Tashir: 2015 highlights

Tashir Group, a Russian construction and manufacturing company, proudly reflects on its 2015. Retaining its rank as Russia’s largest federation-wide diversified company, Tashir is a big private enterprise recognized among the country’s economy leaders by respected business magazines Forbes (No. 10 (139), October 2015) and RBC (No. 10, 2015).

In 2015, Tashir Group has shown growth in all of its key activity areas i.e. development, finance, manufacturing, construction, energy, retail, restaurants, entertainment, and more. Moreover, in 2015 Tashir continued opening new areas of development for its business and thus initiated projects aimed at high tech innovation support. Tashir Group has expanded its geographies in Russia by adding Tver, Adler, Stavropol etc. to its presence regions; it has also broadened its asset portfolio, making Electric Networks of Armenia its largest asset.

In 2015, a number of key long-term projects were commenced in energy, development, construction, and retail. Key Tashir Group business areas have generated revenue to total 140 billion rubles.

Finance

Fora Bank has retained positive KPI dynamics in 2015. By the year-end, it has 74 affiliates (7 branches and a large POS chain) in 18 regions of Russia. During the year, we opened branches in Stavropol as well as front offices and limited service branches in Adler, Tver, and four additional offices in Moscow. Bank’s priorities in 2015 included commercial crediting of Russian companies from various economic sectors. By developing this aspect of its activities, maintaining balanced increase of assets and liabilities and demonstrating stable KPI growth, Fora Bank has increased its credit and deposit portfolios in 2015.

Construction and Development

Construction and development businesses of Tashir Group have continued to grow. In 2015, Tashir has commissioned four new retail real estate objects, i.e. shopping gallery within Grand Marina multiplex (10K sq m) in Sochi; RIO malls in Tver (45.5K sq m) and Moscow, Kievskoye Highway (70K sq m); and Avenue South-West mall in Moscow, Vernadskogo Avenue (85K sq m). That said, Tashir commissioned about 220K sq m of retail real estate in 2015. As of the year end, Tashir Group manages 51 commercial real estate objects with the total GBA of over 2.5 million sq m. The year will be specifically remembered for the important project of building and reconstruction of a new multifunctional complex to cover 120K sq m in Tverskaya Street, Central Administrative District of Moscow. Tashir Group started it under the investment contract signed with the Administrative Department of the President of the Russian Federation. In central Yaroslavl, Tashir has started construction of a comfort class apart hotel to cover approx. 43.3K sq m and to be equipped with proprietary infrastructure. Both RIO mall in Mytishchi and the multifunctional complex in Aminyevskoye Highway, Moscow have entered the active construction phase. Construction of the first international RIO mall to be opened in early 2016 in Yerevan, Armenia, was underway in 2015. In the same year, Tashir Group completed Tashir Street shopping gallery within a large-scale project which includes complex reconstruction and improvement of Severny Avenue, Yerevan’s main street. Socially significant projects realized by Tashir in 2015 include construction of a perinatal and cardiological centre to become one of the largest centres of this kind in Europe, as well as reconstruction and modernization of Satirikon, a Russian state theatre named after Arkady Raikin. Right now, Tashir Group is undertaking construction of about 1.5 million square metres of space.

Energy and Engineering

In 2015, multi-profile holding Kascad within Tashir Group celebrated its 10th anniversary. It offers a full range of energy services and supports construction and engineering activities for city infrastructure. In 2015, Cascade continued its projects in Moscow improvement, i.e. architectural and city lighting, building, capital repairs and reconstruction of infrastructure objects, road and bridge construction, general utilities mounting, etc. October purchase of Electrical Networks of Armenia (ENA) became the key event for Tashir’s energy business. Tashir Group has fully undertaken its obligations in ENA managing and scheduled introducing a bailout plan; financial optimization; service quality improvement; and financial and economic activity control, incl. by adopting advanced technology.

Retail

In 2015, Tashir Group expanded its asset portfolio in retail, presenting a whole of three premieres in the fourth quarter alone. Those include the first branded Take Away department store (over 15K sq m), Tashir Group’s new flagship project and the first department store format brand in Russia. Besides, a new food store chain named Ferma.rf has been introduced to offer a vast variety of local farm foods. The project development strategy is aimed at supporting local meat and milk industries. Another retail premiere was Goood’s House, Tashir’s branded chain for household goods and accessories having opened its first outlets in Tambov and St. Petersburg.

Restoraunts and entertainments

This year was also significant for Tashir’s restaurant projects. Having introduced seven new projects, Tashir became the country’s largest commercial real estate developer building proprietary restaurant chains both in Russia (about 45 cities of presence) and beyond. Those include two new restaurants under existing brand Dolina Solnca and the second restaurant of Seasons network as well as four new concepts: Baltazar steak house, Kvartal restaurant, Melange coffee house, and D.O.M. restaurant to cover over 2K sq m that will make the largest-ever eating place in Sochi. In 2015, Tashir Group completed restoration and recreation of the legendary Moscow restaurant Aragvi to be opened in the first quarter of 2016.

Social Projects and Charity

In 2015, Tashir continued supporting programmes for healthcare, education, sports, and culture in both Russia and Armenia via its special Tashir Charity Foundation. This December, Moscow saw inauguration of the Orthodox Church of Sts. Primates, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius in Dubrovka, erected through the Foundation help. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia decorated Samvel Karapetyan, President and Founder of Tashir group, with an Order of the Faithful Saint Prince Daniel of Moscow, 3rd class, for his contribution to the construction of the Church. Furthermore, in April 2015, the foundation stone was laid for the Church of Great Martyrs to become the largest in Yerevan. Works are in process to erect and reconstruct a number of other churches, i.e. the residence of Garegin II, Catholicos of all Armenians, head of Armenian Apostle Church, in Echmiadzin monastery, and completion of Abkhazia’s first church complex for Armenian Apostle Church, Christ the Saviour church in Gagry. Tashir Group has actively participated in the events devoted to the 100th anniversary of Armenians genocide that were held around the world in 2015. Here, the key project was Midem 2015, a largest music industry international festival that took place in June in Cannes, France. Tashir Group undertook all of the responsibilities of overall sponsorship for the Republic of Armenia as the festival’s honourary guest. For his significant contribution to organization and holding of the genocide anniversary events, Samvel Karapetyan, President and Founder of Tashir Group and Tashir Charity Foundation, was decorated with the order For Service to the Fatherland, 1st class, by Serzh Sargsyan, the President of Armenia.