Import-Export
Autumn 2012 Andrius Nikitinas
Baltic American Clinic
The UK market attracts Lithuanian Exporters
Medical Tourism: will Lithuania become a part of it?
page 5
issue No. 42 Brits in Lithuania
Interview with Saulius Garbaravičius
Tony Wright
Global magazines with a local touch defied the crises page 6
page 7
page 10
Let’s spread the news! Trade with Lithuania
Ieva Binkauskaitė, Senior Trade Adviser, UK Trade & Investment, British Embassy Vilnius
The recent visit to Lithuania by Lord Green, the UK Minister for Trade and Investment, highlights how strong the trading relationship is between the UK and Lithuania. Lord Green was impressed to hear about the growth in the Lithuanian economy and said he believes that “Lithuania has a story to tell”. On his return to the UK, he ensured that UK industry heard the message that Lithuania is an attractive market for British businesses particularly SMEs. Despite our active Chamber of Commerce and its members, Lithuania, unfortunately, remains a little known market for British businesses. However, the news about Lithuania is spreading
Exporting People around the Globe their growth aspirations, but that lowering of the barriers also brings the problem of their talent leaving to go the other way!
Nick Price, CEO, Bright Purple Resourcing When we think of the import and export market, we generally associate it with products such as cars, food or materials, but the movement of people skills around the world is also a global business. The world is now a very small place and as connectivity gets faster, not only through technology but also transportation and especially air links, people are less concerned about taking a chance to move country or even continent’s in search of a new and more prosperous career or even change of lifestyle. Skilled people are in demand in every country around the world and every country suffers the same fate of skills shortages in specific sectors, whether that is a developing nation or an existing mature economy. It often surprises people to hear that global power houses like India, China or even the US have shortages of skills when you consider the sheer size of these nations manpower availability, but they do and in some business areas that shortage is chronic. They may have large populations, but the necessary skills and experience is a different matter and while shipping out well educated graduates from universities isn’t a problem for the likes of India or China, finding the people with the depth of knowledge to successfully deliver large projects, systems, or whatever certainly can be and even these super powers are importing skills to help their economies grow. Right now specialists in areas such as technology, energy, oil & gas, financial services, doctors and nurses and engineers can move freely around the world knowing they are in demand. The barriers to moving are low these days and countries understand that they need to make it easier for talent to come in to support
and trade links between the two countries are steadily growing. Since the beginning of 2011, there has been a steep increase in the amount of UK exports of
Lithuanian Cheese in the UK market: a dream or reality? export manager at “Žemaitijos pienas” about what's already been achieved in their UK export strategy, their future plans and what he finds most challenging about entering the UK market for a Lithuanian producer:
At Bright Purple we are part of that import and export chain, moving highly skilled people around the globe on a daily basis in the areas of technology, financial services and senior appointments. From our headquarters in Edinburgh and offices in London, Singapore and our latest operation in Vilnius we are working on numerous interesting assignments across various continents, answering the call from clients large and small, to secure ‘hard to find’ skills in a continuing global war for talent. You might think that in the worst global economic recession to have hit the combined countries of the world for many years, that the movement of talent isn’t such a big deal, you’d be very wrong. That war is raging and it shows no signs of slowing down and it will only get worse once the world economies stabilize and the next growth bubble begins its cycle. The world isn’t shut for business; it’s very much open and great skills and top talent remain in high demand and countries are willing to pay to get it. In the case of Lithuania, a nation with a strong desire to continue developing and keen to attract more International businesses to its shores, as well as expand its native companies, this war for talent and the freedom of movement of that talent will and is already bringing challenges regarding growth. Again it’s no different to any other developing economy, it’s attractive for many reasons but to sustain that growth you need skilled people, Lithuania need’s a conveyor belt of the best talent coming through with the skills the country requires in the sectors it is developing, you also need your young people fully engaged and not leaving the country, because they are the next generation of talent on the convey or belt or should be? However as shortages of skills bite, more often these days that talent may have to be imported in to the country to answer the immediate needs of the economy and that obviously brings financial implications. continued on page 4>
goods to Lithuania – in 2011, it grew by 18% and in the first 7 months of 2012, it has increased by an impressive 30%. Lithuanian companies are also hearing how attractive the UK is – imports from Lithuania are also increasing, by 37% in the 7 months half of this year. Exports and imports of services increased one and a half time. Where is this growth coming from? Companies are realising that to beat the tough economic realities, they must export goods and services to expand. continued on page 4 >
First of all, could you briefly tell us about SC “Žemaitijos pienas”? “Žemaitijos pienas” produces a wide range of dairy products. Each of them belongs to a certain group/brand depending on their characteristics: well matured - Džiugas; organic - Dobilas; desserts - Magija; healthy snack - Pik-Nik; Old traditions - Žemaitijos, daily - Lanku and the last one - Rambyno. When did you enter the UK market with Pik-Nik peelable cheese sticks and what was the most challenging issue you encountered? We entered the UK market with Pik-Nik 4 years ago. The first steps were small and slow. The most challenging thing was to pass the many audits carried out by the UK retailers and independent institutions but our production team was ready for that and we succeeded. The food industry in Lithuania is something this country should be proud of. There are over 400 companies engaged in the food processing industry, where rapid growth of innovative companies and long-standing traditions in this sector make most of them succeed not just in the local market, but also in foreign markets. It must be so challenging for Lithuanian food producers to enter the UK market and compete in it with the enormous amount of suppliers from all over the world, but as it turns out, it’s not mission impossible. One of the largest milk processing companies in Lithuania “Žemaitijos pienas”, member of the BCC Lithuania, is successfully selling their branded Pik-Nik peelable cheese sticks in the UK’s giant supermarkets “Tesco”, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons and it has plans for further expansion into the market. The company is intensively working on their even more ambitious plans to introduce ripen cheese “Džiugas” to the UK, and at the same time to challenge the consumers in their abilities to pronounce this new Lithuanian brand name. We are talking to Audrius Staponkus, the brand's
Who are the consumers of Pik-Nik in the UK and what’s the size of your Pik-Nik exports to the UK market? The primary consumers are children, they eat peelable cheese during their lunch break at school. The most attractive is twisted cheese with carotene for them. It’s a source of vitamin A too. Did you have to adopt the branding, packaging, etc. specially for the UK market? Yes, it’s not enough to have a high quality product, the package influences the sales I would say by 50%. Many discussions and a great deal of market research was carried out in order to prepare the package for the UK customer's needs. Could you perhaps share with our readers how close Džiugas cheese is to entering the UK market? Is it nearly there and how are you going to make the consumers in the UK pronounce the brand name? continued on page 4 >
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
2 Members’ Discount Scheme Updates
From the Chairman 40% of total exports between 1936-1938. It was equally true during the soviet period when Lithuania‘s factories produced, amongst other things, consumer goods for the whole USSR market.
