Dear Messrs. Shareholders, First of all, in the times that we have been destined to live, I would like to highlight the ever greater confidence and the constant support we receive from our partners, who know and appreciate the importance of our business group and the magnitide of its human capital, its figures, the scope of its implementation and the important role it plays in the socioeconomic environment of our country, as the 1st tourist group in Catalonia. On a general level, we must admit that 2008 was a difficult year which became more complicated as we approached the end. The last quarter was particularly weak. Despite this, we can be satisfied to say that we closed the year with good results. Our EBITDA, or our operative result, amounted to more than 22 million euros and our net profit after tax reached 5 and a half million euros. Although these profits are not those of last year (a fall of 6 and 8%, respectively), it must be remembered that 2007 was the best year in our history. If the net profit after tax in 2008 is compared with 2006, we will see that it has increased by over 37%, that is, 2008 was the second-best year of our Group. Our sales figure also exceeded €500 million for the first time, at over 526 million, with an increase of 10.5% over last year. We now have over 1,500 partners, a figure we had never achieved. One important fact to be highlighted in 2008, above all if we consider the general situation of the country, is that our capital increase of 250,000 shares, which represented €9.25 million, was totally covered. All of this shows that the increase in the confidence we generate serves to increase our shareholding base, our media repercussion, and considerably strengthens our position in the economic and political sectors of the country as the First Tourist Group in Catalonia. We continue to invest constantly in research and innovation, with particular dedication to implementing and encouraging new technologies, for we believe that this is the path to our future and we are fully convinced that technology is not a simple support for us, but rather forms part of our growth strategy. This year 2008, the on-line sales in the area of Tourism and Travel exceeded 53 million euros and we closed the year with product to offer in over 100 countries and accommodation in 40,000 hotels. Our technological platform is capable of replying to over 300 million requests for availability a year. In 2008, the total turnover in the area of travel exceeded €239 million. Taking advantage of these lines, I would also like to say how we see 2009, which everybody is looking at with caution and a certain fear. We must recognise that it does seem complicated. The lack of liquidity and a considerable fall in consumption means that many companies are having serious problems and this is causing one of the highest unemployment rates in history, leaving many workers in a very delicate situation. All of this has generated a climate of general mistrust which makes it still more difficult to find a solution, given that even those who move in the calmer or less concerning sectors take on attitudes and behaviours as if the crisis affected them directly. Fortunately, we are not in one of the most affected sectors, but obviously in the last quarter of 2008 we already noted a certain recession and the sudden increase in non-payment, which we believe might be considerably aggravated at least in the first half of this year 2009. Although non-payment and the fall in consumption are negative and worrying aspects, there are also other positive aspects of great importance to us: the significant fall in the interest rates, the lower price of fuel (we always have more than 700 vehicles in the street), the easing of the jobs market which allows us to find qualified personnel much easier than before, and the opportunities which are sure to a rise as a result of the general situation and which might allow us to increase our presence in some sectors, strengthening our areas with interesting introductions. As a Group, I am sure that we will not only avoid this situation well, but that we will come out of it with greater capacity and vigour, as we are a great organisation. We have a professional, committed human structure and a technological development of the most advanced at the present time; we have great social prestige and support from the financial entities which show us great confidence and also because our shareholding base is broad and constantly gives us signs of great complicity with our project. I would like to highlight a point which confirms our good situation in the business fabric of our country, which is our inclusion among the shareholders of the Spanair airline, with a place on the Board of Management. The operation was approved in a meeting of the SERHS Group Board of Management, attending the need to be present in a transaction that is vital to the projection of our country and in which we must not be missing if we want to be faithful to our trajectory. Furthermore, looking at the intervention only in its mercantile aspect, we consider our participation positive because, as a business, it is deserving of our confidence as it will include
Thank you. Ramon Bagó i Agulló Chairman of the Board of Management of the Grup SERHS As a Group, I am completely sure that we will not only avoid this situation well, but that we will come out of it strengthened and more powerful, as we are a large organisation, we have a professional, committed human structure and a technological development of the most advanced.
Page 6- STRUCTURE AND ORIGINS OF THE GROUP The embryo of the present Grup SERHS was founded in 1975 to face a time of crisis in the tourist business, and specifically the concerns of the hotel proprietors in Calella (Maresme), as a co-operative which was given the name of “Servicios Mancomunados de Hostelería y Similares”. Today, our institution is now a large corporation at the forefront of the Catalan tourist sector and among the leaders in the Spanish state. The modern SERHS is present on three continents and is formed by 78 active companies. It has an average payroll of 2,935 workers and the shareholding of 1,504 partners, 41% of which are SERHS workers or their relatives. ”When I look back I am still surprised. ‘ We began as a dozen entrepreneurs, bringing together 15 hotel establishments and contributing 50,000 pesetas each (a total 4,500 euros)”, says Mr. Ramon Bagó, Chairman of Grup SERHS. Six large areas of activity make up the business, and at the same time present important operative synergies between them: Distribution; tourism and travel; hotels; food management and production; projects and equipment; services and new technologies. As a business corporation, action is also taken in other areas of activity such as real estate, equity and portfolio. Our growth based on diversification has brought new customers into the Group and, at the same time, has enhanced our territorial expansion inside and outside Spain. To be able to face the challenges of the future, Grup SERHS is sure that it must continue to invest in innovation and in applying new technologies, and move forward with our philosophy based on the sectorial and territorial diversification of our business, always within our field of action. We are also very careful to maintain a balance between the risky businesses and the more conservative. Mission and vision Our mission, to continue improving in order to offer goods and services, basically to the tourism, hotel, restaurant and catering trades through diligent management, with its own know-how, seeking active participation and teamwork, understanding the creation of prosperity and the generation of well-being for all the persons related with the group “as its own way of ensuring the progress of the company and the country”. The vision, to be a point of reference in our sector at the European level as a Catalan company which operates on human principles and with criteria of quality, service and efficiency. Our values The values that form part of the Grup SERHS philosophy and which distinguish it from the competition are the following: - Diversification and specialisation in different related fields: tourism and travel, hotels, food management and production, distribution, projects and equipment and services. Companies which complement each other and form a true comprehensive service management. Our origin as a co-operative, now 34 years ago, has now become a large Catalan corporation with a clear international projection. - The human side both internal with our workers and shareholders, and external with our customers, suppliers and collaborators, showing continuous improvement, confidence, innovation, responsibility, respect for people, etc. Our activity is based largely on people, as they are our main asset.
Page 8- COMPANIES AND TERRITORIAL EXTENSION (update)
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Page 4- LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
large, prestigious entrepreneurs from Catalonia. Faithful to our principles, we want to continue creating equity and new jobs, convinced with our action that we contribute, modestly if you like but with the full force of our possibilities, to strengthening the economy and the weight of our country; and we want to do all of this without ignoring the philosophy that once drove us to set out on this enthusiastic adventure, which is none other than to be a referent in our sector in Europe as a Catalan company that works on human principles and with criteria of quality, service and efficacy. To finish, and in order to send a message of tranquillity and optimism, I would like to assure you that at the present complicated time when the situation is making life more difficult than ever, we “will continue to reply as we always have”.
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Board of Directors The personality of the members of the Board of Directors guarantees the rigour and plural sector view of each business area, and its efficacy, transparency and viability in decision-taking, and to do this, it has an Executive Comission and the support of an enthusiastic, professional management team.
Page 12- GROUP INVESTMENTS Entry in Spanair shareholding Jordi Bagó Mons, new director of the airline As it was formally announced in the course of the 33rd SERHS Evening by its chairman Ramon Bagó on March 25, the Grup SERHS has become part of the shareholding of the Spanair airline. The decision was taken in March 2009 at the meeting of the board of management of the corporation, which has enabled Grup SERHS, a member of the FemCAT Private Foundation of Entrepreneurs, to take part in the company Volcat-2009, as part of the group of Catalan business people adhered to this foundation. Spanair therefore presented a new board of management following the sale of 80% of the airline to Catalan business people and institutions. In this new stage, Ferran Soriano, the former vice president of Futbol Club Barcelona, has taken on the chair of the company, and the managing director of SERHS, Mr. Jordi Bagó, holds a post on the board of management. The new partners of Spanair, Catalana de Iniciativas, Turisme de Barcelona, Volcat 2009 (a company participated in by partners of FemCAT and Fira de Barcelona), subscribed to a capital increase of 100 million euros in the company, which had a turnover of 1,000 million euros in 2008. Ripollet logistics centre In December 2008, Grup SERHS purchased 26,000 m2 of land strategically located on the El Martinet estate, in the municipal areas of Ripollet and Montcada i Reixac (Vallès Occidental region). A large logistics centre will be built to reply to the increasing volume of activity in this area year by year, focusing on offering a comprehensive distribution service of products and services to the sector of hostelry, restaurants and collectives. This is a strategic action to prepare the distribution area for future growth and at the same time to maintain and improve the current service to the over 15,000 customers managed by this area. The planning and management of the work has been entrusted to SERHS Projects&Equipments. This large, innovative and highly automated logistics centre will become the “jewel of the crown” in its area. It will surely be the largest automated store in the Spanish state in the sector of drinks distribution as qualified by the experts with whom work is being done. With an expected investment of 50 million euros, it occupies an area of 26,000m2 on which 16,500 m2 of facilities will be built, with 14,000m2 of store, and the remainder offices. The warehouse will have a maximum height of 2m and a length of 160m. It will also have an underground parking area of 7,000 m2 with a capacity for 300 vehicles. This facility will allow the movement of 40,000 packs a day, which will serve 354 distribution routes. At the present time, SERHS Distribution already has a store in Ripollet under group ownership, which covers its service needs, but not the expected future growth, and this is the case too with the warehouse in Cornellà de Llobregat. This new location will allow the two centres to be consolidated in a single space, perfectly equipped with a large capacity. The new facilities are expected to come into operation in 2011 and will have a staff of 250 people. Investment of 10 million euros in purchasing and adapting a warehouse in Tarragona. On December 16 of this year, Grup SERHS purchased the warehouses which the corporation used as a distribution platform in the Tarragona area, and which are located on the Entrevies estate. The investment amounted to 10 million euros between the purchase and the planned improvement of the facilities. This large facility with very spectacular shapes and sizes, had been rented since 1998 by the companies of SERHS Distribution, which commercialised drinks, foodstuffs and cleaning products (SERHS Distribució-Facilcar SL) as well as fruit and vegetables (SERHS Fruits-Allelac SL), and also fresh and frozen products (SERHS Fred-Nam Nam SL). In the same facilities, there is a part of the installations of the Distribution area purchasing centre, Cediserhs, SL. Almost 200 people work in this logistics platform of great importance to SERHS, offering a comprehensive service to the over 4,000 customers of the tourist sector of hostelry, restaurants and collectives with which they work, located basically in the cities and towns of Tarragona, Reus, Salou, Cambrils and Valls, amongst others on the coast and inland. The mobile fleet includes 80 vehicles between lorries and commercial cars. SERHS Distribució has an extensive portfolio of over 3,000 products. It is the official distributor of the Damm trademark in the Alt and Baix Camp regions, of Coca-Cola in the Tarragonès region and, since March 2009, has distributed Schweppes in the city of Reus and
towns of the surrounding area. It also commercialises exclusively for the foodstuff products sector of Nestlé and Gallina Blanca, as well as Bonka coffee. Our area of SERHS Distribución currently has 281 products of its own trademark, the sales of which have grown strongly in recent years. Spanair has a new board of management following the sale to Catalan entrepreneurs and institutions. Ferran Soriano, the former vice president of Futbol Club Barcelona, has taken on the chair of the company, and the managing director of SERHS, Mr. Jordi Bagó, holds a post on the board of management.
Page 14- COMPANY ACTIVITIES Share out of €2,800,000 in dividends, 10% up on 2007. In the Board of Management of the company held on September 10, it was agreed to distribute “dividends on account” of the year 2008 to a total 2,796,563.75 euros (over 465 MPTA), which is a 10% increase over the year 2007, in which the figure was 2,535,770.15 euros. In October 2008, the General Assembly of Shareholders also agreed to distribute freed shares (1 new share for every 32 shares on the ownership). This amounts to 3,815,625 euros (real value), 16.30% up on last year. With these two actions, the partners will receive 6,605,359.88 euros, 780,938 euros more than in 2007. The share capital is increased by 8% to 71 million euros. On October 1, under the chairmanship of Mr. Ramon Bagó Agulló, the Extraordinary General Assembly of Shareholders of Grup SERHS was held in Castell Jalpí in Arenys de Munt, the corporate headquarters. The agenda dealt with the subject of approving the balance sheet, closed on June 30, 2008, which, in addition to being a reflection of the increasing number of activities in all areas of the Group, served as a basis for carrying out the proposed share capital increase, which was unanimously approved by all of the shareholders. It was therefore agreed that the share capital would be increased from 66 million euros to 71 million euros (over 11,800 MPTA), an increase of 8%. SERHS has a total 3,550,000 shares. With these two actions, the partners will receive 6,605,359.88 euros, 780,938 euros more than in 2007. It must be said that this year, an innovation in the different General Assemblies of Shareholders was attendance managed by identifying the details of the shareholders using the digital fingerprint system.
