidal and ocean current power plants; the catchment area is much larger, and service and maintenance is more cost efficient, resulting in low electricity production costs, comparable with traditional energy sources. Minesto was founded in 2007 by Managing Director Anders Jansson, Saab Group and Chalmers University of Technology, with its base in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Northern Ireland, UK. The major shareholders in Minesto are BGA Invest, Midroc New Technology, Saab Group and Chalmers University of Technology. "We started the company as the technology…
Roshen
Perfection Wrapped in Chocolate Europe outlook spoke with Inna Petrenko, Head of public relations at Roshen confectionery corporation, about the sweet success it has seen in Europe Writers Matt Bone Project Manager Glen Newton So tell me about ROSHEN in your own words ROSHEN Confectionery Corporation has become one of the world's largest manufacturers of confectionery products, having been founded in 1996. We have our head office in Kiev, Ukraine and additionally we have 7 production factories – including in Lithuania, Hungary and Ukraine. We export our products to over 30 countries around the world. ROSHEN produces over 320 kinds of confectionery products including chocolate bars, chocolate, jelly sweets, hard candies, biscuits, sponge cakes and wafers. We have a total overall production of over 450 thousand tonnes per year. To remain a leader, just moving forward is not enough; we must set the pace for the whole industry. That is why our operation has always been firmly based on two fundamentals – quality and innovation. All of our factories are provided with state-of-the-art equipment from the world's leading manufacturers. Each stage of operation, from recipe development to a start-up of a new production line, is executed under a strict code of requirements. The production units of ROSHEN Confectionery Corporation are all certified in accordance with the requirements of the international quality and food safety standards. What makes your products unique in the chocolate and confectionery industry? The unique selling point of our business is the high quality standards we maintain, which are implemented at every stage…
Premier Tech Chronos
Packing Innovators Premier Tech Chronos stand out through a plethora of custom technical innovations on the bagging/packaging lines alongside the we care customer guarantee Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Serge Utting Premier Tech Chronos is currently the biggest player in the industrial flexible packaging industry in the world. Since 1923, premier tech has built its know-how and reputation on the skills and synergy of its three groups: Horticulture and agriculture, Industrial equipment, and environmental technologies. Premier Tech strongly believes that the driving force for the company's success has been their team. Through nurturing staff talents and passion, members of the team join forces to promote and implement creative ideas. From America to Europe to Asia, their multidisciplinary team capitalises on the expertise and creativity of over 2,700 individuals who work as one to grow the technological and commercial leadership that secures Premier Tech's long-term growth. IEG – Driven by Innovation and Strategy Within the three Groups that make up the company, the Industrial Equipment Group (IEG) – Known as Premier Tech Chronos - further consists of four major business segments: Flexible packaging, rigid packaging, bulk processing and peat moss field equipment. Each sector offers innovative solutions and approaches to complete and integrated systems and projects are tailored to suit the specific needs of customers. "In flexible packaging, Premier Tech Chronos offers complete bag packaging solutions including weighing and feeding, bagging, valve bag filling, palletising and load securing equipment, for a wide range of materials in various industries: pet food, food, growing media, minerals (loose), feed, seeds…
Ecophos
Europe's Phosphate Experts EcoPhos' new and innovative technology drastically increases phosphate reserves and eases the pressures on price for this commodity Writers Emily Jarvis Project Manager Serge Utting Phosphorous is an element that we cannot live without, but is becoming short in supply. The phosphate industry needs to keep up with the increasing demand for high quality phosphate; they need High Grade Rock Phosphate (HGRP) coming from the main supplier of rock phosphate. HGRP is vital because, historically, almost all producers of fertiliser and foods use the same processes. As the HGRP has limited availability across European countries, in some cases companies have no choice but to use Low Grade Rock Phosphate (LGRP). This is where EcoPhos come into the picture; with their new and innovative technology that drastically increases the phosphate reserves and eases the pressures on price for this commodity. Created in 1996, EcoPhos made the headlines in November last year when it was announced that the company would be acquiring Tessenderlo's feed phosphate operations. Prior to the acquisition, which was completed in early-March 2014, EcoPhos produced feed grade DCP and MCP via its subsidiary Aliphos Bulgaria, located near Varna, Bulgaria. EcoPhos has undergone many additional acquisitions over the years in order to enhance their research and development, innovations and manufacturing of feed phosphate. Mohamed Takhim, founder and CEO of the company EcoPhos, is Chemical Process Engineer with an MBA, and is inspired by the phosphate chemistry process design. With the support of his dynamic and professional teams, he continues to develop new innovative…