Chris Butler, Chairman of the Board, BCC Lithuania
As a member of the British Chamber of Commerce and BCC Membership Card holder you can benefit from the following discounts and special offers: AVIS rent a car – 25 % discount for short-term rentals within Lithuania and the Baltic states; special quotes for outbound and chauffeur drive rentals; tailor-made full leasing and fleet management offers; corporate Charge and Avis Preferred cards. Please note that these discounts are only valid when making direct orders through the AVIS Lithuania office. Ąžuolyno klinika, a private hospital – 15% discount for medical consultations Baltic American Medical & Surgical Clinic – 10% discount for all medical consultations Baltic Surveys – 10% discount for market research services in the Baltic states Best Western Hotel Vilnius – 10 % discount from the best available rate for accommodation and 10 % discount from the A la Carte Menu. Biuro Pasaulis – 22% discount for stationery Bunnahabhain – 20 % discount for Bunnahabhain; 10 % discount for other products. Discount is valid only at the Wine Boutique (Gero vyno parduotuve) in Subaciaus St. 2, Vilnius and NEW boutique in Jasinskio st. 16, Vilnius Calenberg – 15 % discount for local and international moving, relocation and transportation services for private and corporate accounts Cormack Consultancy Baltic LT Ltd: 15% discount for market research, export strategy, partner search services in the Baltics, Russia, India, Italy and the UK Danske Bank A/S Lithuania branch – Bank will be paying 1 ON VILIBOR-0,2 % or 1 ON LIBOR-0,2 % interest for deposits. Delta Management Solutions – FREE Recruitment; FREE Replacement; ZERO Admin Fee for 1st Month (Waived) for Temporary Staffing Services. Finreda – 10 % for corporate, accounting, audit organisation, legal, financial, tax and business consulting, and translation services Fiorentino Restaurant – 15 % discount on prices from Restaurant menu (Dish of the day, catering and events services are excluded from this offer) Hotel Vanagupė (Eskom, UAB) – Hotel Vanagupe & Amber SPA ( UAB Eskom) – 20 % discount of rack rates for accommodation in the hotel; 10% discount on food and beverages in the hotel restaurant, terrace and bar; 10% discount for SPA procedures ISM - 5 % for the open-programs (seminars, academies, long-term trainings) Kaunas Airport – you can use Kaunas Airport long term parking without any restrictions and at the end of the month you will receive an invoice with a 20 % discount. No cash, queues, paper tickets or special codes – car plate number is your ticket!
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Import-Export
Kernaves Bajoryne, Conference and Leisure Centre – Free use of the outdoor tennis court facilities, 10% discount on guest houses for double rooms and separate wooden houses, 10% discount on events and 10% discount on saunas. Le Meridien Vilnius Hotel – 20% discount for “Green fee” at the V Golf Club; 10% discount for one time entrance to the Health Club + SPA Oasis; 15% discount for 3, 6 and 12 month Health Club + SPA Oasis memberships; 20% discount for combined Golf + Health Club + Spa “Oasis” Membership. 15% discount in restaurant “Le Paysage”; 10% discount from the best available rates of accommodation. London International School of Languages - 15% for all our services and an initial promotional class or consultation for free Montessori pre-School of Vilnius – 5% discount to BCC members for their children preschool tuition! Give your child the right head start!
And it remains true today. However the challenges facing independent producers should not be underestimated. Firstly there is opening the door in the first place. How to find open, reliable channels into the market that you are trying to penetrate? Then there is the problem of scale. Most Lithuanian producers are extremely small in world terms. How can they scale up to be able to meet the demands of large, demanding, UK purchasers?
Welcome to the autumn edition of the BCC Paper. The theme of this edition is Export-Import, a subject which goes right at the heart of the economy of Lithuania. I have probably said the same thing many times before but it still bears repeating - for a small country like Lithuania with few natural resources almost all economic activities involve some form of import or export. Importing raw materials for the production of finished goods is one of the few ways in which Lithuania can add value in the economic chain. The need for businesses to then export the resulting product is also more than clear, given that with a small domestic market producers will never achieve proper economies of scale. Lithuania can do this because of the excellent price-quality equation of its workforce combined with its attractive location and well developed logistics. This is something that has been understood by Lithuanian business for as long as there has been modern economic activity in the country. It was true during the first period of independence between the wars when agricultural produce (mainly pork and butter) was the main export good – and, as I never tire of telling people, the UK was the largest export market, taking above
Then there is the problem of branding. Plenty of Lithuanian producers are able to act as outsourcded production units for large, wellknown companies. But how can Lithuanian companies become known in their own right for their own branded products? As we all know, in today‘s world much of the value of a product now lies in its branding, everything else can be very quickly commoditised. BCC member „Žemaitijos pienas“ is showing that it can be done - with its cheeese stick brand Pik-Nik it is selling to Tesco, Sainsbury‘s, Asda and Morrisons and hopes subsequently to introduce Džiugas cheese. Sadly, such examples remain relatively few. Still, Lithuania‘s competitive advantage as an export-import country is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, and it therefore remains for business both local and international, to make use of that advantage. It will be to their benefit as well as to that of the Lithuanian economy.
Motieka & Audzevičius, Law firm – free of charge first consultation for BCC members ODONTIKA, Dental surgery – 15% off all treatment & 5% off prosthetic work Publicum – 10% for all services and free of charge first consultation! Radisson BLU Astorija hotel – 10% discount for official accommodation rates Radisson BLU Hotel Lietuva – 10% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks in the Riverside restaurant, Lobby Bar and Skybar; Special accommodation offers at Radisson BLU Hotel Lietuva, as well as REZIDOR Group hotels worldwide.
The BCC Paper is a quarterly English language newspaper, with a print run of 4000 copies per issue, covering a wide variety of subjects related to business between the UK and Lithuania. Every edition focuses on a different business sector. It also provides an outlet for the chamber and its members to publish their latest news and offer their professional views on current political, economic, European and cultural topics. The paper is widely circulated: available from Lithuania’s two main airports, business centres, hotels and the UK and Lithuanian embassies, in addition to being sent to all BCC members and business contacts, meaning it offers premium advertising space to companies wishing to engage with the Lithuanian business community.
www.duliuksa.lt
British paint in Lithuania – high perception and sales growth As the EU still remains an important market for the UK, the feeling is that quite often the Baltic countries are not being explored well enough. The Lithuanian market for example is friendly and open for British products. British brands are often well accepted by local consumers for their high quality. Just to send a positive message across to the British business and also gently remind them not to skip Lithuania from their list of potential business markets within the EU, we’re talking to the Lithuanian company UAB “Duliuksa”, one of the country's largest importers of paint, successfully operating in Kaunas since 2005. We are curious to find out more about imported British products and how well they are received in the Lithuanian market: Could you please briefly introduce UAB “Duliuksa”, its main activities and services in Lithuania? Duliuksa is a private, family owned business importing and distributing mainly British and Irish Paints and sundries through their own shops in Kaunas and Vilnius and also through a network of carefully selected retailers throughout Lithuania. We have been handling paints for 7 years and are happy to say that the quality and level of support we have received from our partners has enabled us to increase business year on year over this 7 year period.
Shakespeare Boutique Hotel – 20 % discount for Shakespeare Hotel accommodation; - 15 % discount on all regular priced menu items in Sonnets Restaurant and The Globe Bar.
Next publication date: December 2012
Tell us about how your company first became involved with British paint exporters. How many British brands are you working with and why did you choose them?
BCC paper team:
We work with approximately 10 UK and Irish brands and are continually looking to
AB Ūkio Bankas – special fees for BCC corporate members holding account with the bank. Private members can apply for a set of bank cards using this special offer: a MasterCard Standard including insurance plus a special debit card (Maestro/VISA Electron or Maestro Zalgiris) and a virtual MasterCard card for safe internet purchases - all for a price of one card and no need to pay service charges during the first year.