Page 15- INSTITUTIONAL AREA SERHS recognitions In 2008, there was a significant number of recognitions on the level of Grup SERHS, to Mr. Ramon Bagó, and distinctions to companies of our corporation. Ramon Bagó was awarded the official prize of “Citizen of the State of Río Grande do Norte” in Brazil In January, 2009, Mr. Ramon Bagó, the chairman of Grup SERHS, travelled to Brazil to attend different planned events and to meet with different authorities related to the world of tourism, government and concerned with the five-star hotel that the corporation has in Natal. The meeting was also held to motivate all of the workers of the hotel. The most outstanding award was received from the hands of the President of Rio Grande do Norte, Mr. Robinson Faria, who awarded him with official recognition as a citizen of the State in the legislative assembly. Mr. Bagó was informed of this prize in the past September 2007, in a ceremonious, solemn act in the Plenary Assembly of Ministers, called Clóvis Motta, where he was given an honorary title accrediting him as “Potiguar Citizen”. The chairman of Grup SERHS awarded the President Macià Work Medal The government of Catalonia agreed to award Ramon Bagó Agulló the President Macià Medal 2008, as a business person from Calella and chairman of Grup SERHS. This prize was created in 1938 by the Minister of Employment Joan Comorera, in homage to the first president of the Republican era, and was rehabilitated by the government of Catalonia in 1982. On November 28, 2008, in the Casa de la Llotja de Mar, the president of the government of Catalonia, José Montilla, along with the Employment Minister, Mar Serna, gave out the President Macià Work Medals and Plates to recognise the careers and working merits of the people and companies that have deserved this award for their contribution to driving the Catalan economy. Three SERHS holiday hotels achieve SICTED certification The Hotel SERHS Maripins, the Hotel SERHS Sorra Daurada and the Hotel SERHS Montemar were three of the 49 tourist companies of the province of Barcelona (402 took part) which received the certifying distinctions and diplomas of the Integral System of Spanish Tourist Quality. The awards were handed out on September 18, 2008, in a multitudinary event organised by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Barcelona Provincial Council. The SICTED is a system promoted by the General Secretariat for Tourism of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade and by the
SERHS Celebrations 600 people attended the 33rd SERHS Evening The Santa Susanna Sports Pavilion (El Maresme) hosted the 33rd edition of the SERHS Evening, which was held on March 25, 2009. This emblematic event is intended to be a meeting place for shareholders, collaborators and friends of the corporation, and this time gathered 600 people. For the fifth consecutive year, the event was presided by the Right Honourable Mr. Josep Huguet Biosca, Minister of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise of the government of Catalonia, and was also attended by important authorities such as the General Manager for Tourism, Mr. Joan Carles Vilalta; the senator for the Convergència i Unió political party, Mrs. Montserrat Candini; the President of the Maresme Regional Council, Mr. Josep Jo; the Secretary of Penitentiary Services, Mr. Albert Batlle, and the mayors of Santa Susanna, Pineda de Mar, Calella, Arenys de Munt, Cardona and Viladecans, amongst other figures from the economic and institutional world. The gala dinner was prepared with full details and quality by ARCS Catering and was perfectly served by the pupils of the University School of Hostelry and Tourism of Sant Pol de Mar, a centre attached to Girona University and linked to the Grup SERHS. As is traditional, the evening ended with the SERHS hymn. SERHS Prizes and awards The SERHS awards are given out during the SERHS Evening each year. This year, the company DKV-Seguros was awarded the special prize for “Trajectory and Commitment to SERHS”, which was collected by Dr. Josep Santacreu (photo 4), the managing director of the insurance company. The “Manager of the year” award went to Mrs. Aurora Codina (photo 5), the directress of Asseguris Mediterraneum and that of “Distinguished worker” was awarded to Mr. David Serra (photo 6), the Tramuntanaser store manager. Both people were awarded the prize for their work and for contributing with their effort and example to significantly maintaining and encouraging the activity of Grup SERHS. A special recognition was also given this year to Mr. Antoni Borràs, the SERHS general manager, for having led the reorganisation of the area of SERHS Tourism in recent months along with his management team in the area. Exposerhs 2009 in the Circuit de Catalunya Over 8,300 professionals interested in seeing the main new developments in the sector for the new season visited the 11th edition of the Exposerhs fair on March 11 and 12, 2009. The fair promoted by Grup SERHS was held in the magnificent facilities of the Circuit de Catalunya race course, considered of prime international quality for receiving events. The participation record was broken and everything was a success for the eleventh consecutive year. This interactive show-fair is aimed at professionals of the hostelry, restaurant and collective sector. Over 100 exhibitors from all of these areas were present. The opening was presided by the Rt. Hble. Mr. Josep Huguet Biosca, Minister of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise of the government of Catalonia, and was attended by Mr. Ramon Praderas, the general manager of the Circuit de Catalunya, Mr. Josep Mayoral, the Mayor of Granollers and Mr. Ramon Bagó, chairman of Grup SERHS, amongst other figures (photo 2). Valero Rivera at the “Meeting of the Grup SERHS management team” On December 10, 2008 at the doors to the Christmas festivities, the Grup SERHS management team met in the corporation’s headquarters in Castell Jalpí (Arenys de Munt). The meeting was the chance to go over the year and to discuss the perspectives for 2009. The managing director and vice-chairman of Grup SERHS, Jordi Bagó Mons, gave a broad, documented expose of the most important points of the business and the activities of each of the operative areas of the corporation in 2008. The talks were also
SERHS Conferences The management team of our corporation has been invited to take part in a large number of events and conferences related to our activity and framed in the tourist sector, understood in the broadest sense: new technologies, finance and social responsibility, amongst other aspects. The experience and recognition of the SERHS trajectory were shown during this exercise. This also allows us to bring our current situation to the professionals of our world. Cloud Computing Google in Barcelona The managing director of Grup SERHS, Jordi Bagó, was one of the panelists on the round table held on May 14 in the hotel Me in Barcelona, which was being organised by Google to deal with the very modern subject of “cloud computing”. This idea basically means that applications and data are managed from a distance (technology in the clouds), available on the Internet network. The meeting was attended by outstanding figures in this area, such as the director of Google Enterprise Spain and Portugal, Carlos Gracia; Didac Lee, an entrepreneur in new technologies; Jordi Torres, UPCBSC professor, and Carlos Blanco, a pioneering entrepreneur on the Internet. Participation in the debate “the tourist sector analysed by the ICT sector” The Barcelona Digital Foundation (FBD) on June 17, 2008, organised a discussion in the CaixaForum Auditorium in Barcelona on the tourist sector analysed under the view of different representatives of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector. SERHS was represented by Mr. Pau Coronado (photo 1 on page 20), director of on-line Information Systems and Business of the area of SERHS Tourism. The event was well attended by over 150 professionals, and also gathered outstanding representatives from the government of Catalonia, Turisme de Barcelona, ESADE, and companies related to the new technologies. The presentation by Mr. Coronado, focused on the world of travel agencies, was congratulated by the organisation. Banking and Enterprise Conference The Association of Entrepreneurs of the Pineda de Mar industrial estates, along with the Department of Economic Development, on November 21, 2008 organised a talk on “Banking and Enterprise: a new framework of relations”. The event was held in the Centro Innova Auditorium in the same town and was very actively attended, with over 100 entrepreneurs taking part. It was intended to inform the entrepreneurs and workers interested in new risk requirements for financial entities. The presentation was made by the Mayor of Pineda de Mar, Xavier Amor, and the president of the Juan José Jiménez Association. For the Grup SERHS, Jaume Torrent (photo 2 on page 20), the corporate financial manager, made a reflection on the way to deal with the financial management in the group and our corporation’s relationship with the banking entities.
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accompanied by the general manager Antoni Borràs, the corporate manageress of the Social Responsibility Area, Mar Matellanes, the corporate manager of New Technologies, Oriol Verdura, and the corporate manager of Marketing, Eudald Puig. The event was closed by the chairman of Grup SERHS, Ramon Bagó, with a message of thanks to the whole of the management team for their effort and dedication. Leadership, team management and motivation At the end of the lunch of the managers of the corporation held in the same facilities, there was an interesting talk under the title of: “Leadership, team management and motivation” by Mr. Valero Rivera (photo 3), the former handball trainer of FCBarcelona, a professional of renowned prestige, who explained the importance of these values and these attitudes in the world of sport, and the similarity of this world with that of enterprise. A long list of his own experiences were an example to apply in the field of company management, as declared by the IESE following an exhaustive study on his trajectory. Collaboration with the TecnoCampus graduation Almost 700 people between graduates, relatives and friends met in the Teatro Monumental in Mataró (El Maresme) to enjoy the graduation ceremony of the first year of the “TecnoCampus MataróMaresme”. During the event, the diplomas were handed out to the graduates of the academic year 2007-2008 (88 EUPMT and 88 EUM), a large number of whom attended the event to collect them. It was presented by the actor Pep Plaza and for the first time, the prizes for the best graduates were sponsored by companies, specifically the companies Lavinia, Schneider Electric España, Dogi, Everis, the Official Guild of Telecommunications Technical Engineers of Catalonia and Grup SERHS, which was represented by the board member Mr. Raimon Bagó Mons, who gave the prize for the best academic record on the Tourism diploma (photo 1). For the first time, the two schools (EUM and EUPMT) were making a joint graduation, the reason for which is the integration of the two centres on the TecnoCampus Mataró-Maresme, which is already effective and is a step prior to moving the two schools to the TecnoCampus building.
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Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces. Its strategic objective is to encourage quality in the tourist destinations; to harmonise the sectoral levels, to strengthen the business fabric and to enhance comprehensive long-term actions in the destinations. There are 10 municipalities with SICTED in the province of Barcelona, 4 of which are in the Costa de Barcelona-Maresme destination: Calella, Malgrat de Mar, Pineda de Mar and Santa Susanna. The SERHS Oasis Park receives the family tourism sign On the past September 22, 2008, the SERHS Oasis Park received the Family Tourism certification plate thanks to the different programmed activities carried out there and the facilities prepared for all of the family which the hotel makes available to its customers. The award was given by the government of Cataluña, which gave the plate to the manager of the hotel, Mr. José López, on behalf of Turisme de Catalunya. In recent years, different establishments in the area, including the SERHS Oasis Park, have worked alongside Turisme de Catalunya and Calella Council to achieve the Family Tourism sign. This is one of the destinations in Catalonia which specialises in this segment of tourism and offers advantages for all of the family and above all for the young.
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The Corporate Social Responsibility participates in “If you win, I win” On November 7, 2008, Calella town council organised meetings under the title of “If you win, I win”. Mar Matellanes (photo 3 on page 20), corporate manageress of Social Responsibility of the Grup SERHS, gave a talk on “ Good practice in conciliation and equal opportunities in the tourist sector”, where she explained the layout of the Value Plan (Plan Valors): the Corporate Social Responsibility Plan which the Group has started up. Conference in Sanxenxo Over 130 people related to tourism attended the “1st Sanxenxo Tourism Forum: Destiny, Sustainability / Enterprise, Profitability”, held on May 6, 2009, in the Pazo Emilia Pardo Bazán Auditorium in the coastal town of Sanxenxo (Pontevedra). The event was attended by the new Minister of Tourism and Culture of the government of Galicia, Roberto Valera, and the municipal Mayoress, Catalina González, as well as a large number of figures and people responsible for the sector. The meeting was participated (particularly highlighted in the event) by Mr. Ramon Bagó (photo 4), who was invited as the chairman of our corporation in order to explain the origin and development of SERHS. This initiative was organised by Turismo de Sanxenxo, a mixed company held between the town hall and the consortium of tourist entrepreneurs of the area, which gathers 125 partners between hotel managers and restaurant owners. This consortium, similar to SERHS in its initial stages as a cooperative company, was of great interest to the professionals taking part, who saw it as a future model to be considered. It must be remembered that the area of SERHS Projects&Equipments has a delegation in A Coruña and that a large number of these hotel managers work with our agency, which works under the Rhodasol-Turimar trademark and is very well-known in the area. Strategic Plan of tourism in the city of Barcelona The preparation of the Strategic Plan of tourism in the city of Barcelona, one measure of the Plan of Municipal Action 2008-2011, is the result of the commission that Barcelona City Hall made of Turisme de Barcelona, a consortium made up of the City Hall itself and the Chamber of Commerce. The Plan, which will be developed over two years, is structured into two fundamental parts: the phase of analysis and diagnosis, and the phase of defining the strategic lines and the programmes of action. For Grup SERHS, Mr. Jordi Bagó, managing director, forms part of the territorial commission known as “Barcelona, capital of Catalonia”. The principal objective expected from the work of the different commissions of the plan (there are a total 11, grouped into 3 blocks: territorial, sectorial and product) involves the treatment and discussion of a specific subject which, starting with a global, transversal view of tourism and city, helps us to pin down and gain a deeper knowledge of the tourist reality of Barcelona and the way it fits into the city.
Page 21- VISITS BY THE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION Visits by the Board of Administration to Nestlé-Girona The members of the Board of the administration of Grup SERHS performed an institutional visit on May 26, 2009, which lasted all day. The visit first went to the modern factory of the Nestlé multinational in Girona, and was followed by a visit to the ancient, monumental district of the same city, currently immersed in the centenary of the Costa Brava. Nestlé’s origins date back to 1866 in Vevey (Switzerland) when Henri Nestlé, a scientist interested in children’s food, started to make dairy flour. Today, Nestlé is the largest food group in the world with 481 factories, 265,000 employees and a turnover of 62,553 million euros. Its challenge is focused on: nutrition, health and wellbeing of the consumers in every stage of their lives, at any time and in any place. In Spain alone, Nestlé has more than 6,000 people developing its activity throughout the peninsula. It headquarters is in Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona). The Girona factory, where the director and other senior managers very carefully attended the visit, makes soluble and sugar roast coffee. This unit has one of the only green coffee decaffeinated installations that Nestlé has in the world. The factory, which currently employs 350 people, is being expanded to be able to have a space set aside for the Dolce Gusto product. The new facility, in which €50 million have been invested, is expected to be opened in early September 2009, with 100 people working. SERHS Distribution, which has an excellent relationship with Nestlé, renewed the Bonka coffee commercialisation agreement in the early months of 2009. This agreement started in 1998, when 60,000 kg of coffee were being sold every year; today a considerable market share has been achieved, supposing the sales of 1.6 million kg of coffee in 6 years. The guided tour of Girona’s ancient district showed the members of the board the wealth of tourist resources in the city: the Arab Baths, the cathedral where there is the famous tapestry of the creation, and the Jewish Museum, dedicated to the people who left such a strong mark on the city. The day ended at the Sant Hilari Sacalm Rural Village for lunch followed by a meeting of the Board of Administration.
Page 22: ECONOMY AND GRUP SERHS With the vocation of being present and involved in the business fabric of our country, SERHS collaborated and formed part of a large number of public and private bodies, entities and institutions. Some examples of these: Fira de Barcelona, where Ramon Bagó is chairman of the International Tourism Exhibition in Catalonia, FemCAT (represented by the managing director, Mr. Jordi Bagó), Foment del Treball, MAPFRE, the Association of Drinks and Foodstuff Logistics and Distribution Companies of Catalonia (ADISCAT), and its counterpart in Valencia Community (ADISLEV). Femcat goes out to China A delegation from FemCAT, which included Mr. Jordi Bagó, 1st vicechairman and managing director of Grup SERHS, in early June 2008 visited the model of Chinese airport infrastructures to apply it to Catalonia. He visited Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok airport, built over the sea and an interesting model which could be applied in Barcelona, thinking in the long-term. On his trip, he also visited Shanghai to see the installations of the port, considered the largest in the world. China is a greedy market for many Catalan companies such as Laboratoris Esteve, Simon, Ficosa and Flamagas, which have set up their. Some of these were also visited by the delegation. Recognition of the trajectory of Mr. Bagó in the Hospital Consortium More than 500 people on March 26, 2008, in Manresa, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Hospital Consortium of Catalonia in an event which was attended by the Minister of Health, Marina Geli, and the Minister for Justice, Montserrat Tura, who had formed part of the group of directors that founded the CHC in 1983. The ministers were accompanied to the capital of Bages by a large number of the figures involved in the foundation of the CHC, and also representatives from the present 100 associates of the Consortium, health and political authorities and workers in the associated centres. The event had an institutional, solemn part where there were different speeches and homage was also paid to the work of Mr. Bagó, who has been related to public health of 30 years. As chairman and managing director of the “Consorcio Hospitalario de Catalunya, S.A.” (CHC, S.A.) since 2000 (he was vice-chairman between 19912000) and also between 1979-1991 he was chairman of the CHC.