Brother International Europe
Brother Imprints on History Writers Matt Bone Project Manager James Mitchell Brand evolution Founded in Japan over a century ago by two brothers Masayoshi and Jitsuichi Yasui, today, Brother is a globally recognised innovative technology brand. The company now has operations in more than 40 countries and its products are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide. The story began with sewing machines, as Brother's first major manufacturing and exporting success and from this strong start the organisation has continually developed and expanded its offering. Today, Brother has a much broader product portfolio including printers, multifunction devices, fax machines and labelling machines alongside its key heritage product, sewing machines. New products for an increasingly digital and smart technology era include mobile print solutions, through to omniJoin, an HD web conferencing solution. Brother is proud of its history and excited about where it is going to. A Strong presence in Europe Brother International Europe (BIE) is the European head office for Brother in Europe, based in Manchester, UK, and part of the global Brother group. The role of BIE is to provide strategic centralised support to each of these European operations. Since the 1950s Brother has built a strong presence in Europe. BIE has sales offices in over 20 European countries, a central sewing machine HQ for Europe based in Germany, plus production and recycling facilities in the UK and Slovakia, with a workforce of over 1,265 people. Ian Metcalfe, executive Director, Services & Solutions at BIE, believes the growth seen over the last 50 years in…
Bank of England says Bitcoin could Transform Stock Market
The technology behind digital currency bitcoin could have far-reaching implications and the potential to reshape the financial industry, according to a new report by the Bank of England (BoE). The reason for the BoE's excitement? Virtual currencies - most notably bitcoin - have at their heart a publicly distributed ledger system called the "block chain" that makes sure all transactions are verified in a transparent, decentralised and secure fashion without imposing hefty transaction fees. This system is a "genuine technological innovation", according to a new report by the U.K.'s central bank, which details the negative and positive aspects of crypto-currencies. "The key innovation of digital currencies is the 'distributed ledger' technology that allows a payment system to operate in an entirely decentralized way, with no intermediaries such as banks," the BoE's quarterly report, released on Thursday afternoon, said. The BoE went on to say that the ledger system is a fundamental change in how payment systems can be made to work, demonstrates that digital records can be held securely without any central authority and has the potential to develop further. A Ledger for Stocks? The BoE says that, since the majority of financial assets such as shares or bonds already exist only as digital records, distributed ledgers could possibly transform the financial system. "It may be possible in the future — in theory, at least — for the existing infrastructure of the financial system to be gradually replaced by a variety of distributed systems," the BoE said, although it made no predictions that this would happen.…
Phones 4u Heads into Administration after EE Contract Loss
UK mobile phone retailer Phones 4u said it is seeking the appointment of administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers after its key partner EE notified the company that it would not be renewing its network agreement. The contract, which ends in September next year with the UK's biggest mobile operator EE - which comprises T-Mobile and Orange, was crucial to the business for Phones 4u after it lost a similar contract with Vodafone earlier this month. The company, majority-owned by private equity firm BC Partners, said the unexpected decisions by both Vodafone and EE "have come as a complete shock to the business." The decision has led Phones 4u to shut all of its 550 stores that employ about 5,600 workers, until a decision by the administrators is made on whether the business can be reopened for trading, the company said. "Today is a very sad day for our customers and our staff. If the mobile network operators decline to supply us, we do not have a business," Chief Executive David Kassler said in a statement. The process of the appointment of an administrator is under way and is expected to occur on Monday, the company said. SOURCE: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101999371
EU Car Sales Continue to Rise
European car sales rose a 12th consecutive month as price cuts by automakers and demand for compact models from Ford Motor Co. (F) and Volkswagen AG (VOW) led to the longest stretch of growth on record. Registrations increased 1.8 percent in August to 701,118 vehicles from 688,464 a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, or ACEA, said today in a statement. The growth, the slowest this year, pared sales gains in the eight months through August to 5.8 percent. Demand for cars in Europe is reviving from a two-decade low last year that stemmed from a sovereign-debt crisis and recession in the countries sharing the euro. The VW Polo and Ford's competing Fiesta helped propel sales jumps last month exceeding 14 percent for those brands. Mass-market producers tried to win buyers with discounts that Barclays Plc estimated averaged 20 percent in Germany and 18 percent in France. "A slowdown in year-on-year industry growth during the third quarter is a consequence of a slight market recovery in the second half of 2013," Allan Rushforth, head of European operations for Seoul-based Hyundai Motor Co., said in an e-mail. "Where there is still growth for the industry, it is driven by heavy incentive spending." SOURCE: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-17/europe-auto-sales-rise-a-12th-month-on-vw-ford-compacts