Editor in Chief – Chris Butler Editor – Alistair Day-Stirrat – Alistair.Day-Stirrat@odontika.com Publisher – Geoffrey Cohn – Geoffcohn4747@msn.com Members section - Jurga Prakapaitė, e-mail: jurga@bccl.lt , advertising – Sandra Kundrotė, e-mail: Sandra@bccl.lt , tel. +370 5 2690062 Proofreading – Shaun Harvey
Advert sizes and prices Prices Size
Size mm
BCC Member rate
BCC Non member rate
VARUL, Law firm - free of charge first consultation; 10 % discount for all services
Back page 1000 cm²
273x366
1250 LTL
363 €
1560 LTL
453 €
Full page right 1000 cm²
273x366
1125 LTL
326 €
1400 LTL
405 €
Vinkleris and partners, Law firm – 25% discount for the services, no hourly charge, special priority while providing service.
Full page left 1000 cm²
273x366
1000 LTL
300 €
1250 LTL
363 €
½ page 129 cm²
133x368
700 LTL
210 €
850 LTL
256 €
½ page 129 cm²
273x183
700 LTL
210 €
850 LTL
256 €
1/3 page 326 cm²
273x119
420 LTL
130 €
600 LTL
180 €
1/3 page 326 cm²
133x245
420 LTL
130 €
600 LTL
180 €
Small 129 cm²
273x47
200 LTL
65 €
300 LTL
95 €
Small 129 cm²
133x97
200 LTL
65 €
300 LTL
95 €
Small 129 cm²
63x200
200 LTL
65 €
300 LTL
95 €
When contacting the companies, please indicate that you are a BCC member, provide your company name and BCC Membership Card number. For more detailed information about special offers & discounts please visit our website www.bccl.lt
For further information or to book your ad space, please contact the chamber: Tel. +370 (5) 269 00 62/84, e-mail: Sandra@bccl.lt
add to this range. We identified a demand for high end paints in the Lithuanian market and found that British products were well respected and were acceptable to the Lithuanian requirements. We knew the product sectors we needed and found partners by attending exhibitions in Lithuania, The Baltic region and UK and also found that finding one partner led to recommendations of other suppliers from the UK. It is not unusual to think of the Baltic States as being too small a market for larger (western) exporters. What could you say about the paint market situation in Lithuania? Is it a valuable market for British products? British products and their quality are well accepted here in Lithuania and supplying the market is relatively easy for British companies as fellow EU members. Yes, the market here is not as big as many others
but we tend to select partners in the SME sector who are comfortable with the type of volumes that we can achieve. We also try to make the process as easy as possible and are comfortable holding all negotiations in English and tend to deal on an Ex Works basis so that the whole process of supplying products to us is quite simple. It is well known that the construction sector in Lithuania faced enormous financial difficulties during the crisis a few years ago, what was your business situation in terms of paint sales? What helped you to overcome this difficult economic period? Businesses involved in new construction projects certainly suffered and business in this sector collapsed. However, our products are also used in the refurbishment of buildings too and we found that an increasing number of people are renovating rather than buying new. Also, we started
from quite a small market share so gaining new business was possible by offering alternatives with high performance and cost effective solutions. Do British products have anything exceptional about them in comparison with other foreign exporters in the Lithuanian paint market? Would you recommend them and why? British products are well received in Lithuania and the general perception is that buying British guarantees a level of quality. We believe that Britain shares a very similar climate to Lithuania and so products have been formulated for conditions not too far from our own. We find that as well as the quality the packaging is well accepted with clear indications of what a product can do. We also find British companies very open and good partners to deal with. prepared by Sandra Kundrotė, BCC Executive Director
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
4
Import-Export Let’s spread the news! Trade with Lithuania
< continued from page 1
UK exports of Goods to Lithuania £264 million in 2011.
UK imports of Goods from Lithuania £558 million in 2011.
Major product groups:
Major product groups:
• Industrial machinery and appliances, office machines, telecommunication and sound recording equipment (20.7%) • Textile fibres, yarns, fabrics, made up articles (15.9%) • Organic chemicals (12.4%) • Transport vehicles (9.5%) • Plastics and chemical materials and products (6.6%) • Professional, scientific & controlling instruments (5.7%) • Electrical machinery and equipment (4.4%) • Food and beverages (3.7%) • Medical and pharmaceutical products (2.9%) • Essential oils and perfume materials, toiletries (1.7%)
• Petroleum, petroleum products & related materials (24.8%) • Fertilizers (17.5%) • Furniture (11.5%) • Articles of apparel and clothing (7.4%) • Feeding stuff for animals (7.2%) • Food and beverages (5.2%) • Metal ores& scrap (3.2%) • Cork & wood manufacturers (excluding furniture) (3.1%) • Professional, scientific & controlling instruments (2.5%)
The birthplace of the Industrial revolution is still a strong industrial manufacturer. A quarter of British exports to Lithuania were industrial machinery, telecommunication equipment and electrical machinery. UK manufacturing brands such as Range Rover, Jaguar and Mini Cooper, are seen across Lithuania. Marks & Spencer, Next, Mothercare, Karen Millen and Jaeger are just some of the stylish British brands that you will see in the shopping centres of Vilnius and beyond. The British textile industry is also investing here – realising that it isn’t just price that consumers are interested in, but also quality. Unlike some other markets, Lithuania can provide both. One of the Chamber’s members, Camira Fabrics, has been particularly pleased with their investment in Lithuania. A number of high street brands are tailoring their clothing in Lithuania. Two of the world’s global pharmaceutical giants, GSK and Astrazeneca are British and are wellestablished in Lithuania. There has also been the recent arrival of Boots Alliance, who has stepped into the market through acquisition of one of the major pharmaceutical wholesalers in Lithuania. The UK and Lithuania are actively trading in professional, scientific & controlling instruments. The UK exports to Lithuania are almost equal to UK imports of such products. While Lithuanian science and research laboratories are being filled with British equipment, UK benefits from Lithuanian lasers. The trade in food and beverages is growing in both directions. There is an increasing variety of British food exported to Lithuania. British sauces,
Source of information: BIS Analysis of HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics
confectionery, tea, spice, and cheeses are available in Lithuanian supermarkets. Exports of British beverages to Lithuania increased more than twice in 2011. However imports of Lithuanian food and beverages are growing even faster and are three time bigger than exports. The trend is a reflection of the growing number of Lithuanians living in the UK. Lithuania is also an attractive location for UK service providers Barclays IT centre, Call Credit service centre and Bright Purple resourcing were set up over the last few years to name a few.
Exporting People around the Globe < continued from page 1
Here in my own country of Scotland, we have the same people issues, the same skills shortages and an issue of talent leaving the country due to a perceived lack of opportunity or bigger earning potential, with the bright lights and big money of London being one such destination on the doorstep for Scots talent. So our operation in Scotland is not only helping to export talent across the world, it’s also consistently working on attracting talent in to our own country. As with Lithuania, we are also trying to bring our people home, to bring the skills they have learned from their International experiences and to play their part in helping to grow the economy of their homeland, sometimes it works but it’s not the long term answer, because the numbers returning are smaller than the demand and it will be the same for Lithuania. Scots and their skills are also in high demand across the globe, taking their extensive knowledge in sectors such as oil & gas, medicine and finance to the wealthy Gulf States, Asia, and South America and also now to answer the explosive growth prospects of the African nations. As an example of this from our Edinburgh HQ we have recently successfully delivered specific financial talent to
We want to spread this news further. So if you are a UK company, who wishes to grow faster, contact the UK Trade and Investment team at the British Embassy in Vilnius, who have significant experience of assisting UK companies, and even those new to exporting, to enter the Lithuanian market. We can help by carrying out tailored market research, finding partners, organising business meetings, organising launches, and providing PR services. Remember we also help UK companies already established in the market to grow further. And if you are a UK company looking to import Lithuanian goods, the Chamber Membership is likely to have a company that can meet your needs.
projects in the Sudan and Botswana. These new, wealthy, fast growing economies that need talent and experience are willing to pay a high price to get it and while they sometimes come with certain risks and dangers, they still represent an example of the challenges smaller, developing economies face to also attract top talent in to their markets.