Page 24- SERHS DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTIC This is one of the most significant areas of the Grup SERHS for the number of people who work there and the notoriety of its activity. Formed by two large fields of action related to the characteristics of the products it distributes, on the one hand we find the companies distributing drinks, food and cleaning products; and on the other those related to perishable products such as fruit and vegetables, and fresh, frozen and refrigerated products. SHARED COMPANIES Distribution of drinks, food and cleaning products: Barcelonesa de Begudes, S.L.; Cediserhs, S.L.; Cobrama, S.L.; Dibama, S.A.; Dimarser, S.L.; Eudivasa, S.L.; Facilcar, S.L.; Ponentser, S.L.; Port Parés, S.L.; Tramuntanaser, S.L. Distribution of fruit and vegetables: Allelac, S.L.; Costabonaser, S.L.; Fruites Pàmies, S.L. Distribution of frozen, refrigerated an fresh food: Nam Nam, S.L. Grup SERHS has invested 10 million euros in purchasing a store in Tarragona to receive the warehouses which, since 1998, have been used by the companies of the area of SERHS Distribución: Cediserhs, S.L., facilcar, S.L., Nam Nam, S.L. and Allelac, S.L. SERHS Distribución has renewed the collaboration agreement with NESTLÉ to commercialise the BONKA coffee range. Offered products and services This area has a structured product catalogue with over 3,000 references. In the last months of 2008, a certain moderation was noticed in consumption due to the overall state of the economy. However, in the end the companies of the area increased their overall sales by 4.81% With regard to the centralised product, 2008 may be considered positive, for the overall growth in sales was 7.08%, with increases exceeding 20% in such important families as foodstuffs and cleaning, and 15% with respect to coffee. A great effort and many resources are being put into enhancing the sales of CEDI centralised products with marketing campaigns, discounts, promotions and gifts, and also the preparation of exclusive catalogues for CEDI products, BONKA coffee, CODORNIU wines and sparkling wines and cleaning products. In 2008, the “Kilometre campaign” was carried out very successfully. This campaign consists of customers adding up kilometres with their purchases of centralised products, and being able to use them to stay in the Rural Villages, to go on trips around Europe and even to the SERHS Natal Grand Hotel in Brazil. A total 738 trips were distributed among our customers. SERHS Distribution has continued to enhance sales of its own brand products as far as possible, closing the year with an increase of 20.86%
Page 28- SERHS PERISHABLE DISTRIBUTION SERHS Cold-Nam Nam This company, which has two operative centres perfectly fitted out in Tordera (Maresme) and Tarragona, has carried out a considerable refurbishment of the facade of the first, and has also increased the capacity of the refrigerating chambers, with 2,000 m3 more freezing in the second store. Nam Nam, S.L. is formed by an average payroll of 66 workers, has modern installations that give it 11,000 m3 of cold and a vehicle fleet of a total 40 vehicles, most of which have been renewed and include refrigeration systems and suitable equipment for working with the utmost food safety. Its portfolio of products is formed by fresh and frozen fish and seafood, fresh and frozen meet (poultry, pork, veal and lamb), frozen vegetables, cold meat and and dairy products. It has more than 1,500 customers, mainly hotels and restaurants, basically located in the Costa Brava, Costa de Barcelona-Maresme, Costa Daurada and interior villages. It must be said that there has been outstanding growth in turnover in the Girona regions. In 2008, commercial segmenting was carried out in large customers in the hostelry and collective sectors.
SERHS Fruits-Allelac The Allelac, S.L. company offers its servcies to more than 500 customers, many shops, markets, and hotel and restaurant establishments. It has two large stores: one in Blanes (La Selva), with facilities of nearly 4,000 m2, of which 6,000 m3 are cold stores, and there is a large exhibition area, and another store in Tarragona of 1,000 m2 with 2,400 m3 of cold stores. Its area covers the Maresme, La Selva, el Gironès, el Baix Empordà, el Garraf, el Barcelonès, El Tarragonès, L’Alt and El Baix Camp, El Baix Penedès, El Baix Llobregat and El Baix Ebre. A team of 39 people a year on average and a fleet of 28 vehicles, most of which with refrigeration and/or isothermal systems in order not to break the products’ cold chain are part of its assets. SERHS Fruits- Costabonaser The team of this brand ascribed to the company Costabonaser, S.L. is formed by an average payroll at the end of 2008 of 19 people, with 13 commercial vehicles and a distribution store in Ripoll of 1,600 m2. They serve almost 500 customers from the hostelry and foodstuff sectors, distributed from one end to the other of the Ripollès and Garrotxa regions, and also the Pla de l’Estany. In 2008, a new commercial route was largely enhanced in the Osona region. SERHS-Fruits Fruites Pàmies This family company, Fruites Pàmies, S.L., with over 40 years in the sector and now with the experience of the second-generation, was brought into Grup SERHS in May 2008. It has 300 m2 of facilities including two refrigerated chambers, very well situated in the market of the el Camp region (Tarragona-Reus). It deals with a wide range of products and presentations in the third and fourth range. The company stands out as having high-quality products first-hand, receiving them directly from origin. The star product is the spring onion (“calçot”). Most of its 300 customers are hostelry and restaurant wholesalers and professionals, and also trades in the regions of Tarragona. It had an average team of 9 workers in 2008 and a fleet of four lorries. The quality of the products, the perfect conditions of the facilities, and a complete service of commercial attention allow customers to be offered a comprehensive service both in the area of cold and in fruit and vegetables. We must highlight the outstanding growth of SERHS Fred-Nam Nam in the regions of Girona, and a continuous introduction of the 4th range products in SERHS Fruits.
Page 30- SERHS TOURISM SERHS Tourism and travel WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRAVEL AGENCY / ON-LINE AND OFFLINE SALE / TRANSFERS / EXCURSIONS / COASTS / ISLANDS / SNOW / CIRCUITS / MOUNTAIN AND RURAL / CITY The significant increase in the turnover in this area, now up and running to 30 years, and the continuous rise in the number of online sales and the new commercial agreements were the outstanding points of this year. PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Jochie Catalunya, S.L.; SERHS TOURISM, S.A.; SERHS Turismo Ibérica, S.A.; SERHS Turismo Andalucía, S.A., Turismo y Mar, S.A.; Viajes Líder Canarias, S.A.; Viajes Rhodasol, S.A.; Viatges SERHS Hotels, S.A.; Viatges Tropikal Tours, S.A. Products and services The business activity of this area focuses basically on being a comprehensive service supplier for wholesale travel agencies, TO and retailers. It presents a wide range of products and services, with a unique offer of accommodation in all categories in 40,000 hotels, in over 100 countries. The new technologies applied to managing and commercialising the whole of its portfolio of products hold a prominent place in the strategy of its organisation. This business view, implemented from many years as pioneers in this area, has placed us amongst the leading groups in on-line sales in Spain. One of the strongest points are bookings of stays considered holiday stays the whole of Spain, basically on coastal areas and aimed at a broad market segment, and commercialised through wholesale and retail channels. In the last year 2008, after introducing a new structure under the sign of “SERHS Tourism Cities”, the offer of city hotels was also enhanced, thus promoting the international projection of its services. Thanks to the widespread geographical coverage of its delegations, the area of Tourism and Travel offers the possibility of booking stays in any destination. Both stays at the beach (Costa Brava, Costa de Barcelona-Maresme, Costa Daurada-Garraf, Costa del Azahar,
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
With regard to fresh fish, but the Ministry of Health awarded Nam Nam S.L. official authorisation a year ago as handlers of fresh fish. Qualitative improvements have also been made such as fresh fish labelling and filleting. In 2008, the red meats from around Spain and also imported were consolidated. This was a new product introduced two years ago and which has always been very well received.
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over the previous year Work has been done with 281 references, seven more than in 2007, with such important developments as the change in the VEGA BARZÁN and CAL PUIG winery, and the launch of new articles under our own brand, such as clams, grated products, stuffed olives, pasta and packets of sauces. New agreements In December, the collaboration agreement with NESTLÉ was renewed to commercialise the BONKA coffee range throughout our distribution network over the coming five years. A leading brand of renowned prestige which the SERHS Distribution companies have commercialised for years and with which a considerable market share has been achieved, which has supposed almost 1.6 million kg of coffee in six years. It has a commercial network of 20 specialised sales people and 8 coffee machine mechanics on its payroll. Within the area of drinks, it must be said that all of the companies have areas for the official distribution of DAMM, GRUP VICHY and ECKES GRANINI. In some companies, they are also official distributors of COCA-COLA and in others of SCHWEPPES products. They also have distribution agreements with highly prestigious brands such as RECKITT-BENCKISER, GALLINA BLANCA, VILEDA, GOMÀ CAMPS and ESPADAFOR cocktails. New investments and distribution areas Each year, the companies of SERHS Distribución make a great effort in investment to renew the vehicle fleet and the facilities. In December 2008, Grup SERHS purchased the warehouses which had been being used since 1998 by the distribution companies FACILCAR, S.L., CEDISERHS, S.L., NAN NAM, S.L. and ALLELAC, S.L. to serve all of the customers in the area of Tarragona, Salou, Cambrils, Reus and Valls. Land of 20,000 m2, with warehouses of 10,000 m2. As of March 1, 2008, COBRAMA, S.L. purchased the Trade Fund of the official distributor of S.A. DAMM in the town of Sant Hilari Sacalm to expand its distribution area. In the month of September, TRAMUNTANASER S.L. purchased the Trade Fund from the official distributor of S.A. DAMM in Calonge and Sant Antoni de Calonge. In 2006 and 2007, the distributors introduced a new system for controlling product entries in the store and for counting stock using bar-code terminals. This was to make the processes faster and safer, reducing errors. The system was improved in 2008, and is also used in the stores of the Group purchasing centre, CEDISERHS, S.L. Outstanding facts SERHS Distribution is a highly significant part in the organisation of EXPOSERHS, the interactive fair-show which brings together a large number of suppliers from this area in which we are able to present new developments in products and services. With respect to staff training, in 2008 a wide range of courses were programmed by functions, amounting to a total cost of €134,271(46.95% up on last year). Intense work has also been done on developing the CSR “Values” program, and on analysing the environmental aspects. Significant magnitudes The total number of customers they serve is more than 30,000. Two thirds of these are concentrated in traditional hostelry establishments, that is, restaurant, cafeterias, bars and leisure centres. The other large group are the hotels, either on the coast or inland. They are spread between Catalonia, Valencia Community and Murcia. We might say that this area serves from Roses to Cartagena, as well as towns inland. It has a sales team of 200 make professionals to give customers the best service, 42 of whom are specialists in the foodstuff, cleaning, coffee, wine and sparkling wine product range. In 2008, the SERHS Distribution payroll included 763 people, with 47 self employed transporters; a total 810 professionals at the service of their customers. The facilities include a total 13 stores with an overall surface area of 165,000 m2, and a fleet of 650 vehicles.
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
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Costa Blanca, Costa Cálida, Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, Costa Tropical), Balearic and Canary Islands, and in the mountains, and particularly Andorra, Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada. We cannot forget the additional services offered to customers, such as transfers, excursions and a wide variety of circuits. This area offers its products, on the one hand, to the wholesale channel in the Spanish state, travel agencies and international tourist operators (also working as a receiver), whether it works under the brand of SERHS Tourism. Furthermore, it works with the retail travel agency market, basically in the Spanish state, through the company Viajes Líder Canarias, S.A., with its headquarters in Tenerife, which is the owner of the Rhodasol-Turimar commercial brand which groups a broad, varied offer of “Beach”, “City”, “Rural and Inland”, “Mountain and Snow”, “Circuits” and “Excursions”, products, amongst others, entirely on-line and offline on the Internet. In April 2009, Rhodasol was the only brand which launched (at the same time) all of the products for the season and which reached the travel agencies, along with new developments in the “Morocco” and “Balearic Islands” catalogues. The head office of the area of SERHS Tourism in Pineda de Mar has delegations in the main tourist areas around Spain, such as Barcelona, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Salou, Platja d’Aro, Benidorm, Torremolinos, Almería, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Peñíscola and Tenerife (Adeje and Puerto de la Cruz). The innovative concept of “specialised bookings at destination”, created two years ago, is still bearing fruit. It consists of offering travel agencies the possibility of contacting the booking centres in the main holiday resorts, offering greater proximity, professionalism and knowledge of the product first-hand. Human team This area, considered one of the most representative and one of those which gives most to the overall turnover of the group has had its organisation restructured to face the new perspectives and the need of the present working system in the sector with maximum guarantees. The use of the new technologies without forgetting the more traditional tools, but above all working with a proactive attitude towards customers, suppliers and the surroundings has made it necessary to adapt functions and profiles and make up a team of young, leading professionals with talent and at the same time motivated and enthusiastic. The companies making up the whole of the area had an average team of 348 people on the payroll in 2008, the number increasing in the summer period, above all, due to the contracting of professionals dedicated to the guide service both on excursions and on transfers, and also supporting customers in all geographical areas to satisfy all demands, and to support the booking departments to absorb the volume in the high season. It has a fleet of 10 commercial vehicles around the whole of Spain. Main markets Having closed 2008, it is possible to draw the following data: over both the wholesale and retail channels, the market with the greatest turnover was the Spanish, followed by the Russian. With respect to stays, the market leader is also the Spanish, this time followed by the British. These last three markets also concentrate 68% of all bookings. With respect to the bookings made by XML integration Internet, although the main market is still that of Spain, there has been a large increase in other segments such as the English market, which is very accustomed to working with new technologies. SERHS Tourism enhanced its promotion actions by participating in a large part of European tourist fairs and workshops, including the brand’s presence with a stand at the World Travel Market in London, Fitur in Madrid, ITB in Berlin and MITT in Moscow, amongst others. Innovating B2B webs This area operates on-line and offline. The off-line system has the function of managing bookings by telephone/fax or e-mail, through booking departments located in each destination. With respect to the on-line system, there are three sales processes. They are carried out by XML (extensible markup language) integrations, which allow interconnection between the customer systems and the Data Center of the area, operative 24/365. In this case, SERHS Tourism receives a large number of availability requests for the places they offer in the over 40,000 establishments in their central servers, and the reply is given on these to formalise the booking. With respect to the on-line web system, we have two large portals (B2B): www.rhodasol.es and www.serhstourism.com. In the early months of 2009, these have undergone a considerable technical innovation, by implementing Oracle, which means a significant technological leap. Professional customers access by Internet with their username and they can look for availability, send queries and make the booking. The third internet route is called White Label, which provides customers with personalised webs, depending on the identity, which operate with the SERHS booking engine. The growth in the volume of bookings on these portals has been fourfold in two years. In 2008, more than 160 million requests were made, with 4500 customers in portfolio. This, on the one hand, has meant a considerable investment in new computer equipment centralised in the SERHS data-processing centre in Pineda de Mar
and, on the other hand, a notable strengthening of the structure of the team of computer professionals. This year also saw the introduction of a new management platform called SERHSnet. This is a global tool which integrates the different tools and applications used up to the present time in a single system, a single environment. In this way, the information can be treated more efficiently and profitably. New agreements This year, new commercial relationships have been enhanced with hotel establishments around Spain, and with the main hotel chains around the world, in order to give customers in the area the broadest possible range of products. With respect to the customer portfolio, the total number has increased significantly with a large number of new commercial relations with travel agencies and tour operators of different nationalities. In each international market where we work, new forms of collaboration have been opened up with the prime operators. One of the most significant agreements was reached for the Russian market with Tez Tour, the leading tour operator in the Russian Federation with a turnover of over 1,000 million euros and organising stays for more than 2,200,000 tourists a year. This collaboration was published in the media in Russia, revealing the great notoriety of the subject. Tez Tour is positioned on the market as an operator which works with the middle class and middle/upper class segment of customers, and at the same time has made a firm stake on new technologies. SERHS, which was a pioneer on this market where it has been working for over 15 years, has considerable know how and in 2009 opened a representation office in Moscow, just as it already has in Germany and England. In the first half of 2009, work has been done to reach new commercial agreements with the leading tour operators in each of its markets and segments as a business strategy in this operative area. Important commercial agreements have therefore been reached with Forfait Flash (France), Med Hotels and Hotel 4U (United Kingdom), and Alpharooms (United Kingdom), a powerful web portal connected to the SERHS booking system (XML); work is also being done at the same time to receive this customer throughout the Iberian peninsula. As an integral service provider for wholesale travel agencies, to operators and retailers, it has a wide range of products and services, offering a unique supply of accommodation places of all categories in 40,000 hotels in over 100 countries. Significant magnitudes SERHS Tourism offers a unique supply of accommodation places in its central servers in 40,000 hotels in over 100 countries. With respect to the on-line web system, we have two large portals (B2B): www.rhodasol.es and www.serhstourism.com. In 2008, more than 160 million on-line requests were received, with 4,500 customers in portfolio. There are new commercial agreements with leading tour operators: Tez Tour (Russian Federation), Forfait Flash (France), Med Hotels and Hotel 4U (United Kingdom), as well as Alpharooms (United Kingdom).