British Unemployment Rate Falls
Britain's unemployment rate fell to 6.2 per cent in the quarter to the end of July, hitting another five-year low point, official data showed on 17th September. The rate for the May-July period compares with 6.4 per cent for the three months to the end of June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. At 6.2 per cent, the rate was at its lowest level since late 2008. The ONS added that the number of unemployed dropped by 146,000 to stand at 2.02 million people. Meanwhile official data on Tuesday showed Britain's 12-month inflation dipped to 1.5 per cent in August from 1.6 per cent in July, easing pressure on the Bank of England to raise rates. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation measure matched May's level, which had been a near five-year low point. Analyst expectations had been for the annual rate to remain at 1.6 per cent, according to a survey by Dow Jones Newswires. Britain is a member of the European Union but not of the eurozone, where inflation has fallen to 0.3 per cent, causing the European Central Bank to take exceptional measures to ward off the dangers of deflation. "Falls in the prices of motor fuels and food & non-alcoholic drinks provided the largest downward contributions to the change in the rate," the Office for National Statistics said in a statement in London. "The largest, partially offsetting, upward effects came from clothing, transport services and alcohol." On a month-on-month basis, the CPI rose by 0.4 per cent in…
United Internet to Buy Versatel from KKR
United Internet AG (UTDI), a German Web-access provider, agreed to buy full control of fiber-optic network operator Versatel GmbH for 586 million euros ($769 million) to challenge rivals such as Deutsche Telekom AG. The Internet carrier agreed to buy the 74.9 percent of Versatel it didn't already own from U.S. private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) in cash, according to a statement from the Montabaur, Germany-based company today. It has owned a 25.1 percent stake since 2012. The deal further consolidates Germany's telecommunications industry as operators combine to cope with price pressure caused by competition. In July, Telefonica SA (TEF) won European Union approval to merge its German unit with Royal KPN NV (KPN)'s E-Plus after it pledged to bolster smaller rivals and divest spectrum, a merger creating the country's largest mobile carrier. The Versatel acquisition gives United Internet Germany's second-largest fiber-optic network, which covers 226 cities and is about 37,000 kilometers (23,000 miles) in length. It will bolster United Internet's position as the country's second-largest digital subscriber line provider after Deutsche Telekom AG, boosting the number of its DSL customers to 4.12 million. Versatel will probably have earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of 164 million euros this year, while sales will be little changed at 548 million euros, United Internet said. Versatel's management team will continue to head the business. KKR bought Versatel in 2011. Last month, United Internet bought a 10.7 percent stake in German Web-startup investor Rocket Internet AG for 435 million euros. Shares of United Internet advanced 0.2…
Consumer Electronics Show Set to Showcase Latest Technology
Smart devices, a Samsung product launch and the latest smartphones are expected to dominate the headlines at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, which takes place from September 5-10. IFA bills itself as the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. It is Europe's answer to the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas and analysts are predicting that connected devices will take centre stage. Samsung versus Apple South Korea's Samsung Electronics has thrown punches ahead of IFA, releasing both the Galaxy Alpha smartphone and the Gear S smartwatch in the preceding weeks. The watch can be linked with Samsung smartphones, keeping users locked in the electronic giant's ecosystem. "The battle for the high end is still Samsung versus Apple," Neil Mawston, mobile analyst at Strategy Analytics, told CNBC by phone. "It is important that Samsung dominates IFA and generates as many headlines(as possible?), because this is probably its last before Apple takes on the battle in the next few weeks." Next up is the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone, which Samsung is expected to unveil at its pre-IFA "Unpacked" event this Wednesday—just days before Apple is slated to release its iWatch and much-anticipated iPhone 6. "The Note 4 is important because that is the new exciting model and Samsung needs to get the products in before Apple unveils its own new portfolio," said Mawston. Smartphone 'Centric' This year's IFA could be more "smartphone-centric" in general, analysts said, with manufacturers also releasing new devices that connect to smartphones, like smartwatches. "Manufacturers are…