I would be more pleased to invite you to the Džiugas House opening event in the UK next year, rather than speaking about the plans now.
The market studies are hugely important in achieving successful sales. The studies are in a process and we don’t have the results yet.
REGARDING FOREIGN TRADE BETWEEN LITHUANIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
Medical equipment. In 2011, the • United Kingdom was the country's main export market for medical equipment produced in Lithuania, and the cost of Lithuanian medical equipment exported to the United Kingdom reached LTL 51.7 million or 31.3 % of the cost of all exported Lithuanian medical equipment. In 2011, the United Kingdom was the eighth largest export market of Lithuanian food products, and the cost of Lithuanian food products exported to the United Kingdom reached LTL 159.8 million or 3.7 % of the cost of all exported food products.
Andrius Nikitinas, Commercial attaché in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In Lithuania, you’ve been opening a number of nice cheese houses. Are you thinking of expanding this idea to the UK and if so, perhaps you could share a bit on this one?
How would you describe the target Džiugas cheese consumer in the UK market? Have you done any studies on this yet?
and communicate with purchasers (i.e. the necessity for company heads to communicate with clients, especially when it is problematic, would vanish). The knowledge of the English language and the local market and constant market monitoring would lift sales professionalism to a higher level and help sell production for higher prices.
People and skills are very much part of the import and export agenda on a global scale and Bright Purple are very much in the thick of the action.
< continued from page 1
Džiugas cheese is much harder than Pik-Nik and harder in sales too. The combination of letters Džiugas sounds strange to UK customers, because its new, I think. But in general, there are no problems regarding pronunciation – all these letters exist in the English language except "ž" and customers can pronounce the name Džiugas.
The UK market attracts Lithuanian Exporters
My Bright Purple team in Vilnius are also getting used to the experience and global phenomena of the talent war, supporting our operations around the world helping to source talent for projects around the world. They are also successfully engaged in working to bring Lithuanian talent home and that search has taken them in to conversations across the many countries that are now home to expat Lithuanian talent. I know how satisfying it is for my team here in Scotland to bring Scots home and I have seen the pleasure it has given my team in Lithuania to do the same, bringing their people home.
Lithuanian Cheese in the UK market: a dream or reality?
The UK imports many other products from Lithuania including petrochemical products supplied by local oil refinery Orlen Lietuva which makes one quarter of total imports from Lithuania. Other imports include fertilizer, feed stuff for animals and an increasing amount of furniture and other manufactured wood products.
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Recently, Džiugas Cheese took part in the International Cheese Awards, held in Nantwich (UK) and came back with several awards. Could you please tell us more about that, explaining what concrete "Džiugas" brand developments helped you to succeed? As I have already explained about Pik-Nik cheese – it’s not enough to have a good product, the packaging and presentation have a big influence on sales too. We launched the new package for Džiugas this year. The Gold and Silver Awards received for Džiugas' packaging and for cheese quality at the International cheese awards in the UK was the most amazing event of the year for me. Prepared by Sandra Kundrotė, BCC Executive Director
Lithuanian production is gradually gaining popularity in Great Britain and attracting the attention of smaller companies as well as of major and well-known trade networks offering high quality products. Negotiations are currently ongoing between Lithuanian companies and the major British supermarket chain Tesco. The company has addressed the Commercial Attaché in London with regard to the possible supply of goods. After the initial contact, Tesco's inquiry was transferred to the public institution Enterprise Lithuania and it is currently cooperating while searching for Lithuanian products that meet the necessary standards. Analysis of one dairy product being exported to Great Britain shows a clear increase in demand in the past 2 years. Over this period, the producer's turnover increased by 360%. This increase was not only related to increased awareness of the product's trade mark but also to the rise of the Pound in relation to the Lita. The rise of the currency has improved conditions for Lithuanian companies in Great Britain: since last September, the pound has risen rapidly, achieving as much as a 17% rise in this period. „Enterprise Lithuania“ 5 Contact Service does not lag behind. Several weeks ago, one Lithuanian flour production company was submitted with a list of five companies in Great Britain interested in cooperation. In the first half of 2012, a service with one Lithuanian furniture manufacturing company was accomplished. The company had meetings with seven companies from Great Britain ranging from a designer to a major construction company organized in line with the company’s request. In the space of a week, the representatives of the company had visited London, met with representatives of English companies and presented their work as well as discussed future projects. Moreover, agreements have been signed and work with Lithuanian companies searching for contacts and partners in IT, construction, publishing, food and other sectors has continued. Apart from the above companies, an additional six companies are being evaluated and are waiting to sign agreements. It is not the first case of a huge trade network addressing the Lithuanian Commercial Attaché in London with a request to provide information on Lithuanian production. The same request was submitted by the trade network Lakeland in spring. It is a chain with 57 shops in Great Britain selling household and other non-food products. After the Commercial Attaché’s visit to the main office of Lakeland in Windermere,
Cumbria, the director of the network, Martin Reyner, arrived in Lithuania and started his cooperation with the public institution „Enterprise Lithuania“ with regard to further actions seeking to encourage production from Lithuania. The British market attracts the attention of Lithuania as well as of Lithuanian companies: – Durable positive balance of trade between Lithuania and the United Kingdom. Even without the sale of oil products, the trade balance remains positive; – The market is big and versatile; – The purchasing power of the market is huge; – The English language – communication acceptable for the majority of Lithuanian enterprises; – Big diaspora – possibilities for first sales, establishment in the market, marketing by “word of mouth”; – Big diaspora – possibilities for hiring Lithuanian shop assistants with a perfect perception of the market. Such shop assistants may increase sales to a large extent, especially in the B2B segment. Lithuanian enterprises should use this possibility to a larger extent. In terms of the distance, the United Kingdom is in the second Circle of Export Markets. The first circle, especially SME is approximately 1,000 km far from Lithuania. Such a distance facilitates the management of operations, ensuring a higher level of business control. It is a natural step of companies expanding their business and entering new markets. According to our SME Export structure, these are the Scandinavian States, the Baltic States, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Germany. When expanding and searching for new markets, companies naturally enter the second circle – another 1,000 km. This circle embraces France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and eastern states of the former USSR. France is considered to be the most problematic market due to language barriers. The United Kingdom has the above mentioned advantages in terms of the language and diaspora. A great number of Lithuanian enterprises may hire local Lithuanians thus diversifying their Export markets. By applying a good motivational system, locally hired Lithuanians could make a greater contribution to the work of Lithuanian companies than the current labour in the Export markets. At present a great number of Export activities and negotiations are performed via electronic mail, phone conversations and ad hoc visits. Companies’ own representatives in an importing state may sell the exported products for better prices; they will always be next to decision makers, make faster decisions
The United Kingdom is an important trade partner for Lithuania, and in 2011 the United Kingdom occupied the sixth position according to the export of production of Lithuanian origin: 5.8% of all production of Lithuanian origin was exported. In 2011, 1.6% of Lithuania's exports came from the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom was the fifteenth largest exporter to the Lithuanian import market. In 2011, mineral fuel occupied the major share of products of Lithuanian origin exported to the United Kingdom. Prospect Sectors: Fertilisers. In 2011, the United Kingdom • was the third largest export market for fertilisers, and the cost of fertilisers exported to the United Kingdom reached LTL 364.6 million, or 11.3% of the cost of all exported Lithuanian fertilisers. Furniture. In 2011, the United Kingdom • was the fourth largest export market of Lithuanian furniture, and the cost of Lithuanian furniture exported to the United Kingdom reached LTL 262.5 million or 8.3 % of the cost of all of all exported furniture. Apparel. In 2011, the United Kingdom • was the second largest export market of apparel produced in Lithuania, and the cost of Lithuanian apparel exported to the United Kingdom reached LTL 126.6 million or 17.5 % of the cost of all of all exported apparel.