Page 34- HOTELS SERHS VILARS RURALS / HOLIDAY HOTELS / SNOW AND MOUNTAIN RESORTS / CITY HOTELS / BEACH RESORT IN NATAL (BRAZIL) We might classify the establishments in Catalonia into holiday hotels (beach), mountain, rural and snow. With respect to Brazil, this area has a large resort in Natal. At the present time, there are 10 hotels forming this area, between the establishments under ownership and those which work under operation. PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Hotel SERHS Maripins (Hotel Maripins, S.L.); Hotel SERHS Montemar (Sakistes, S.L.); Hotel SERHS Oasis Park (Hotel Kent, S.L.); Hotel SERHS Sorra Daurada (Sorra Daurada, S.L.); Hotel SERHS Vall de Núria (Pastuiraser, S.L.); ONYARSER, S.L.; SERHS Natal Grand Hotel (SERHS Brasil E.T. Ltda.); Vilar Rural de Arnes (Montnegreser, S.L.); Vilar Rural de Cardona (Canigoser, S.L.); Vilar Rural de Sant Hilari Sacalm (Montsenyser, S.L.); Vivahotel S.D.H., S.L.; Hotel SERHS Ski Port del Comte (Ecobegudes Vallès, S.L.) The diversity of hotel and restaurant establishments in this area has shown great occupation and a high degree of customer satisfaction. This broad portfolio allows the varied type of holiday establishments to be offered, and particularly beach hotels, the resort in Brazil, the Rural Villages and the operation of the accommodation and restaurant services in Vall de Núria. Offered products and services The SERHS Hotels offer a good quality-price ratio, placing greater emphasis on service and customer retention. This versatility allows a wide variety of customers to be attended: From families seeking a warm, close treatment, to large business or associative groups which require a well-planned organisation of their events. Vilars Rurals In 2008, a new, attractive web site came into operation for the Rural Villages: www.vilarsrurals.com. This portal, with an average 1200
Page 38- SERHS FOOD PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT COMPREHENSIVE RESTAURANT SERVICES AND OWN BREAD MAKING AND BAKING / “IN SITU” RESTAURANT SERVICE FOR HOSTELRY AND COLLECTIVES / BANQUETS / CELEBRATIONS / CATERING / PIZZAS / SANDWICHES This area, specialised in the comprehensive management of restaurant services, is structured according to the different kinds of customer. PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Europea de Cuinats, S.L.; Fleca SERHS (TAMENFO, S.L.); Gaudium SERHS, S.L.; Hotel SERHS Campus (Incasup 2002, S.L.); Sacalmser, S.L.; Sànita SERHS Serveis, S.L.; SERHS Food Area, S.L.
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
of the resort with the same name (photo 3), has presented a new web with a booking engine included. This is key to achieving sales with users who wish to book in the hotel, that is, that the customer visiting the Web should be able to make a booking at the same time. This web allows offers and promotions to be made, and even gives the chance of including extras in the booking, that is, it allows you to book all of the extra services which are not included in the accommodation and normal service, thus improving the customers’ stay. In 2008, the hotel placed around 7000 stays, with an occupation level of 64% on average during the time it was open. Beach hotels With respect to the occupation of these hotels, in the summer season 2008 all of them had an average 84% occupation on the days they were working, almost 340,000 stays between the four establishments (which have between 212 and 285 rooms) and are located on the Costa de Barcelona-Maresme. As for the distinctions and certifications, Hotel SERHS Maripins***, Hotel SERHS Sorradaurada*** and Hotel SERHS Montemar*** (under operation) received the distinctions and certificates of the Tourist Quality Integral System. This distinction was given to them as they passed the test for achieving SICTED certification, a system promoted by the General Secretary of Tourism of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade in order to nurture the quality of the tourist destinations, to harmonise the sectorial levels, to reinforce the business fabric and to enhance integral actions in the destinations in the long-term. The Hotel SERHS Oasis Park***, achieved Family Tourism certification. The hotel was rewarded with this distinctive plate thanks to the different programmed activities that are carried out, and the installations prepared for all of the family which the hotel makes available for its customers. SERHS Natal Grand Hotel 5* This establishment, recognised as the largest beach resort in Brazil, is the first hotel of the Grup SERHS abroad, located in the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) (photo 1). With an approximate capacity of 1,000 places and a staff of over 325 people, it enjoys great notoriety and prestige not only in the State but also in the north-east of the country, and is a centre for numerous meetings, visits from personalities (elite footballers, politicians) and high-level institutional and business meetings. Proof of this was the 10th Forum of Governments of the Northeast (photo 2) on May 8, 2008, where 9 state governors and high-ranking authorities met. The Brazilian public basically come from Sao Paulo, and have a fundamental weight in the establishment’s occupation. “Tourism: Business has changed, and you?” This is the question that the organisers of the ABAV 2008 Congress made of travel agents and all of those taking part in the 36th edition of the ABAV Congress, which was held from October 22 to 24 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This meeting is recognised by the tourist industry as the most important tourist fair in Latin America, and from which the SERHS Natal Grand Hotel was not missing. During the fair, the Mayoress of Natal, Micarla de Sousa visited the stand of our headquarters in Natal. In the past month of September, the SERHS Natal Grand Hotel put on the shirt of the Casa do Bem (House of Good), by receiving a visit from 50 children from the Brazilian NGO, immersed in the Hotel do Bem (Hotel of Good) project. The meeting consisted of a special day for the children, with recreational activities, water activities in the pool and on the hotel beach. The hotel in 2008 created the Social Responsibility Committee under the coordination of Mrs. Viviane de los Santos Cunha, with the objective of developing social actions by taking part actively in initiatives for the common good of the country, and to make everyone aware of the importance of taking part in the projects which will be carried out from now on. Significant magnitudes In 2008, the three Vilars Rurals (located in Cardona, Sant Hilari and Arnes) have had more than 115,000 stays. The Vilars Rurals have developed a Project of Environmental Improvement for their facilities and it will be promoted among customers, workers, suppliers and collaborators. The SERHS hotels have experienced an increased presence through the Internet, which has given them an important position with regard to their customers.
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visits every day, has a large informative content both on product and on programmes of stays and promotions for visiting the villages. Also outstanding is the significant increase of the presence on the network thanks to the insertion of the villages in specialised webs (TopRural, Babyviajes, ViajarenFamilia...) and booking portals. In 2008, the three Rural Villages (in Cardona, Sant Hilari and Arnes) exceeded the figure of 115,000 stays, which reveals the acceptance of the “Village” product price-ratio so appreciated by families and enterprises as their main customers. Reinforcing the technological tools of which SERHS is a pioneer, this year a series of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) campaigns were started to seek a good positioning in the network. The aim of the SEO campaigns is to appear in the first places on the main search engines, by entering keywords, titles and descriptions. It is a question of achieving a good position in the search engines. It has been very useful to achieve a maximum number of links pointing at the Vilars Web. With respect to the SEM campaigns, the aim was to appear in the first places on the search engines ahead of the main search engines with the difference that this is based on purchasing keywords and a corresponding pay by click. These fees also serve for making advertisements which have appeared as sponsored links. The Vilars Rurals, as every year, were present in the different fairs of the tourist sector. First of all, they met in Agrotur in November 2008 with a stand, and were a compulsory visit for lovers and professionals of rural tourism. They were also represented by a stand at the EIBTM fair held in December 2008 in Barcelona, the main exhibition of the sector of conferences, incentives, events, business and congress travel considered the most important exhibition in Europe in the sector. In the Valencia Fair, although they were not present with a stand, they did collaborate with a web www.viajarenfamilia.net. Once more this year, Vilars Rurals formed part of the around a hundred exhibitors in Exposerhs 2009 held at the Circuit de Cataluña. To give the brand notoriety, an advertising campaign was carried out in different media, such as Catalunya Ràdio, on the “El Suplement”, “Eduqueu les Criatures”, and “Hem de parlar” programs. With respect to the written media, it was also present in newspapers such as el Levante and Las Provincias, to strengthen the positioning in the Valencia Community. We must also stress the different inserts in El Periódico, specifically in the section of “Escapadas” (getaways), amongst others. As an innovative product in tourist accommodation, they have also been present on leading TV3 programs such as “Valor afegit”. Along with the BON PREU supermarket group, in May and the first fortnight of June 2009, a promotional action was carried out which reached 100,000 families and included the presence of the Vilars in over 100 points of sale of the brand. Some time ago, the gastronomic offer adapted to children and the celiac collective was started up, and this initiative was reinforced a great deal in 2008. Paying honour to the children’s activities of the Vilars, the children’s tale “The grumbling gardener” was put on sale for their customers. Several rural activities were carried out, celebrations of Quad Campus and Basketball Campus, World Day of the Environment and thematic weekends, amongst others. In 2008, the Vilars Rurals started up the Project of Environmental Improvement with the aim of reaching a commitment with the environment bearing in mind the minimisation and management of waste, and the emission of CO2 and energy savings in their facilities. SERHS Vall de Núria Hotel The year 2008 was the first for SERHS in managing the accommodation and restaurants services put out to tender by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya. The Vall de Núria mountain resort (photo 6) is a singular place which can only be reached by rack train or on foot, and which is visited each year by almost 300,000 people. This winter 2008-2009 was one of the best winters for snow in recent times. The area of management covers the hotel SERHS Vall de Núria, with three stars and 65 rooms, 12 apartments and 5 restaurant points: that of the hotel, el Racó de la Vall and la Cabana dels Pastors, the Finestrelles self-service restaurant and cafeteria, and also the different meeting rooms. The government of Catalonia approved a Director Plan which aims at doubling the accommodation and modernising the facilities in the coming years. The hotel occupation was in excess of 35,000 stays. The customer satisfaction was high, as they gave a high score to the accommodation and restaurant facilities with an 8 out of 10. As a point to be highlighted, we must mention that the offer of banquets for celebrations and weddings and communions has increased. The presence on the net is also noteworthy, through the insertion of the new Hotel SERHS Vall de Núria web in specialised websites (TopRural, Babyviajes, ViajarenFamilia, etc.) and booking portals. The increase in on-line booking was a constant in the evolution, as well as the number of visits, which was around 1,000 a day. In January 2009 a new retail travel agency called Onyarser, S.L. was started up to commercialise tourist packages in Vall de Núria. SERHS Ski Port del Comte Hotel This 2-star establishment with 36 rooms at the foot of the slopes
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The management of two singular, symbolic areas stands out: The Castell Jalpí (owned by the Grup SERHS) and the restaurant services in the FCBarcelona facilities in Camp Nou (under operation). These are fundamentally collectives (universities, schools, companies), hostelry (hotels, restaurants, cafeterias) and companies from the world of health (geriatric units, hospitals, social health units, day centres), amongst others. Another group of customers is also formed by those who, according to their specific space, we might define as thematic or specific (ski slopes, theme parks, franchises) to which we must add those known as “special events” which might be cultural, sports shows, celebrations, weddings or company events. The management of two singular, symbolic areas stands out: The Castell Jalpí (owned by the Grup SERHS) and the restaurant services in the FCBarcelona facilities in Camp Nou (under operation). The area of SERHS Alimentación comprises the SERHS Food Service and Arcs catering-Castell Jalpí for the management division, and the Fleca Serhs and the central units for preparing cooked dishes in the production division. These two divisions complement each other perfectly, reinforcing their operative capacity and offer in the area.
