Russia's largest construction and industrial conglomerate - Tashir Group - presents its year end activities in key areas for 2014. The group's total investments amounted to 960 million U.S. dollars.
Finance
FORA-BANK JSCB (JSC) demonstrates positive dynamics in the main indicators of development for 2014. The bank continued to expand its geographical presence by opening a branch in St. Petersburg, together with operating offices in Sochi, Tambov, Krasnodar, Tula, and four additional offices in Moscow. As of the end of the year, 67 units operate throughout Russia. One of the priority areas of the Bank was mortgage lending. In developing mortgage lending in 2014, the Bank held the second securitisation of its mortgage portfolio with a volume of 1.5 billion roubles. During 2014, FORA-BANK has demonstrated stable growth across key financial indicators adhering to the principles of a balanced increase of liabilities and assets. In particular, FORA-BANK was ranked among the largest Russian banks and has strengthened in comparison to the previous year rising in the rankings by 8 positions. In terms of rouble and currency loans to corporate clients, in 2014 FORA-BANK was confidently ranked among the top 100 Russian banks (82 and 65, respectively).
Construction and development
2014 was strategically important for the construction sector of the Group’s business. Tashir continued construction of infrastructure projects and integration of development plans for the regions in which it operates. In addition to the construction of commercial properties, the Group has embarked on a number of socially important projects in the areas of health, culture and sports. The year was particularly strong in respect to transactions involving the acquisition of new project sites. The total area of sites acquired amounted to over 1,000,000 square metres, including the RIO shopping centre in Mytishi town in the Moscow region (about 180,000 square metres); a multifunctional complex located on the highway (about 150,000 square metres); a multifunctional residential complex near Skolkovo (417,445 square metres); and a residential complex in Yaroslavl (270,000 square metres). In 2014, Tashir Group completed the first stages of construction and put into operation its 22nd branch of the RIO network - in the city of Tambov. This year (2015), Tashir is planning to complete the second stage. The project envisages construction of a second building integrated into the current shopping centre, as well as completion of the surrounding area.A milestone for the company was the breakthrough of the RIO network onto the international market. The construction of a new complex in Yerevan has commenced, which will provide Armenians with access to brands from leading operators of the Russian and international markets for the first time. Construction of further shopping centres also continued in Moscow and the regions. RIO in Moscow (on the Vernadsky Prospekt and on the Kievskoye highway) and in Arkhangelsk are all at the completion stage, with openings planned for 2015. Tashir has strengthened its position in the hospitality sector. The Group has opened the first modern SK Royal hotel in Tula. The project became the third in the SK Royal business hotels' network. In 2014, Tashir separated property management into a discrete unit of operation. Under unified leadership, the centralised management company has combined its operations in commercial real estate management to allow for the strategic development and implementation of the Group's common policy.
Entertainment
Continuing in its development into the entertainment sector, Tashir has launched a new project that is unparalleled in Russia - it is a unique exotarium housing exotic species of animals within the RIO shopping centres in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Cinema Star network has demonstrated a steady growth and continued updating. The completion of the digitisation process of the cinemas network has become a symbolic event: in 2014, all the screens were converted to digital. The network, which currently operates 24 cinemas across 15 cities of Russia, continues to maintain its leading position in the cinema market. Moreover, in 2014, new projects of PlayLab children's entertainment centres in the RIO shopping complexes in Tambov, Kaluga and Moscow were launched. The biggest PlayLab entertainment centre was opened in the RIO shopping complex on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow, where in addition to the usual entertainment a number of unique attractions are also installed, many of which are new to the Russian market.
Social projects and charity
For many years Tashir Group has been actively investing in social and charitable programmes in both Russia and abroad, and 2014 was no exception. This year’s projects have included: the construction of state-of-the-art medical and educational institutions; infrastructure improvements; reconstruction of monuments and other cultural heritage; and support for sports and cultural activities. Note for the editor: Tashir is a multifaceted group of companies, established in 1999, which includes over 200 dynamically growing organisations operating in various sectors of the Russian economy, including construction, manufacture, finance, energy, development, retail, and entertainment. The total number of employees is over 45,000 people. Our activities cover 47 cities of Russia and neighbouring countries. The founder and President of the company is Samvel Karapetyan; the head office is located in Moscow. While development and management of commercial and residential real estate form the core of the Group’s business, the development priority is retail real estate. Tashir is the leader of the Russian market, the creator of modern, state-of-the-art facilities in commercial and residential real estate, amounting to a total area of about 2.5 million square metres.