Export of services: Transport services. In 2011, LTL 220.4 • million or 66.1 % of all export of services to the United Kingdom was the export of transport services. In 2011, the United Kingdom was the eleventh largest export market for transport services: 2.9% of the total cost of all Lithuanian transport services was exported. Niche IT solutions. In 2011, in com• parison with 2010, the export of IT services to the United Kingdom increased by 100.4% to LTL 5.5 million. In 2011, the United Kingdom was the eighth largest export market for IT services: a total of 4.0% of the cost of all exported Lithuanian IT services was exported. Scientific research services. • • Tourism • Scientific cooperation between Lithuania and the United Kingdom should be promoted.
Q1 2011 Q2 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2011 Q1 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
6
Import-Export
Medical tourism - will Lithuania become a part of it?
Global magazines with a local touch defied the crises
Prepared by Baltic American Clinic Lithuania is becoming more and more attractive to foreigners. This is obvious from the number of groups of people speaking different languages and taking pictures on each corner, booked into downtown restaurants, the full sightseeing buses and of course the happy faces of hospitality service providers. But let’s not forget one more serious beneficiary – private health care providers, as for some time already there have been a number of tourists visiting our country for special “medical” reasons.
higher demand for magazines? How were these magazines met in the local market? In past five years newspaper circulation around the world fell almost twice ‘‘ it is obvious that this format after glorious life ‘‘ becoming history. I’m not saying that in few years newspapers will extinct and magazines will triumph, but there will be more room for magazines and other media for sure. The material content of a magazine such as TOP GEAR is it adapted for the Lithuanian market?
Do we really have anything to offer to patients willingly coming here for medical treatment? Here are the facts:
• much lower prices for all kinds of medical services (medical examinations, insemination procedures, giving birth, all kind of surgeries including plastic corrections, rehabilitation and different health strengthening procedures, etc.); up to date medical equipment together with EU level quality healthcare, including ISO quality certifications and international recognition;
•
highly qualified and attentive medical staff, speaking multiple languages (English, Russian, etc.);
•
well developed patient-oriented service with no waiting in lines for consultations; an attractive geographical location.
So isn’t it the best value for money? Of course it is easier to say than to do. Our healthcare providers will not manage to work on to the paths of medicine tourism on their own. Government level help to make Lithuania as attractive as other EU countries is much appreciated, as people all over the world need to have enough information about their potential point of destination. Only once this is the case will they consider our country as an equal partner on the map of choices for medical treatment abroad. The statistics show that Lithuania is popular among medical tourists coming from neighboring Eastern European countries, Scandinavia as well as older members of the EU. Luckily for us we may have even more patients from all over Europe in the very near future. It is important to emphasize
In order to gather as wide reader audience as possible It is absolutely necessary to adapt content for any market. We took those brands, because they are best in their segments, but we invested a lot into our local editorial teams, not only to properly convey that amazing content, but also to create not worse local one.
Saulius Garbaravičius, chairman of SC Baltic Media:
•
•
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Import-Export
that EP together with the Council have issued new directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (2011/24/EU). All member States will have to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 25 October 2013. It means we still have at least a year to go to create the legal framework. The positive effects that Lithuania can receive (not only medical tourism will expand but the whole public sector will benefit) are already in the air so we should do what it takes to establish Lithuania as a centre for medical tourism. The General Manager of the Baltic-American Medical & Surgical clinic Mrs. Inga Malinauskiene says: “Lithuania has a strong advantage among other EU countries because of its low prices and high quality of services. The flow of Foreign patients shows that our private medicine has the potential to grow especially if we take it seriously from the
bottom, I mean the national level. Lithuania still has a long way to go to create a positive image of the country, to persuade the international community that our country is a safe and high quality medical services provider. A part of the job is done by those tourists who come to visit our county and under different circumstances have to receive unplanned medical help. I believe most of them present a positive experience when they return back home. But we are happy that pre-arranged medical treatments for foreigners are becoming more and more common. The Baltic-American clinic performs all the medical services provded by a hospital, but the most popular procedures among medical tourists are pregnancy control and giving birth, newborn care, infertility treatments, different surgeries as well as plastics and reconstructive corrections and rehabilitation after diseases or traumas. It is encouraging that after successfully completed treatments patients come back to the
Baltic-American clinic again and again. We are proud to deliver high quality Western style health care in Lithuania and patients surrounded with care and comfort value that. ” So if we really want to go this way, to maximize the benefits from the opportunities offered by the Directive and to attract additional resources to the health sector it is necessary to give even more attention to the quality, safety, transparency and the accessibility of medical services. The topic on medical tourism will be more and more relevant: articles from different perspectives will be published, institutions will create systems, rules etc, different committees will be created but let’s hope all this will really work in practice and we will see Lithuania becoming a strong competitor for old Europe in the nearest future. May each new day find you healthy and happy!
KYe]w<ay Crowns, Bridges On-lays, In-lays & Veneers
Our onsite milling technology now offers one-visit dentistry
3 years ago “SC Baltic Media”, owned by BCC member Scaent Baltic, enriched the local media market by launching a couple of British media products in Lithuania. The appearance of monthly magazine ‘‘IQ’’, which publishes selected articles from ‘‘The Economist’’ in Lithuanian and ‘‘Intelligent Life’’s’’, the magazine of the ‘‘The Economist’’group were welcomed with high amount of interest. The Business community then praised the owners for taking such a brave step – to invest in Media products, when economic slowdown was just showing its first signs here in Lithuania. But they survived and not just survived, but are now publishing “The Economist: World in”, Top Gear and L’Officiel magazines additionally. What’s more, recently launching in Latvia and Estonia and have got even more plans to expand. So what is the key to success and how come that these days when printed media tends to shift to electronic, someone believes that investing in this sphere might be beneficial, we’re asking Saulius Garbaravičius, great fan of media business and chairman of SC Baltic Media: Saulius, could you please tell us what is inspiring about media business to you personally? Changes. It is absolutely exiting time to be in media business. Internet, new customers behaviour, globalisation, social networks and all other new age followers not only irreversibly changed media landscape, but also gave new opportunities for the media groups who really concentrate on the content, but not on the form. What is the pre-story of bringing these 2 first British media brands “IQ“ and “Intelligent Life“ to Lithuania? It wasn’t just an idea or investment project we were growing to that. IQ and Intelligent Life were successors of culture magazine ‘‘Miesto IQ’’ which we were publishing before that. After I have graduated philosophy during the studies I realised
how huge gap between high quality content and popular media is. I didn’t want to agree, that great content should be boring. ‘‘Miesto IQ’’ concept was based on great type of journalism such as ‘‘The New Yorker’’ and popular magazine formats such as fashion ones. For two years we were publishing this magazine when quite by accident we discovered ‘‘Intelligent Life’’which had almost the same concept and age as ours. After many discussions finally we decided to extend media reach by dividing Miesto IQ into life style magazine ‘‘Intelligent Life’’ and economic and politics magazine IQ. Actually we were able to achieve content syndication agreement with ‘‘The Economist’’ group only because we were publishing successful and high quality magazine ‘‘of course after all those changes we had to sacrifice ‘‘Miesto IQ’’ itself. Lithuania is not especially known as a country that reads newspapers, is there generally a
More widely, with ever increasing online resources and ways to access it do you see a continued place for traditional print media? Definitely - and there are many cases showing that. Audience is wider than ever, but question is – will customer find your brand between million others who are on the web? That’s why publishers should concentrate on content, but not on the format, because only content can create value for the brand.