FOOD MANAGEMENT Serhs Food Service This brand ascribed to the company SERHS Food Area, S.L. acts as a central unit which brings the whole area together. It is located in two production plants: one in Arenys de Munt and another in Vilassar de Mar. It has over 200 centres managed, amongst which we might highlight both public and private entities. These are companies, universities, hospitals, penitentiary centres, sports complexes and schools around the whole of Catalonia (mainly) and also in Spain. In 2008 SERHS Food Service made an average 29,000 menus a day. It has a team formed by an average payroll of 857 people and reaching its peak with 1,600, depending on service needs. The personalised service developed to measure for each kind of customer, accompanied in turn by maximum management quality, environment and health measures has left them among the leaders in the sector. The enhancement of continuous improvements in their productive processes has given them the necessary certifications to be a referent in management based on control, safety and food hygiene. The company has the following guarantee stamps: · Certification of the Quality Management System ISO 9001:2000 · Certification of the Food innocuousness Management System ISO 22000:2005 · Certification of the Environmental Management System ISO 14001:2004 It also has its own environmental and food health laboratory, registered and authorised by the Ministry of Health and Social Security of the government of Catalonia. In 2008, specifically in the month of December, a new company was created in the area, Sacalmser, S.L., formed by 268 workers dedicated to child monitoring. These professionals were contracted to cover the attention services in the dining room for the pupils of the numerous schools where the area deals with the restaurant. Therefore, SERHS Food Service works as a single supplier for schools, where it deals with the operation of the kitchen and attention for the children. SERHS Food Service FCB We have reached the third season of the concession for operating and managing the restaurant services in the facilities of Futbol Club Barcelona, specifically in Camp Nou (photos 2 and 3). This brand -SERHS Food Service FCB- created especially to coordinate the activity in this such singular place, is ascribed to the company Europea de Cuinats, S.L., and since 2006 has carried out what appeared to be a highly ambitious project of evolving and structuring this service. A working methodology was applied based on rigour and professionalism in this sports complex known around the world, which receives visits from a large number of fans every day of the year, not only in the sports activities, but also tourists and fans who wish to see its facilities, such as the Museo del Barça (one of the most widely visited museums in Catalonia, receiving well over a million people). The necessary communications have also been created with the large number of people working in the centre, up to 500 at peak times. Effective working systems have been set up using new technologies, training and close functional organisation. With the view of making Camp Nou a referent in sports restaurant facilities, just as it already is on the sports field, a large number of commercial actions have been carried out to motivate the sale, and at the same time work has continued on improving the products on offer. Arcs Catering This brand, ascribed to the area, deals with the gastronomy in all kinds of events such as celebrations, banquets, weddings, congresses and conventions.
For some years, Arcs Catering has been aimed at offering different gastronomy proposals and event organisation (photo 4). It offers personal, exclusive treatment, because each customer is unique and each event is special. Customers enjoy the experience of a team of highly qualified professionals who develop their activity with a fundamental premise: to satisfy the most demanding expectations of the customers by offering them personalised advice, quality products and the most modern installations, together with good presentation and meticulous service. In this year 2008, Arcs Catering continued to develop and gain the loyalty of important customers, and carried out very important emblematic events such as the ECNP Congress (European College of Neuropsychopharmacology) and special banquets for companies such as Sanofi, Fecsa-Endesa, RACC, Lexus and Click Air. Castell Jalpí The exceptional nature of this space has in recent years made it a referent for banquets and celebrations in the Maresme region, and its majority customers (weddings, companies, meetings...) come from Barcelona and the surrounding area. The quality-price ratio of its proposals is not incompatible with the exclusiveness and touch of distinction given in the gastronomic service, and place the Castle on a medium-high level, adaptable depending on the needs of each event. It has been the centre for numerous institutional activities of the region and, at the same time, is the company headquarters of Grup SERHS, where it also holds meetings and events which require the solemnity and majestuosity of its surroundings and facilities (photo 1). Located in the municipality of Arenys de Munt, and facing a 5,000 m2 lake, it has 22,600 m2 of land and 2,500 m2 of buildings surrounded by gardens. It was officially opened for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Grup SERHS, in 2005. During this year 2008 and in early 2009, the Castell Jalpí has received notable media repercussion, and has been the location for television commercials, programs and reports such as that published in the renowned magazine Vogue, where it covered a special wedding between a Catalan girl and an Indian boy. SERHS Campus Hotel Located on the campus of Barcelona Autonomous University (photo 5), this is a perfect place for professional events such as congresses, symposiums and conventions. It has 104 rooms for accommodation, 3 restaurants, 2 cafeterias, different modular rooms, flexible and with large capacity entirely fitted out with the necessary audiovisual material and support. Their capacity is adaptable from 10 to 700 people. The high occupation, around 80% a year, and the large number of events held there make this a dynamic space where a young management team monitors its evolution. In this line, the hotel was the centre for the Congress of the European Society of Veterinary Ethology from October 16 to 17 with 200 people attending; for the SCARTD Congress (Catalan Society of Anaesthesiology, Reanimation and Pain Therapy) with 325 people attending; for the Quality Meetings of the Education Department with 600 people; for a meeting of managers of Caixa Sabadell with 500 people attending, and the IV Festival del Botillo de Cataluña with 460 people and the participation of Luís del Olmo as an anecdote, amongst other events.
FOOD PRODUCTION EUDEC Product His commercial trademark is structured around three lines of action: EUDEC restaurants, conceived to facilitate and complement the work of the establishments that we call commercial restaurants, making specific product ranges for hotels, restaurants, bars and cafeterias, companies and sports centres. It offers a wide variety of options with over 100 recipes of local, traditional and international cuisine: salads, creams, soups, pastas, rice, fish, meat, sauces and dressings. Thematic and ethnic meals are also made. EUDEC colectividades is a new specialised line, optimal for service in collectives and health centres where very specific products are required with high nutritional and dietetic demands (tasty and healthy) to cover specific user profile such as children, the elderly and the sick. Specific diets are also prepared for diabetics, allergic people, easy to chew, without salt, mashed and gastric protection, amongst others. EUDEC personalised product. In collaboration with the customers, this line has been developed which puts into play all of the technical resources, the most advanced technology for cooking and a professional team with experience for creating products especially for each need. Renato Romagnoni Under this name, we find a wide range of products: pizzas, sandwiches and other deep frozen articles, conceived as impulse sale products which can be found in bars, cafeterias or snack bars. This brand also includes advertising and promotional support and advice to make this offer more attractive to the end customers. Fleca SERHS (Tamenfo, S.L.) This company offers a comprehensive service 363 days a year (photo 6). It specialises in preparing products for the hostelry, restaurant
PAGE 42- SERHS PROJECTS & EQUIPMENTS RESTAURANT ENGINEERING | CONTRACT (ROOMS AND PUBLIC AREAS) CONSTRUCTION | CATERING TRADE EQUIPMENT | KITCHENS | BUFFETS SERHS Projects&Equipments in the sector of installations, has become the leading company in terms of restaurant engineering and the only one capable of serving the whole of the Spanish state. PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Creasa, S.L.; Equip Turis, S.A.; Equip Turis Canarias, S.A.; Studiumser, S.L.; Torraneulaser, S.L. The Consultative Board of Administrative Contracting of the Department of Economy and Finance of the government of Catalonia gave Equip Turis (Pineda de Mar) the work classification as contractors of the Public administrations. In 2008, work finished on completing the reformation of Celaya, a centenary, emblematic company of renowned prestige in the sector of supplies and installations for hostelry in the area of Barcelona and its metropolitan area. In mid-2009, the Celaya trademark, ascribed to the company Torraneulaser, S.L., will connect with the central company of the area, Equipturis, S.A. In October 2007, Grup SERHS acquired the AZKOYEN Hostelería machinery installations division, which was structured into the company Studiumser, S.L. and brought in a large number of delegations spread all around Spain. In this year, it proceeded to reorganise its functions, products and areas of influence, focusing its efforts and complementing its services. Three of the Studiumser, S.L. delegations changed location in 2008, due to the importance they have gained in each territory, and as a result of this, the size of their business has also grown and it has been necessary to move to industrial spaces adapted to their needs. Business lines SERHS Projects&Equipments offers personalised solutions of projects, construction and equipment for different sectors: - Tourist: hotels, guest houses, boarding houses, campsites and other kinds of accommodation establishments. - Health: hospitals and geriatrics. - Education: schools, nurseries, universities. - Restauration: bars, cafés, restaurants, pizzerias. - Public administration and private companies. This area develops six business lines which cover: restaurant engineering, contract, construction, restoration, Technical Assistance Service and manufacture, which allows a large combination of services to be offered in each area. Restaurant engineering - kitchens Development and execution of functional designs of professional kitchens and of restaurant areas for hostelry and collectives adapted to current regulations. Restaurant engineering – buffets and bars Design and manufacture of buffets, show-cookings, self-service and bars specially designed for our customers. Exclusive and personalised according to our customers’ specifications. Contract – rooms Work is being done on a new way of understanding the concept of hotel room equipment, which has to be designed to achieve the space required by the customer. This concept could be defined in three parameters: design, quality and functionality. Contract – interior design projects Bearing in mind that the common areas are those most visible in the establishment, the objective of the Projects&Equipments area is that the interior designers and technicians should bring together a project which transmits sensations and which may later be executed,
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
and should be in accordance with the investment required by the customer. Building Conceived for whoever might require professional solutions of new work and comprehensive refurbishment projects, which allows the correct balance to be found between investment, quality, execution time and business solvency. Replacement Individual sale of machinery, furniture and other complements to complete the projects started up and to satisfy customers who need to replace or complement the equipment in their business without developing a project. This sale is made with a visit from the sales team, through machinery and furniture displays in Pineda de Mar and Barcelona or by means of the virtual shop. Offered products and services This area worked on several projects throughout 2008, including important agreement with hotel chains, residences and hospitals, schools, institutes and universities, penitentiary centres, ski resorts and restaurant chains, amongst others. This year, the participation in public tenders brought business to SERHS Projects&Equipments, which has allowed them to gain projects such as the National ‘Paradores’ hotels, airports, and other public bodies. Areas and new facilities The structure of this area has allowed overall and personalised solutions to be offered throughout the Spanish state, focused on the area of hostelry and collectives. The main focus of the company lies on making new small and medium-sized establishments, basically bars, cafeterias and restaurants. The commercial offices are in: La Coruña, Barcelona, Pineda de Mar, Madrid, Malaga, Pamplona, Seville, Tarragona, Tenerife, Bilbao and Zaragoza. Thanks to the whole coverage in the Spanish state, SERHS Projects&Equipments has become the leading company in the installations sector with regard to restaurant engineering, and the only one capable of serving the whole of the Spanish state. The main sales channel offered is personalised advice from the sales team in the customer’s company. We must also stress sales in the Celaya shop, with a 1,500 m2 display of machinery, and virtual sales through the website. The work team of the area is structured as follows: sales department, area manager, large account managers, commercial technical advisers, display and replacement sale, technical office (engineers, architects, interior designers, technical team in coordination and performance of works and installations), manufacturing, assembly and after sales service, department of general and commercial administration. Investments and operating improvements With regard to image, the area catalogue, first presented at the Hostelco fair 2008, has been renovated and is intended to be the reflection of the services which can be offered thanks to our over 20 years of experience. SERHS Projects&Equipments took part on a 100m2 stand in the 14th edition of the Hostelco exhibition from October 17 to 21 in Fira de Barcelona, with 990 exhibitors, 2,010 brands represented, over 80,000 professional visitors and more than 60,000 m2 of display. In the last year, an advertising agreement was signed with the Hotusa chain. This included an advertisement in its catalogue, and collaboration was given by offering a series of products in a leaflet of offers distributed every two months, as this is a good opportunity for reporting the equipment area of Grup SERHS in their long list of associated hotels. In the past month of November, the Consultative Board of Administrative Contracting of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the government of Catalonia awarded the office in Pineda de Mar a works classification as contractors of the Public Administrations. This classification allowed Equip Turis to take part in the works concerning buildings, electrical and mechanical installations. With respect to the business line referring to the sale of machinery and furniture, an agreement was reached with the company Electrocalorique to exclusively distribute its range of trolleys, grouped into several models, for distributing meals both on multi portion trays and individual trays with two separate areas: one for cold dishes and the other for hot. With respect to new installations, the Bilbao warehouse is located in the best commercial area in Baracaldo and on the so-called “golden mile” of the capital. They have a large display area, stores and their own car park. The Madrid offices have also been moved to a new warehouse with 650 m2 of storage space, 200 m2 of offices and 400 m2 of exterior courtyard. Continuing with the new facilities in La Coruña, there is a 400 m2 warehouse. Significant magnitudes - This area has a human team of 121 people as average in 2008. - A fleet of 53 vehicles. - Facilities of 6,500 m2 with 2,000 m2 of exhibition area. - 3,140 projects and budgets, 1,008 of which were accepted. - More than 25 million euros managed in building projects and equipment facilities.
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and collective sectors, such as bread and fresh and frozen pastries, pizzas and cakes, amongst other things. A continuous improvement of the equipment according to market needs and those of the company itself, and the fact of having modern, innovative machinery, have allowed greater added value to be given to the productive process, by expanding its capacity and opening the door to the personalisation of different products. This year, a great effort was made to improve the image (applied to vehicles, uniforms and facilities) and also the graphic material of the company. We must highlight the increase in non-seasonal customers, the manufacture and distribution of over 11 million tonnes in 2008, and the sale of multiproduct, both fresh and frozen and long-lasting. Significant magnitudes SERHS Food Service has more than 200 managed centres, and in 2008 made an average 29,000 menus a day with an average payroll of 857 people. The Hotel SERHS Campus has 104 rooms, 3 restaurants, 2 cafeterias, different modular rooms, flexible and large capacity. Its occupation lies at around 80% a year. Fleca SERHS offers a comprehensive service 363 days a year. Of particular note is the increase in non-seasonal customers, the manufacture and distribution of over 11 million tonnes in 2008.
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- 4,500 service notes, 12,000 working hours of installation and postsale in the customer’s house. - 25 tones of stainless steel were used in the manufacturing of stainless steel furniture and buffets, and 750 m2 of decorating materials for the manufacturing of buffets and bars.
Page 46- SERHS SERVICES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES INSURANCES | HUMAN RESOURCES | LABOR MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION | FINANCES | NEW TECHNOLOGIES | COMPUTER APPLICATIONS | COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS | REAL-ESTATE SERVICES This area includes companies intended to offer the maximum number of services, both generally to companies forming part of Grup SERHS, and externally, aimed basically at customers of the tourist sector. PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Asseguris Mediterraneum C.A., S.L.; Migjornser, S.L.; Inverserhs, S.L.; Vector-K, S.A.; SERHS Costa Brava Centre, S.L. Structured into different areas of action allowing synergies between them, the companies that form part of this area help and complement each other: human resources, administration and finance, insurance and new technologies. MEDITERRANEUM XX, S.L. This is a company which, on the one hand, receives a large part of the SERHS corporate services (human resources, social responsibility, marketing and communication, as well as administration and finance), and, on the other, externally offers a large number of related products and services with high added value to its customers. Human Resources This Grup SERHS Corporate Management includes all of the necessary specialities to give a complete human resource management services in all specialities: Staff Administration; HR Development; Labour Relations; Prevention of Labour Risks. It makes a firm stake on Internet portals as management platforms and applies continuous improvement in its services in order to offer both Grup SERHS companies and external customers an ever more effective service. The http://portal.serhs.com/rrhh portals are used in as a means of personalised and interactive communication between the company and the HR department. This is a tool which supposes great savings in time and costs, avoids travel and telephone calls and is operative 365/24. Through its certification, it guarantees the required confidentiality and maximum security. We might particularly refer to the fact that the staff Administration Department in 2008 dealt with a total 44,112 salaries and 4,575 workers. It must also be said that HR opted to integrate its system in a Navision environment with the intention of making use of synergies, total data integration and special improvement with regard to communication processes and information feedback. With reference to the Human Resource and Labour Risk Development departments, the services offered in both areas have been increased with a new initiative in 2009. From this year they will also manage the trainers for our companies and customers, with a total 30 training actions planned by the PRL and 45 planned by the Development department. We must also stress the achievement of the certificate of approval of the Labour Risk Prevention Management System in the companies of the Service area, with a qualification of 75% achievement of requirements. In addition to the Services and the New Technologies Area, already brought in last year, in 2008 and early 2009, the area of Tourism and Travel was added, and the remaining areas of the corporation will gradually be brought in. Within the HR Development, in the area of training for the second consecutive year a Generic Training Plan of the Grup SERHS was consolidated, with three calls every year, continuing with the clear objective of training reaching all people in our organisation. Concerning selection, we must highlight the conservation of the Grup SERHS employment exchange as an important way to bring in CVs with an average 95 each month. As an important development concerning labour relations, we must highlight the contribution to generating greater participation in the bodies representing the workers, and the presence on the company committees, as well as other actions intended to contribute positively to the benefit of the Labour climate. Work was also done on maintaining the same objective started in the last quarter of 2008: that of supporting the different companies to adapt to the new economic situation and thus give greater flexibility to the workforce and/or payroll reorganisation. Administration and finances An area ascribed to the financial corporate management of Grup SERHS, which is formed by different specialised sections such as the calculation centre, tax advice, auditing, treasury and aggregation and financial consolidation. Its field of action are all
of the companies of the corporation and it also receives the help from different external advisers. With a will to create a common framework of action for all companies of Grup SERHS, in 2008 a new “Book of SERHS Corporate Regulations” was prepared, only available on the SERHS portal (Intranet). This is a manual which gathers all of the administrative, legal and labour procedures, the regulations that have to be followed and the corporate criteria of each area of action. ASSEGURIS MEDITERRANEUM XX, Corredoria d’Assegurances, SL. At December 31, 2008 Asseguris has a portfolio of 2,321 customers and 4,121 policies contracted, 22.25% up on the previous year. The group insurance company basically has two sales channels: direct sales in the office, with two people, and an exterior commercial platform of 3 sales people. The staff of the broker service includes 7 people. 4,400,000 premiums were managed, 9% more than in 2007, with an increase in individuals of 12.5% over last year. The lines of action used are those of continuously improving the product portfolio and continuing to collaborate with companies of renowned prestige and solvency to be able to offer as complete a service (and good advice) as possible to satisfy customer expectations. Constituted as an insurance broker since 2003, it deals with the leading companies in the market such as MAPFRE, AXA, DKV, ALLIANZ, ACE and VITALICIO, amongst others. New agreements Asseguris has reached agreements with different collectives and associations in order to expand its field of action and to be able to offer the members of these groups considerable savings on their household, vehicle, company and health policies. In 2008, a health portfolio was also purchased with DKV in order to expand our area of geographical action. Finally, work started in this last year with a new company, ARAG, which gives legal defence policies at highly competitive prices. SERHS NEW TECHNOLOGIES We find two companies in this area which are exclusively engaged in developing and implementing new technologies intended for the tourism sector. Migjornser, S.L. and Vector K, S.L. are unified in the same space in Pineda de Mar, and are intended to enhance and maximise the use of the synergies between them. MIGJORNSER, S.L. This company is engaged in the area of new technologies and fundamentally serves all of the companies of Grup SERHS. Its areas of action are systems, and it deals with maintaining hardware and software, as well as their production. Another of the activities that they carry out are technological projects, albeit installations, software implementations or IT consultancies. Furthermore, from the telecommunications department they deal both with management and consultancy. Migjornser is responsible for making Internet one of the main communication channels in the group, dealing with the preparation of web pages, e-mail management and hosting, amongst other functions. New agreeements (Google Enterprise, Ricoh...) Starting with the strategic idea of reaching agreements with leading companies in each market segment, understanding this collaboration in the broad sense of advancing and even innovating together, Grup SERHS in 2008 reached important, highly significant pacts with leading companies in the international forefront in most cases. During 2008, Grup SERHS signed a pioneering agreement with GOOGLE Enterprise, through Migjornser, S.L., and this became the most important Google implementation in the Spanish state in the application of electronic mail and the remaining utilities it covers, as well as a reference mode in its actions. Many are the advantages that the use of Google technology will bring to the group, both for its workers (around 1,200 have it in their workplace) and for those responsible for managing information systems. In the early months of 2009, all of the on-line collaboration tools are being used in externalising the electronic mail platform, and the first positive experiences have been carried out in the use of cloud computing. For Google, the security, the privacy and the service level are the guarantee of the success of its technology. In April, an agreement was reached with the RICOH printer company (world leader in the market of digital equipment for offices), to outsource the whole of the management and maintenance of the printer stock in Grup SERHS. The agreement consists of renewing all of the printers of the group, a total 350, spread around 60 locations. The form of use, cycles and costs related to documents have transformed in recent years as they have not for centuries. RICOH’s technological leadership would not be possible without continuous monitoring of this change and its proximity to customers, as our corporation was able to see. An agreement was also reached with the company ONO (leader in broadband communication with the largest state-of-the-art fibre optic network in the Spanish state), to migrate the whole of the Grup SERHS corporate data network. At the same time, an agreement was reached with the company eBD-soft for the use of its “ Presentation Layer” tool in creating the new Grup SERHS transversal management platform. The maximum expression all of
Page 50- SERHS REAL-ESTATE PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Begudes, S.A. “BEGSA”; Fleca Espiga d’Or, S.L.; Francolíser, S.L. Kimburu, S.L.; L’Hereu, S.L.; Promociones Inmobiliarias de Calella, S.L.; Segreser, S.L. Grup SERHS, above all in recent years, has evolved in developing this area of action in the real estate segment, both from the internal point of view bearing in mind the assets of the corporation such as warehouses, buildings and land, and from the external standpoint, in which certain action has been taken within the company Kimburu, S.L., both on urban and industrial land. In this year 2008, the following actions were taken, as the most significant: - In the industrial sector S/ 19 Riera de Esclanyà in Begur (Girona) work was completed on the construction of 10 warehouses of 530 m2 each, of which 8 are rented out. - Work is done on the development of the Execution Plan of the new Calella Industrial Estate, where there are 18,510 m2 of land, and sector PA-4 is advancing in the estate in calle Montnegre in Calella. - The block of 23 new dwellings (some maisonettes, 20 car parks and commercial premises) carried out in Calella (calle Església/ Balmes/Ángel Guimerà) is in the process of sale. - In 2009 the process will finish of designing the future robotised store in the area of SERHS Distribution in Ripollet, once the necessary
permits have been achieved for the pertinent volumetry. - In 2009 the plan also started for remodelling and reorganising (2010-2012) the SERHS warehouses on the Entrevies estate in Tarragona, which were purchased this year.
As a business corporation, Grup SERHS, S.A. holds a large security portfolio and, at the same time, is the owner of a series of buildings. Through its security portfolio, it participates dominantly, directly or indirectly, in all of the group companies. With regard to the buildings, it has them rented out to different subsidiaries to help their business activity. In the two mentioned areas, it either works directly or through holdings. PARTICIPATED COMPANIES Armeig, S.L; Brasilcat, S.L.; Brownboard, S.L.; Dibacash, S.L., Ecologic SERHS Hotels, S.A.; Economat SERHS, S.L.; Fluviaser, S.L.; Gaseoses Caballé, S.L.; Gregalser, S.L.; Grup SERHS, S.A.; International Catering ZFT, SARL; Inversiones Hoteleras 2004, S.L.; Montgriser, S.L.; Serag Invest, SARL; SERHS Development, S.L.; Seturbrasil, S.A., Vivahotel Ebro, S.L. These management areas led by the Group general management are formed by companies devoted to administering and holding properties, lands, values and institutions, which make up a series of goods that are the result of the same business dynamic of the Group. The strategic axes of the corporation pass through the future strengthening and viability of all of the companies forming SERHS, which have a global focus that allows them to successfully face the critical factors of competitiveness, consolidating and creating new business opportunities in all areas of action. Within this area, it is also possible to refer to the new international business undertakings and initiatives in Brazil and Morocco. In the country of Latin America, the group owns and manages the SERHS Natal Grand Hotel. Also in a nearby town, Parnamirim, it has a very strategic communications road axis of 300,000 m2 of land suitable for developing a wide range of activities as a logistics or commercial centre. In Morocco, several actions have been carried out around the sectors of tourism, and specifically in travel agencies and production, with a fruit juice factory in Tangiers. RELATED COMPANIES SERHS S/COOP. C. Ltda. Its initial drive and cooperative and associative will at the service of people have allowed it to develop an intense social activity. From the outset, its sense of belonging, of mutual confidence and its will to improve, led to the development of many initiatives around the company, which have achieved what today is known as Grup SERHS. MÚTUA DEL MARESME The Mútua del Maresme, adhered to the Federation of Social Prevention Mutualities of Catalonia, is a social provision entity born out of cooperative spirit, which has allowed the exercise of social prevision through mutual aid and help among the associates, without aiming at profits. Its area of action is Catalonia. This company covers the associates in terms of health assistance, schooling, death and all of of the complementary services that everyone might wish.
Page 52- ASSOCIATED COMPANIES Escola Universitària d’Hostaleria i Turisme de Sant Pol de Mar This centre, ascribed to Girona University and founded in 1966, has a long tradition in tourist and hotel training, and maintains a tight, reciprocal institutional bond with the Grup SERHS. But the most important thing about this hotel-school, the oldest in Spain, is the exchange which is established between this university centre and the SERHS group of companies, which generates intense, fruitful feedback. The EUHT in Sant Pol is receptive to the business baggage of the Group, which gives it prime order, updated knowledge of the dynamics of the sector. At the same time, this means that the Group can benefit from the support and a package of knowledge and technical experience which can only be given by a certified university centre. The school has received institutional recognition both around the state and in the autonomous community and sector, by being distinguished with the “Gold Plate for Tourist Merit” and the “Plate of Honour of Turisme de Catalunya”, amongst other awards. Publintur, S.A. The Grup SERHS is and has always been aware of the need for instruments of dissemination and communication to effectively inform on the multiple, diverse actions it carries out. For this reason, it has a close, intense relationship and bond with the company PUBLINTUR, S.A., a company engaged in image and communication, as well as graphic and digital production. This company has become an instrument of help at the service of promoting and disseminating
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this is the new SERHS portal. For the broad collective of workers spread around an extensive area, Grup SERHS reaches purchase agreements with single suppliers, and particularly TOSHIBA in computer material. Business activities Continuing with the activities that have been carried out, Phase 1 of the ERP Unification Project (Enterprise Resource Planning) of the different business areas in a single Corporate ERP (Financial module in the area of SERHS Foodstuff and Hotels SERHS and complete functionality in SERHS Projects&Equiments) has been successfully completed. This has been possible thanks to the Navision project, a series of Microsoft computer tools that allow the business processes of the different areas of the company to be managed (production, logistics, accounting, inventories, and purchase and sale management) in a unified manner. Successfully completed too is Phase 1 of the Virtualisation Project of the central servers. At the same time, we continued to analyse and define the technological project of the SERHS Distribución automated store in Ripollet. The first installations were carried out using WiMax technology, and the experience has been 100% satisfactory, so work will continue on new installations. VECTOR-K Vector-K, a company of the Services and New Technologies area, is engaged in creating, maintaining, implementing and supporting computer products for the tourist sector, both for companies of the Group and for external businesses. The basic products of Vector-K are the Guest, comprehensive hotel management, the Bistrot, management of bars, restaurants, discotheques, etc. and the Webguest, which allows the on-line sale of bookings from the hotel web. Since February 2008, these have been located in the new SERHS New Technologies installations, from where it has been possible to work better, sharing resources and experiences with the colleagues in Migjorn and our customers have been offered better products and services. In its third year of operation, the WebguestHotel on-line sales service is already applied in more than 300 hotels and has increased its sales by 154%. It is in this product, on-line sales, where considerable investment has been made to expand and improve the service offer due to its constant inquiries and good reception. In 2008, the whole of the system was remodelled, diversifying the product in 5 modules to adjust them to the needs of the different kinds of customers: independent hotels, chains, booking centres, etc. The appearance and functions of the bookings screens have been remodelled, by bringing in photographs of the rooms, by creating a panel where the offers are published, and also by including the “Improve your stay” option, a space where customers are able to choose optional services, that is what is known as “Dynamic package”. For the coming year, WebGuestHotel will continue to be improved and expanded to leave it among the best products in the country. Significant magnitudes - Migjornser, S.L. had a human team of 22 people on average in 2008. - The Technical Service is in charge of more than 850 PCs, 340 printers and 190 PDAs. - There are 87 central servers located in a state-of-the-art CPD opened in 2007. - Control of more than 1,000 e-mails and 190 hosted domains. - More than 40,000 mails, 1,190 telephone lines, 1,280 mobile telephones managed daily. - Data network with more than 50 nodes.
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the tourist resort of Catalonia, and a source of support for the tourist activity in areas in destinations where different Plans of Excellence and Tourist Dynamisation have been drawn up. In the field of business, it has stood out for providing solutions adapted to needs in marketing and image policy, through imaginative proposals thanks to the availability of a design studio which has leading technology and its own graphic art workshop. Communication and external relations, advice and the development of tourist products and services also appear among the activities of this company, which also offers image and sound services, and recently, publication. In both cases, the strong business synergies have driven the Group’s engagement in the fields of image and communication, and the training of professionals to the highest possible level. These activities have generated intense, close quality relationships.