You are expanding further in the Baltic market. Could you tell us more about it? Is demand in the Baltic countries the same or different? Yes, we are already publishing 6 magazines in Latvia and Estonia, analysing other markets as well. Baltic countries are small and close to each other, but very different. None of the research will show how unlike they are‘‘ you just have to test it yourself. We see many possibilities, but our decisions will depend how fast those markets will recover from recession. What’s the vision of “SC Baltic Media” in the upcoming 5 years? We already started to move with our brands to online and we are planning to continue it. Recently we have launched specially for tablet format designed weekly magazine. It will be under IQ logo and it will be quite similar to paper magazine, but in the same time absolutely different media channel. It is first of its kind in Baltic region and quite a novelty around the world, so we understand that it will take quite a lot of our time in the next few years. Of course we see possibilities for paper brands as well and maybe in the near future we will shock local media market again. Prepared by Sandra Kundrote and Alistair DayStirrat, BCC Lithuania
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
8 Import-Export
Continuing series of BCC Professional Workshops
UK Approaches Germany Revenue Generated Per Passenger Car Export There is positivity in the UK surrounding the boom in passenger car exports, and with 17% growth in 2011 following on from a 26% increase in 2010, this is entirely understandable. However, the volume of cars exported (1.125 million) was still some 60,000 units, or 5%, short of the record level set in 2007. German passenger car exports were at an alltime high of 4.52 million units in 2011, although just 7% year-on-year growth was much lower than in the UK. Germany naturally generates significantly more revenue from passenger car exports than the UK (US$128 million versus US$27 million in 2010) but with the respective increases in export volumes in 2011, both countries are expected to report their highest ever revenues from car exports. Export growth continues to be a result of increased demand from emerging markets, such as the BRICs, and the recovery in demand in the US. Although the UK still trails way behind Germany as a passenger car exporter, it is benefiting in the same way from surging global demand for pre-
Hi, Damon from London International School of Languages here with the first of an occasional series of essential words for business. This month's theme is Import/Export. So here goes our recommendation! Tariff: a list or system of taxes placed by a government upon exports or, especially, imports. Duty: tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government; especially, a sum to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods. By Neil King, Analyst at Euromonitor International mium and luxury products from brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls Royce. This and the transfer of output of the Nissan Micra to India (to make way for production of the Juke) as well as the fall in the value of sterling compared to the euro has created a rather surprising phenomenon whereby the value per passenger car export in the UK (US$ revenues generated divided by the unit volume) closely challenged the unit value in Germany in 2010.
Customs: duties or taxes imposed by a government on imported and, occasionally, exported goods or the government agency in charge of collecting these duties. Border: the extreme part of surrounding line; specifically the confine or exterior limit of a country, or of any region or tract of land. Trade: the act of business of exchanging commodities for other commodities or for money; the business of buying and selling; commerce; barter.
Treaty: a formal agreement, league, or contract, between two or more nations or sovereigns, formally signed and solemnly ratified by the supreme power of each state.
Jurga Prakapaitė BCC hitting the target from the corncanon
Inga Žygelienė from Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva with a family
Excise: a tax; a tax or duty imposed on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of certain commodities within a country, as tobacco, spirits, etc. To levy: to impose a tax, tribute, fine, etc. Levy: a raising of troops, of taxes, the act of imposing and collecting a tax or other payment. Revenue: the income from taxes, duties, etc. of a unit of government, as a city, county, state, nation, etc. Dumping: a term used to designate the practice of selling goods in large quantities abroad at prices lower than those current at home.
The kids having an excellent time jumping on the castle of hay rolls
BCC member Barbara Little arriving in a rather British weather
British Ambassador David Hunt in Corn Maze, marking his ticket at one of the points
Walking in Maze
BCC Traditional Season Opening On the 7th of September, the British Chamber of Commerce invited members and friends to its traditional Season Opening event, which was held this year in one of the more unusual places one could expect - the 1,8 ha Corn Maze, located 18 km outside Vilnius in the direction of Trakai. This traditional social event was enjoyed by 50 members and friends of the chamber including the British Ambassador David Hunt and his family, who braved the rather British weather to attend. A welcome speech was given by Chris Butler, BCC Chairman, who greeted everyone after the Chamber's summer break. The owner of the Corn Maze Saulius Kaminskas, gave a brief account of its 5 year history and was very pleased to mention that each year his Corn Maze is being appreciated by
9
Chronicle of BCC Events
Chronicle of BCC Events
a growing number of visitors from all age groups. The event continued with an excellent buffet in a marquee, kindly sponsored by the Novotel (Accor) Hotels, which certainly created a cosy “escape from the rain” atmosphere. The kids had an excellent time jumping on the castle of hay rolls, the pipe swing and the corn-cannon. The walk in the Corn Maze attracted nearly everyone attending the event, including the adults. The culmination of the event was the arrival of a proper "London Cab" (taxi) to the Corn Maze. The purpose of which was a special lottery, where participants could win an exclusive ride back home in the London Cab along with tickets to the upcoming world music concert, organised by GM Gyvai.
The British Chamber of Commerce expresses its sincere gratitude to the Novotel (Accor) Hotels for sponsoring the marquee
The Chamber would also like to thank the London Cab and GM Gyvai for establishing prizes for the Season opening lottery
Steve Neale, Leadership trainer and coach, Managing Director of BCS International
Working in a group (from left to right: Lina Maroščikienė, Mirror Support Services, Agnė Lingytė – Grybauskienė, Novotel Vilnus Centre, Aistė Galeckaitė & Ramunė Kabašinskienė, Transcom International)
At the beginning of September, the chamber invited participants to the first autumn workshop focusing on leadership with the title “Mastering High Performance Leadership: where does outstanding leadership really come from?”. The workshop was lead by Steve Neale, an experienced Leadership trainer and Managing Director of BCS International, and generated a high level of inter-
est from members and non members alike. This practical, interactive and lively workshop looked at how to understand and apply emotional intelligence to boost performance and the bottom line in business. The participants also had the chance to discuss and practice in small groups. As usual, the workshop was followed by a networking lunch at the Riverside restaurant.