Page 54- LETTER OF THE FIRST VICE-CHAIRMAN Dear ladies and gentlemen, In this second block of the annual report, you will find aspects related to the more corporate area of our group, such as corporate social responsibility, communication (above all internal), human resources and the environment. The financial section is also included with the details of the Grup SERHS’s economic activity this year, 2008. It is now a year since we started up the Strategic Plan of Corporate Social Responsibility, called “VALORS”, which is expected to be implemented in 2008-2011. This important strategic project of great magnitude is a qualitative and methodological improvement on the level of relationship with the whole team in our corporation, formed by an average 2,935 people on the payroll in 2008. A great job has been done on collecting information from all of the members of the group, with the key support of the new technologies and which has allowed all of the working profiles of SERHS to be structured with its dependencies and organisational functionalities. The first step in advancing towards conciliation was the preparation of the “Catalogue of measures for reconciling professional and family life” which came into force in January 2009. The Measures of Conciliation were divided on 4 levels depending on the seniority of each worker, and are organised according to the three considerations which each SERHS area of activity considered suitable. All of the requests are passed exclusively through the SERHS portal on the Internet. In the first months of operation, almost 100 people have turned to these measures, highlighting the flexible working timetable (for complete days) when coming into and leaving work. In this area, we must also mention the work done on the SERHS Welcome Manual, which is intended to rapidly and correctly integrate people who are forming part of our corporation for the first time. This procedure, which will be operative in the second half of 2009, is organised into three large blocks of action: human resources (personnel administration, prevention of labour risks...), social responsibility and marketing. The three blocks come together on the same point, largely thanks to the help of the new technologies, so that each worker might receive as much information as possible on their specific work post from the manager of each SERHS company, according to their profile and centre of activity. From our own origin as a co-operative service company 34 years ago, in which the people were key to the whole of the activity, we have always had this feeling of participation and belonging deep rooted in us. It is also very important in this area to make a balanced communication between what is effectively carried out and what is transmitted, as this is intimately related to the image of the company. This economic and financial information corresponding to the year closing at December 31, 2008, which we provide in the following, has been prepared from the accounting registers of Grup SERHS, S.A. and its dependent companies, in order to show the final image of the equity, the financial situation, and the results of the consolidated group. These consolidated figures are backed by the audit carried out by the company Faura-Casas Auditor-Consultors and, as is seen in their opinion which we attach further on, the annual accounts of 2008 express the true and faithful image of the equity and the financial situation of Grup SERHS and its subsidiaries, as well as the result of their operations. In this section, you will find the consolidated annual accounts of the Group, the financial statements (balance sheet and income statement), the auditors’ report, the consolidated information and different analyses of important aspects of the economic and financial situation. Jordi Bagó Mons, First vice-chairman and managing director of Grup SERHS
The Measures of Conciliation have been divided on 4 levels according to the seniority of each worker, and are organised according to the previous considerations which each SERHS area of activity considered suitable. All of the requests are made exclusively through the SERHS portal by Internet.
Page 56- CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF ORGANISATIONS TRIES TO RECONCILE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS WITH SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT. In 2008, and the “Valors” (values) Plan of Corporate Social Responsibility was put into operation. This plan attempts to reconcile economic growth and competitiveness with social development and improvement of the environment. Grup SERHS has always been especially interested in highlighting the features which have characterised its identity, and with this, the human side and social involvement it has had since it was founded. The design of the corporate social responsibility policy focuses on a mission and company values, with strategic objectives to be developed through two strategic plans: the Integral Plan of Human Resource Development and the Plan of Transversal Management of Quality Environment and Prevention of Labour Risks. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND ORGANIZATION CHARTS One of the first objectives and one of the most basic to be able to work on the INTEGRAL PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES has been to draw up a CATALOGUE OF WORK POSTS starting with the collaboration of all of the workers, who replied to a questionnaire describing work posts through the SERHS portal. This allowed 375 different work posts to be identified, as well as 9 different levels of responsibility. At the present time, each worker has his own work post description, which is hung on the SERHS portal, and therefore knows his functions and the level of responsibility which corresponds. The work post sheet includes: - Name of the post, level, area and department. - Hierarchical relations of the post - Jobs - Functional relations - Responsibility - Characteristics of the post - Knowledge and experience - Working conditions Alongside this, this catalogue of work posts was also used to update the group organisation charts. An organisation chart was designed for each area with its management committee and an organisation chart of each company, which can be accessed by all workers of the Group, regardless of the area and the company to which they belong, which allows all workers to be informed on the organisation of the Group. SERHS has started an important development project in this area, by promoting a Strategic Plan of Corporate Social Sponsor ability called “Valors”, which will be carried out in the next 4 years (2008-2011). Corporate and social responsibility CONCILIATION OF WORK AND FAMILY AT GRUP SERHS Concerned at improving the quality of life of its workers, Grup SERHS has drawn up a “Catalogue of Conciliation” for each business area, which includes a series of measures that derive in a system of leave for family reasons, both to attend infants or the elderly and dependent persons, and to create a more flexible structure and organisation in the working environment to allow men and women to combine their work with family and household responsibilities. The conciliation of personal, working and family life arises as a need to make work more compatible with the life of the families and to reply to the considerable increase in the number of women coming onto the jobs market. This commitment must involve the family, the company and society. The MEASURES OF CONCILIATION involve a process of transversal change in society; they contribute indirectly to improving the quality of life of the workers and to nurturing a business transformation which modifies the conventional work patterns. MEASURES OF CONCILIATION REGULATED BY LAW Maternity leave Flexibility of the maternity/paternity leave Compacting leave for breast-feeding Paternity leave Breast-feeding leave Reduction of the working day until the child is 8 years old Sabbatical
Page 59- WELCOME MANUAL In 2008 and the early months of 2009, the Grup SERHS Welcome Manual was drawn up to receive all of those starting their labour relationship in any of the companies of the corporation. This manual includes a procedure which will be operative in the second half of 2009 and is organised around three large blocks of action which coincide with corporate managements: human resources (personnel administration, prevention of labour risks, HR development...), social responsibility, and marketing and communication. The three blocks come together on the same point, which is the SERHS portal, largely thanks to the help of new technologies, for workers to receive as much information as possible on their post from the manager of each SERHS company, in accordance with their profile and centre of activity. In this sense, in addition to gathering a large part of the legal and regulatory documentation (contract and working calendar, technical material, training plan, conciliation catalogue, identity card, explanatory leaflet...) it is intended to be a useful tool to inform on the company and to offer the advantages and benefits of working in SERHS. At the same time, it is sought to encourage the involvement of each and every one of the workers in improving the working processes and techniques by providing ideas which the management teams and the chairman himself might evaluate and consider a very important asset for the necessary, constant improvement of our productive activities.
Page 60- SOCIAL POLICY 2008 Annual Family Program On the past September 3, 2008, 320 people gathered to celebrate the SERHS Family Day, an event where the help is given out which corresponds to the “Family Program 2008”, aimed at workers of the Grup SERHS. The event was held in Castell Jalpí, the headquarters of the corporation. Mr. Ramon Bagó, the chairman of Grup SERHS, handed out the different awards, which this time amounted to €42,000, 17% up on last year, when it was 36,000. This year, the provisions were increased for the three kinds of help given out each year: nurseries, school material and university grants, apart from the gift given each time to workers who have become parents, under the “Welcome Baby” campaign. A total 187 families received some help in this Families Program 2008, 82 more than last year, in an initiative which applies to one of the purposes of the programme recently started in the so-called “Valors” Strategic Plan of Corporate Social Responsibility. One of the aspects which backs this program is the human side and social policy, which are shown as one of the fundamental pillars of our corporation. SERHS considers the human team its main asset. A total 187 families received some help in this “Families 2008” Program, 82 more than last year.
Page 61- INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Communication between the company and its workers is basic for the good operation of the corporation of the size of Grup SERHS. This is why the Group is in favour of establishing fluid, two-way, open communication with all of the members who form part of the corporation, through the tools created specifically for this. The new SERHS site This is a new exclusive space for workers of the corporation (and which will soon be too for the shareholders) which is intended to be a valuable tool of internal communication with contents of interest to all people in Grup SERHS. The new portal has changed its design, but the part to be highlighted is the new appearance of many of the sections shown. The new portal has a larger content, more applications and more utilities. A great
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
effort has been made to improve the security systems by encrypting the data of all SERHS employees to allow personalised entry by all workers to their space on the portal, for among the outstanding developments of the portal there is the possibility of consulting and/ or printing out one’s salary in any place and at any time. For its part, the Human Resource Department has established the new Generic Training Plan for 2009, where it is possible to find a series of courses which everyone can consult and sign up for on the portal. With respect to the Corporate Social Responsibility Department, in the last year the Grup SERHS Catalogue of Conciliation of Working and Family Life was brought out, which includes a series of measures for Group workers. This catalogue may be entered only through the SERHS portal in the Valors Plan. Strategic layout. Internal communication in Grup SERHS As a result of the year of Internal Communication of 2008, and following the intended project of informing all of the Group workers of the importance of this tool, a strategic development has been carried out throughout the year in the Grup SERHS companies by Mr. Ramon Bagó, chairman; the corporate manager of Marketing and the person responsible for Communication in Grup SERHS. In addition to reporting the Internal Communication project and making a public presentation of the person responsible for linking the information between the Group and each company (called “corporate communicator”), these visits have a threefold intention. On the one hand, it is a question of establishing direct contact with the managers and personnel of each company, in order to increase mutual awareness, to be able to evaluate their work and to enhance the feeling of belonging to the Group. In second place, it is a question of informing everybody of the possibilities and advantages that Grup SERHS offers all of those who form part of the entity, such as the Families Program, the “Welcome Baby” campaign, the Magazine and its content, and of encouraging participation in the “ And you, how would you do it?” campaign, amongst others. And in the third place, it is a question of visiting the facilities and seeing the true situation and the future projects of each company, as well as the opportunities, threats, the development of business and the short and long-term objectives. In 2008 and the first half of 2009, a total 21 companies were visited with a staff of over 800 workers. SERHS Magazine Every quarter, Grup SERHS publishes an informative and disseminative magazine of the developments of the companies and the aspects of general interest for the whole of our group. With a circulation of over 6,000 copies, this year it has been published in Spanish due to the expansion of the companies of the Group to the rest of the state, apart from the Catalan edition which had been produced up to now. Workers, shareholders, collaborators, suppliers and customers become habitual readers of our magazine, which may also be consulted on the Web www.serhs.com, and on the Serhs portal by intranet, in an innovative technical format which enhances viewing and makes reading very pleasant. Other documents have also been adapted to this new system, such as this annual report which can be found on the corporate Web, and the internal Welcome Manual. Internal and external discounts with the SERHS card All of the workers and shareholders of Grup SERHS can benefit from the advantages and internal discounts offered by the Group in each of its areas. Discounts may be found on food and drinks products, travel, hotels, household items, insurance and computer products, and they also have access to permanent and sporadic external offers and advantages such as gymnasiums, dealers, medical and leisure centres. To be able to enjoy these discounts, the members of the Group must present their identity card. In 2008 there were more than 40 commercial agreements with external companies. Shareholders participation As a significant part of the social policy and the feeling of belonging to SERHS, the workers of the Group who so wish may benefit from advantages in financing the purchase of shares in our corporation. This allows them to make payment in several blocks without any kind of interest or fees, but still allows them to receive the dividends. Solidary agreements The Vicente Ferrer Foundation has received co-operation from Grup SERHS for many years. In 2008, a new agreement was renewed for a further 3 years (2008-2009-2010) with a total provision of 90,000 euros. SERHS began to co-operate in financing the maintenance of two primary education centres for girls with hearing and visual disability in Kanekal, in Anantapur, the southern region of India where the Foundation has worked for over 40 years to transform the reality of the most vulnerable communities living there. The Serhs Natal Grand Hotel in Brazil also carried out a series of social actions such as the so-called “Solidarity Chocolate” (photo 2), “Solidarity rain” and the “Hotel of Good” in order to help the disfavoured in its surroundings.
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VOLUNTARY MEASURES OF CONCILIATION OF GRUP SERHS Days for own affairs Continuous working day Compressed working week Availability of 2 afternoons / mornings for school meetings Extend the maternity/paternity leave by 1 week Flexible working timetable Reduced working timetable Compact and reduce the working day by 1 hour until the baby is 12 months old Extension of leave for care of relatives 2 weeks before the birth, working 75% of the day Time for personal matters Leave the work post to attend emergencies Day free on the day before the wedding Free afternoon on the child’s birthday Paid leave for attending dependent relatives Paid leave for fertility treatments or adoption processes Sabbatical
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Page 63- HUMAN RESOURCES
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Involvement with the people who form part of our Group has meant a constant search for teamwork, promoting greater active participation from one and all.
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The Grup SERHS team is formed by 2,935 people, 8% up on 2007, when it was an average 2,730. However, in the summer months, the time of maximum activity for our Group, the team easily exceeds 3,000 people. The following table shows the average team by areas, and it can be seen that all of the areas have increased the number of their personnel over last year. The areas with the largest payroll are SERHS Distribution (perishable and non perishable goods), due to the large number of stores and personnel involved above all in commercial attention and drinks distribution; and that of SERHS Foodstuff, given the considerable number of centres where the service is given. Training The training actions promoted by Grup SERHS revolve around sectorial specialisation and the development of human resources to suitably guide the professional needs of the corporation. The HR department this year started up the new SERHS Training Plan for 2008, which can be consulted through the SERHS portal (Human Resources>Training Plan). In this web section, the workers can find the courses planned for this year, classified in thematic areas: computer technology, personal skills, risk prevention, economy and finance, marketing and commercial. 2008 TRAINING PLAN GENERAL DATA TRAINING ACTIONS TRAINING GROUPS PARTICIPANTS TRAINING HOURS KIND OF TRAINING TOPICS CUSTOMER CARE, COMMERCIAL AND SALES BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCES CEDISERHS PRODUCTS MANAGEMENT ABILITIES TOURISM AND CATERING TRADE LANGUAGES COMPUTER SCIENCE LABOUR RISKS PREVENTION OTHER TECHNICAL TRAINING TOTAL
126 220 1.613 27,073 number 25 16 5 16 7 24 15 56 56 220
% 11% 7% 2% 7% 3% 11% 7% 25% 25% 100%
The training plan 2008 was well participated by workers (some taking part in more than one course). There were a total 1,613 pupils who refreshed their knowledge of a wide range of subjects such as the prevention of labour risks, customer attention, commercial and sales, languages, technical training depending on speciality, management and computer skills, over a total of 27,073 reading hours. 220 training groups were carried out, which is a 27% increase over last year. It is also important to highlight the increase in training actions, which have passed from 85 in 2007 to 126 this year 2008. The results are being highly satisfactory and very practical and allowed a know-how to be acquired which can be applied to our customers. The investment in training for 2008 was 300,000 euros. Selection 2008 was a year of changes for the personnel selection department, for due to a new focus it is no longer responsible only for advising the companies of the Group in this area, but rather deals with managing, coordinating and centralising the personnel selection services across the Group. These changes were shown in the following: - Consolidation of our employment exchange as a key tool to developing personnel selection, with an average registry of 150 candidates each month. - Incorporation of a new on-line portal for publishing our offers: Turijobs, through which we have received more than 8,023 candidatures. - Extension and diversification of relations with employment exchanges for all of the business areas of the Group. - Doubling of the number of selection processes with regard to 2007, with a total 172 applications. - 54% reduction of the mean time for closing the selection processes, at an average 39 days.
Agreements with several training centres in the Maresme and Barcelon茅s regions, establishing a practice program in different departments and/or companies of the Group. Presence in the most important Workshops of the sector: CETT, EUDHT, TURIJOBS and TURISPRO.