September Breakfast Technical Briefing focusing on the Lithuanian EU Presidency in 2013 On September 26th, the British Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure of inviting members to the first monthly Breakfast Technical Briefing this autumn held at the Shakespeare Hotel in Vilnius. The topic “Lithuanian EU Presidency – are we ready?” was presented by Romas Švedas, currently an Independent Consultant and Lecturer at Vilnius University. Mr Švedas has obtained a significant amount of experience from his position as Deputy Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU and Deputy Head of the Lithuanian Mission in Brussels from 2003-2007, as well as being a member of the Government Commission on Lithuania’s Accession to the EU and the Head of the Team on Negotiation Chapter No. 26 “Exter-
nal Relations” from 1999-2003. Mr Švedas spoke about the approaching Lithuanian EU Presidency starting from July 2013. In his presentation he analysed the EU decision-making process, the European Policy priorities of Lithuania and the challenges that Lithuania will have to face in 2013 throughout the Presidency. The presentation raised a number of questions from the audience, leading to a discussion between the participants and the speaker. As usual, BCC members and friends attending the monthly breakfast of the chamber enjoyed networking before the presentation with a nice morning cup of coffee and a delicious English Breakfast, prepared by the Sonnets restaurant.
Speaker Romas Švedas, Independent Consultant and Lecturer at Vilnius University
Ieva Sodeikaitė from Raidla Lejins & Norcous, winning a Pearson Business Dictionary in a lottery. The prize was presented by event moderator Artūras Jonkus from Publicum PR
The culmination of the event – the arrival of a proper "London Cab" (taxi) to the Corn Maze
Children on the pipe swing
Chris Butler, Chairman BCC welcoming all after Chamber’s summer break
BCC Board member Mike Little and Laura Michalkevic from Novotel Vilnius Centre
Grilled corns were enjoyed by the children
Members enjoying a cosy “escape from the rain” atmosphere in a marquee, kindly sponsored by Novotel (Accor) Hotels
photos by Jurga Prakapaite
Vilija Budginienė and Vida Griečiuvienė from AVIVA Lietuva
We’ll find any of them! Delivery by air, sea and road worldwide. www.dsv.com/lt
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
10
BRITS IN LITHUANIA
with an open mind and meet the people, see the country, enjoy the lifestyle and then make up your own mind about the real Lithuania.
Interview with Tony Wright, Regional Assessment Head at Barclays Technology Centre in Lithuania
Have you travelled around Lithuania yet and what are your favourite places in Vilnius or across Lithuania? Do you have your favourite places of eating in Vilnius? Helping to setup Barclays in Lithuania took a lot of work and time as any major undertaking does so I haven’t had the opportunity to travel as much as I’d like, but I do enjoy heading out to the countryside and the lakes with many of my friends. I have travelled to the coast and Zarasai to some of the Festivals which are so common to Lithuania and had a lot of fun but without doubt, the Curonian
Spit is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in the world. We like to eat out often and one of our favourite places is Meksika. The food is always fantastic, the atmosphere good and the service very friendly.
Partners of BLS Lithuania as the first Lithuanian Arbitrators of ICSID
And finally, our usual question, what do you miss most about your home country? About the only thing I really miss is my parents and my daughters but I talk regularly with them on the phone and Skype so it’s not that bad. They all know I’m incredibly happy in Lithuania and that my life has improved greatly, so they’re all happy about my decision to live in Lithuania. Prepared by Sandra Kundrotė, BCC Executive Director
SAS Offers the Chance to Extend the Summer in Tel Aviv
Advocate Gintautas Bartkus, Managing Partner of Professional Law Partnership Baltic Legal Solutions Lithuania and advocate prof. Valentinas Mikelėnas, Partner, were designated by the Government of Lithuania as the first Lithuanian representatives to serve on the Panel of Arbitrators maintained by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
settlement. In this case investor-State disputes are the disputes regarding the violation of the rights and interests of the foreign investor by the State when the State infringes its international obligations to protect the investments.
ICSID is an autonomous international institution established under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States and is considered to be the leading international arbitration institution devoted to investor-State dispute
Since the recognised competence in the field of law shall be of particular importance in the case of persons on the Panel of Arbitrators, this designation is a significant acknowledgement of the extensive professional experience of G. Bartkus and V. Mikelėnas.
“Loving Life” programme to provide psychosocial support to cancer patients in Lithuania
Tony, how long have you been living in Lithuania and what brought you to this country? I’ve been in Lithuania since the beginning of November 2009, so it’s been close to three years. I initially came to Lithuania to provide IT support and help in setting up the new technology site for Barclays in Vilnius. Please tell our readers a bit about your background when living in the UK. I joined the Royal Air Force in 1983 after leaving school and travelled a little while in the Forces and it was there I started my IT career. After leaving the RAF I took my only permanent job in the UK in 1989 and managed to get promoted twice in the three years before I was made redundant. While discussing my redundancy with my Manager at the time, he suggested I take up IT Contracting as he believed I had the right attitude and flexibility to make a success of it. He was right, as I was an IT Contractor for twenty years with only two three month breaks before accepting my permanent position with Barclays in Lithuania. During my Contracting career I worked for major companies such as Honda, IBM and Barclays amongst others. It was while working for Barclays that I gained the opportunity to travel for work and carried out work for the Bank in India, Pakistan, Lithuania, Russia and Singapore. What was your first impression during your first visit to Lithuania and has it changed since then? On my first visit to Lithuania I was surprised and fascinated by the variety to be found not only in Vilnius, but Lithuania itself. I didn’t expect to see so many churches and historical buildings everywhere and truly didn’t expect the country to be so green and unpolluted. I was quite overwhelmed by the natural beauty of Lithuania and it was the first time I’d not only seen a frozen lake but actually walked on one! My first impression of Lithuania hasn’t changed much as I still love all the natural and historical side of the country but my love of Lithuania has increased as I have spent more time here with my friends. I’ve managed to swim in clean lakes, partied until dawn in the countryside and clubs of Vilnius and watched the sun set over the Baltic Sea. Probably the greatest thing that has increased my love of living in Lithuania is marrying my incredible wife Viktorija (unfortunately she couldn’t change her name to Vicky Wright because the Lithuanian
alphabet doesn’t have a W!) and being part of my new extended family. Please tell us more about your working life here, what are your responsibilities at Barclays Technology Centre? Regional Assessment Head, Producing software for delivery using automated delivery toolsets, Pipeline Manager. I am the Regional Assessment Head of the Software Automation Services team based at Barclays in Vilnius. As well as controlling the workloads passing through my area I am also responsible for leading a team of nine really great guys. The role involves providing stable and supportive leadership but also allows me to help them develop their careers which is one of the Bank’s highly prized values. My team assess, adapt and provide finished packaged software that allows the Bank to deliver tested, stable software to all its staff globally using the Bank’s automated software delivery toolsets. What do you enjoy most and what do you hate most about living in Lithuania? I particularly love the nature and greenery which can be found not only in Vilnius but the whole of Lithuania. It’s truly a beautiful, unspoilt, clean country and reminds of how things used to be in the UK so long ago before heavy industry took a toll on the countryside and cities. I also greatly admire how Lithuania has managed to retain its family values as the stressful lifestyle in the UK has meant that families no longer seem to be so close. Probably most people would say the long winters but for me it would be the mosquitos and the holes in the roads after a long winter. Why do you think the number of Brits living in Lithuania is pretty small and what would be your advice to those ones, who are planning to move here? If you speak to a lot of people in the UK they still seem to think that Lithuania is in Russia, I’ve certainly have had many conversations explaining the truth to friends and family when I first said I was coming here. Unfortunately, even now in the UK, people still seem to think of Soviet Russia so assume Lithuania is probably all grey with people looking over their shoulders for the Secret police but nothing could be further from the truth. Personally I wouldn’t want lots of people to move here from the UK or any other country because I love the fact that Lithuania isn’t crowded but if I was willing share some advice, it would be to come
Tel Aviv promenade. Photo by Gediminas Kisielius
This summer Scandinavian Airlines SAS opened a direct route from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv. Starting at the end of October, SAS is offering three weekly flights to Tel Aviv with exceptionally convenient connections via Copenhagen for those flying from Lithuania. "We have noticed an increasing demand for routes to and from the Middle East. Therefore, we are pleased to offer our customers the new route to Tel Aviv. A visit to Israel during our winter season can become a nice escape for those willing to extend summer,” says Ruta Juciene, SAS Representative Manager, Lithuania. According to Ms Juciene, Israel is among the five most popular holiday destinations for Lithuanians. In addition, business connections between Israel and Lithuania are also developing well. Thus, the route to Tel Aviv shall attract both leisure tourists and business people.