Page 65- SAFETY AT WORK To have suitable management of prevention and a good working climate is fundamental not only to guarantee working under safe conditions, but also to achieve cost reduction (absenteeism and sick leave). 2008 stood out for the continuous management and integration of labour risk prevention with the so-called Associated Prevention Service, which basically means that a group of companies share resources to have their own prevention service. The advantages of the associated prevention service are the planning and implementation of the most suitable preventive activities for the needs of the company, and more personalised advice for better knowledge of the organisation, the structure, the productive processes, etc. Furthermore, the department has centralised individual protection equipment purchases, which consisted of homogenising suppliers through the Grup SERHS portal by means of a collaboration agreement with the company Ariza Protecci贸n. The new tool (accessed through Serhs portal) came into operation in May 2009, and is exclusive for managing the choice, the purchase and the control of the cost of Individual Protection Equipment. The objective was, in the first place, in compliance with LPRL 31/1995 and R. D 773/1997 and 1407/1992: the choice of the protection equipment depending on the result of the risk evaluation; the choice by criterion and the advice of the prevention technician and the protection equipment must meet a series of specific conditions. In a second term, the objective was to reduce costs by controlling and avoiding the purchase of unnecessary and unsuitable material, by negotiating the best prices and discounts throughout the group, by avoiding time being wasted in travelling or other aspects when making the purchase. And in the third term, to facilitate management in the companies by unifying criteria in the choice by providing several models of suitable equipment; management of purchases of equipment for work with specific conditions and expense control for each cost centre. As a result of the association, the group recently achieved the first certification of legal audit in preventing Labour Risks. All companies adhered to the Associated Prevention Service have the legal obligation of having an audit of the Management System after one year. In the area of Services, this was done with the company G&C Auditores de Prevenci贸n, with a qualification of 75% of the requirements. Continuing with training, the Risk Prevention departments this year are responsible for training in our companies, with a total 30 courses. The training actions planned for Labour Risk Prevention are: first aid, load handling, emergency brigade training, accident investigation and even courses for stopping smoking. Finally, but no less importantly, the following table makes a comparison between the loss rate in 2008 and in 2007. A positive result is seen in the prevention being carried out in companies with regard to risk. The accident index fell by 2.36%.
Page 67- ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR HAS IN RECENT YEARS PASSED FROM BEING AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY TO BEING ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS IN THE COMPANY STRATEGY.
Page 69- ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT TRANSVERSE MANAGEMENT PLAN ENVIRONMENT In recent years, Grup SERHS has brought environmental protection criteria into the general management of its business within a general policy of corporate social responsibility, and assuming the part of responsibility which corresponds to it in preserving and improving the environment. In this sense, the Grup SERHS advances carefully and with determination along this long path to environmental accidents. In this respect, in 2008 a project is being drawn up which includes all of the areas and companies of the Group, in which the degree of legal compliance is evaluated with regard to the environment. At the present time, an evaluation has been made of the Areas of Distribution and Perishable Goods, Foodstuffs and Hotels. The aim of this project is to detect possible environmental deviations to be able to draw up a plan of corrective and preventive actions with a clearly defined objective: environmental protection. Alongside this, work is being done with the Hotels Area, and specifically with the Rural Villages, by carrying out an Environmental Improvement Plan, as the group has decided on the management
SERHS PROJECTS & EQUIPMENTS When this operative area is commissioned projects by hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and collectives, it offers advice for them to apply new systems which allow an improvement in the environmental policy. The main factors are focused on: Improvement of waste management: - Fat separators the kitchens - Functional designs to facilitate waste classification - Management and the evacuation during the work Improvement of the optimisation of energy consumption: - Rainwater recovery - Taps and cisterns which economise in the use of water - Low consumption electrical installations - Energy recovery SERHS FOODSTUFF Certifications The area of SERHS Foodstuff, which was ISO 14001:2004 certified years ago in environmental management has also passed the monitoring audits required by this regulation. The company has also passed the audit of the ISO 9001:2000 certification of the quality management system and the ISO 22000:2005 regarding the system for managing the innocuousness of foodstuffs. Waste management Each of the companies of the SERHS Foodstuff area manages its own waste according to the law on waste management. The objectives posed for 2008, which are currently under analysis, are the following at the present time: - 10% reduction of DQO (organic material) and oils/fats in the waste water. - Waste segregation: waste segregation (organic material, cardboard, packs, etc...) is applied either through suppliers approved by the government of Catalonia and/or other specialised entities. - Water consumption reduction by 1% over 2007. - Diesel consumption reduction by 5% over 2007. It must be said that all frying oil is collected by a company which turns it into bio diesel. There is also a larger capacity (1,000 litres) oil and fat decanter, for those we previously had were 250 litres. As in other years, environmental training has been given to all workers in the area.
SERHS TOURISM AND SERHS SERVICES The great introduction of new technologies and innovative communication systems in operative jobs has, on the one hand, involved the reduction above all of paper and, on the other, the sending of communiques by electronic mail and the creation of web portals. All of this has increased the speed of communications and improved energy expenditure. The following is promoted from these areas: - The introduction of technology to help meet the objective of the “paperless office”. - Carry out centralised recycling of any electronic equipment in all of the companies of Grup SERHS. - Recycling of paper, printer cartridges and toners, organising centralised collection with a certified, authorised company. - Both the new offices of SERHS New Technologies and the Data Processing Centre have rooms fitted out with programmed airconditioning and heating to guarantee a suitable temperature, but also to ensure energy savings whenever possible (we optimise energy consumption as far as possible). - The new Data Processing Centre was designed and built considering all of these technical and environmental parameters. - Intervention has begun on automation/domestic robotic projects, helping the rest of the companies of the Group to improve energy efficiency and therefore to optimise the expenditure. - Digital invoicing. This is a system for issuing and receiving invoices without having to print them out on paper. This new procedure achieves great savings in paper, and also speeds up and enormously simplifies company administration both in management time and sending costs, as this job is done by electronic mail. Communication via electronic mail is also enhanced, as well as the sending of multiple mails to workers and shareholders instead of letters, with the corresponding use of paper and energy consumption in transport. - Document digitisation. A document filing procedure which, instead of being physical with the corresponding need for space, becomes “virtual”. A system is therefore structured for organising the different subjects depending on the pertinent requirements of each type of document (reproduction of originals, legal considerations,...). In departments such as human resources of the Area of SERHS Servicios, the objective has been achieved of having (and storing) 90% of all new documentation in digital format. - Multifunction devices (equipment which bring different functions together in the same machine such as printers and fax together), and unified messaging via electronic mail are also the important aspects in these areas. SERHS HOTELS In order to develop their activity more sustainably and to include environmental criteria in their management and business culture, in 2008, the Rural Villages started a project along with a leading environmental consultancy of renowned prestige. The intention is to give the Vilars Rurals added value related to the environment and sustainability. As a first step, following these criteria, the Arnes Rural Village started up the Environmental Improvement Project in order to minimise waste, promote energy savings and control of CO2. It has a manual of good environmental practice prepared by the group of expert consultants which promotes the sensitisation of the workers of the Village with the directives established in this route sheet that must be followed.
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
SERHS DISTRIBUTION The distribution companies in the sector of hostelry and collectives carry out a function for the whole of society which is very positive on preserving the environment. The distribution of drinks in returnable and reusable containers (boxes or barrels) helps to reduce a very large volume of containers which would otherwise have to be collected by the municipal cleaning services to be sent to the disposal unit or, in the best of cases, to be recycled by means of selective collection. In recent years, it has been established as an internal rule of the area that all new commercial vehicles purchased must meet applicable community regulations concerning the reduction of polluting gases and particles, as required by article 41.1 of RD 283/2001. Since early 2007, the new lorries brought into the area have an auxiliary tank for a liquid called AdBlue which eliminates the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere. This is a clean, non-toxic solution of a chemical compound called urea. AdBlue can be handled safely. In recent years, a process has also been carried out to renew all of the forklift trucks in the stores, replacing the diesel trucks with electric ones, a cleaner energy which avoids gas emission in the stores.The companies of SERHS DISTRIBUTION have invested considerably in machines to press cardboard and plastic in order to compact all of this waste and send it directly to companies which recycle these kinds of materials. It has also been possible to improve the cleanliness and tidiness of the stores. The companies with their own mechanical workshop have an agreement with a waste manager by which they collect oils from the vehicles which are rich in sulphur, chlorine and metals, which therefore represent a considerable environmental risk. It is therefore avoided pouring used oils into the drains, flowing water or on to the soil. A single litre of used oil pollutes 1 million litres of water, or 5 litres of used oil pollute the air that a person breathes for three years.
The Area of Food Management and Production has a trained, professional quality department which establishes the steps to be followed in continuous innovation and search for knowledge of the new laws and regulations concerning the environment which are continually applied, renewed and/or modified. Therefore, all of the companies forming the area work to adapt the industries to the new environmental and health regulations. This is primordial for the area, not only as a concept but also as a work procedure, as it offers a high degree of professionalism and rigour as a competitive advantage. Energetic and polluting expenses management Furthermore, an important subject with a significant impact to be improved, and on which this area is making a great effort in finance and management, is the replacement of natural resources (natural gas) as energy consumption products, to the detriment of other more polluting products (gas-oil). Annual studies are made of energy consumption, and an evaluation is made to be able to improve production planning and therefore reduce costs. In order to anticipate the new legislation expected for the year 2010, at the present time the refrigeration gas used in the chambers is being replaced by one which complies with this regulation. Health at work A pause must be made on this aspect, for SERHS Foodstuff trains its team very strictly and continuously in salubrity and food hygiene, centre by centre. All of the workers have their corresponding individual protection equipment).
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model in which the environmental side is fully integrated into the normal, habitual operation of the activity. The final aim of the Environmental Improvement Plan is to achieve the Environmental Quality Guarantee Distinction awarded by the government of Catalonia, an environmental qualification which officially shows that our Villages have a smaller effect on the environment.
Grup SERHS annual report 2008
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Within this area, we must say that since November 2007, the area of Hoteles SERHS has dealt with managing and operating the different accommodation and restaurant areas of the Vall de Núria complex. This mountain resort has adopted an environmental management system based on the international ISO 14001. This is a tool whose main objectives are to continuously improve the system, prevent pollution and comply with current legislation. Its adoption allows all aspects of the activity to be included in its general management which might have some effect on the environment. Logically, the system is subject to periodical audits which enable the compliance of Vall de Núria with the commitments and principles of action to be shown transparently and objectively. The resort has an environmental management system certified by TÜV Internacional in 2001 which is renewable every three years. Vall de Núria declares and assumes its pact of harmony and integration with the environment and towards society. The environmental policy of Vall de Núria is based on preservation, conservation, improvement and respect for the environment and heritage, and is one of the main values and strategies of the company.
Page 74- CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL ACCOUNTS General explanation This economic and financial information corresponding to the year closing at December 31, 2008, which we provide in the following, has been prepared from the accounting registers of Grup Serhs, S.A. and its subsidiaries in order to show the true and faithful image of the equity, the financial situation and the results of the Consolidated Group. These consolidated figures are backed by the auditing of the company Faura-Casas Auditores-Consultores and, as revealed in the opinion which we attach further on, the annual accounts of 2008 expressed are the true and faithful image of the equity and financial situation of Grup SERHS and its subsidiaries, and the results of their operations. In this dossier you will find: GROUP CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL ACCOUNTS - Financial Statements (Balance sheet and Income Statement) - Auditors Report CONSOLIDATED INFORMATION Different analyses of important aspects of the economic and financial situation For the effects of drawing up the Annual Accounts of Grup SERHS, S.A. and subsidiaries (Consolidated Group), we must consider that the Group is made up of 78 active companies which, gathered in operative business areas, has the following composition: SERHS DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS SERHS TOURISM AND TRAVEL SERHS HOTELS SERHS FOOD MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION SERHS PROJECTS & EQUIPMENTS SERHS SERVICES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES SERHS REAL-ESTATE SERHS AFFIDAVIT AND PORTFOLIO
15 Companies 9 Companies 12 Companies 7 Companies 5 Companies 6 Companies 7 Companies 17 Companies
In 2008, the net variation of the companies comprising the consultation perimeter was of two companies. The companies Fruites Pàmies, S.L. (the company distributing fruit and vegetables, attached to SERHS Perishable Distribution) and Ecobegudes del Vallès, S.L. (the owner and operator of the hotel establishment SERHS Ski Port del Comte, attached to the area of Hoteles SERHS) were brought in. In application of current regulations, as a result of different participation percentages in the companies which form the consolidation perimeter, different consolidation procedures were used this year: GLOBAL INTEGRATION Method (Companies with a participation of over 50%). Consolidation method used in 2008 by all of the companies of the Group, mentioned above. PROPORTIONAL INTEGRATION Method (Compnies with a participation of 50%) The consolidation method used in 2008 to consolidate Serag Invest, SARL (a Moroccan company holding shares of different Moroccan companies in which the Group participates) EQUIVALENCE method (Companies with a participation between 20%-50%) Companies which have been consolidated by this method in 2008:
“Viajes Sol i Esquí, S.A.” (travel agency), “Rostoy Marroc, SARL“ (Moroccan company engaged in producing and distributing juices), “Express Voyage, SARL” (Moroccan travel agency) “Vila-40, S.L.” (real estate company) and “Baciverser, S.L.” (real estate company). The functional currency of the Group is the euro. As a result of the Group’s internationalisation process in recent years, Brazilian and Moroccan companies have been included in the consolidation perimeter and transactions have also been increased with foreign customers and suppliers using currencies other than the euro. This means that our Group now works with four different kinds of currencies: Euros (EUR).- The main working currency of our companies. Dollars (USD).- The currency with which some operations are carried out with countries outside the E.U. Brazilian Reales (BRL).- The main working currency of our companies in Brazil. Dirhams (MAD).- The main working currency of our companies in Morocco. The fact of working with different currencies and accounting criteria complicates the procedure of consolidation, as the financial statements have to be transformed into a currency other than the functional currency of the Group, which is the euro, which can cause conversion differences with repercussions on the equity and on the level of results of the year due to exchange differences in the transactions. This year, the New General Accounting Plan approved by RD 1514/2007 on November 16 was applied. The application of the criteria included in this new plan meant that, in accordance with general rules for application in the first year (first transitory provision), the opening balance sheet of 2008 was drawn up according to the following rules: All assets and liabilities were recorded whose recognition is required by the General Accounting Plan. All assets and liabilities were eliminated whose recognition is not allowed by the General Accounting Plan. The elements of equity have been reclassified in accordance with the definitions and criteria included in the General Accounting Plan. All of the elements of the equity were evaluated according to the rules included in the General Accounting Plan. The adjustments made to comply with the first application were passed against the voluntary reserves, in a specific caption named “result of the first application”. AUDITOR’S REPORT BALANCE SHEET PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT CONSOLIDATED INFORMATION