11 “Aviva Lietuva”: life insurer and life-saver
Tel Aviv is the fifth most visited city in the Middle East. Known as "the city that never sleeps", Tel Aviv offers the services of the world's leading hotels. The city is home to many museums, architectural and cultural sites, it is also famous for its wide variety of world class restaurants, offering traditional Israeli dishes as well as international cuisine. Tel Aviv's beaches play a major role in the city's cultural and tourism scene, and are often ranked as some of the best beaches in the world. SAS is flying to Ben Gurion airport, located nine miles south-east of Tel Aviv, with the route operated by an Airbus 319, which can accommodate 141 passengers, or an Airbus 321, which can seat 198. SAS flies its passengers from Lithuania to Copenhagen 19 times per week from Vilnius and 13 times per week from Palanga.
Cancer is a serious challenge requiring a physical, psychological and emotional response. “GlaxoSmithKline Lithuania” (GSK Lithuania) has recognised the importance of supporting patients and families who are affected by the disease and have initiated the ‘Loving Life’ Arts Therapy and Psychological Counselling programme. Financed by GSK Lithuania, the ‘Loving Life’ programme provides free professional and psychological assistance to oncology patients and their families and aims to contribute to the social inclusion and quality of life of cancer patients by providing them with opportunities for social interactions and access to psychological help. The programme encourages patients to take part in Arts Therapy, including fine art, thea-
tre, poetry, music, photography and dance and movement, which increases the sense of control and has a therapeutic effect. One of the patients reflected on the Arts Therapy session and commented: “I came to the session without any expectations and left feeling elevated, relaxed and full of joy. The session helped to bring back happy memories and has helped provide more clarity, hope and balance.” For several years GSK has been developing community partnership programmes with nongovernmental organisations to improve healthcare infrastructure and to increase access to health care services for socially vulnerable groups, yet this project is the first of its kind and scope in Lithuania. Kestutis Cereska, General Manager of GSK Lithuania commented: “For us, this programme is an opportunity to help cancer patients and their families cope with the psychosocial problems this disease brings and help improve their quality of life. Employees are extremely proud of this programme and many of them will be volunteering in NGO activities and will help provide meaningful contributions to the community that they live in and work for.”
Kęstutis Švirinas swells the ranks of partners at SORAINEN
Kęstutis Švirinas, partner at SORAINEN
On the 10th September 2012 partner Kęstutis Švirinas will begin working with the Law Firm SORAINEN, active in the Baltic States and Belarus. Kęstutis is the sixth SORAINEN partner in Lithuania and the 22nd SORAINEN partner in the Baltic States and Belarus region. Together with SORAINEN partner Renata Beržanskienė, he will lead the SORAINEN Dispute Resolution Team. With 17 years of legal experience, Kęstutis Švirinas has become one of the leading professionals in dispute resolution in Lithuania. In the past five years alone he has represented clients or acted as arbitrator in disputes with a total value of over 1.5 billion litas (approx EUR 434 million). He also has experience in international investment disputes and at the
European Court of Justice. Kęstutis is prominent in commercial arbitration, having arbitrated in more than 40 proceedings at the Vilnius Court of Commercial Arbitration, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and other arbitration institutes abroad as well as in ad hoc arbitration. Kęstutis is included in the list of arbitrators at the Vilnius Court of Commercial Arbitration, the International Commercial Court of Arbitration under the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation, and the Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Moldova. Having obtained his legal education in Lithuania, Great Britain and Italy, in the last 12 years Kęstutis has worked at one of the leading law firms where he held the position of managing partner for five years. Kęstutis is recommended in the areas of dispute resolution and arbitration by many international legal directories including The Legal 500, Chambers Europe and Chambers Global which recommends Kęstutis as one of the four best lawyers in dispute resolution in Lithuania.
A.Grabinskė, CEO of „Aviva Lietuva“, after voluntary blood donation.
Life insurance, pension funds, claims paid and investment – this is the daily routine of Aviva Lietuva. Outwith these functions, the company organizes social activities, such as taking care of chil-
dren from risk group families, is environmentally minded and offers health protection. August is the month when all Aviva Lietuva's head and sales offices participate in a voluntary effort to donate blood. 2012 has seen record participation levels with 157 people having donated blood, the biggest number since 2006 when this initiative started. The people at Aviva Lietuva understand the importance of blood donation and how invaluable it can be for the sick or injured. Because of this they invite their family members, friends and clients to come to the Aviva Lietuva sales offices to donate their blood as well. “To serve our 216 000 existing clients and to help new ones take important long-term financial decisions is our daily task. Sadly, we also see the painful consequences of difficult moments in our client’s lives. More than 1300 of our clients were injured, hospitalized or got severe diseases in the first half of this year. We understand the value of a person’s life and good health and in case of misfortune we help our clients not only with claims paid, but also with our donated blood”, – says Asta Grabinskė, CEO of “Aviva Lietuva”. The staff at Aviva Lietuva, their family members, friends and clients have donated blood 800 times in seven years. The total amount of blood donated could have saved up to 2400 people lives.
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
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Barclays Technology Centre Lithuania Lithuanian Innovation is breaking Welcomed Its 800th Employee into foreign markets nearest future, Data mining and Business information services will be established meaning that we can offer new positions for people with different skills, qualifications and capabilities,” said Lead Resourcing Partner of Barclays Technology Centre Lithuania Aurelija Urbonaviciute.
In the beginning of 2010, three months after its establishment, BTCL had 153 employees and it has been growing steadily ever since. Now, at the end of August 2012, Barclays Technology Centre Lithuania (BTCL) has welcomed its 800th employee. Expanding functional areas in BTCL include Mobile development, Java development and support, Project management, Unix, Windows, Data warehousing, an IT service desk and more. “The Growing number of employees shows that global Barclays operations are trusting us, the Barclays Technology Centre in Lithuania, with more functions and more responsibilities. In the
While growing in numbers and functions BTCL is also investing in the future of the IT profession in Lithuania. There are 26 interns working at the moment in various teams at BTCL. Barclays Technology Centre Lithuania is also implementing Barclays' global Future Leaders Development Program, where students who have just finished their studies join this program and in two years rotate through 4 departments in the company, learning new skills and getting to know different functions of the business. “Working with universities and investing in the future of the IT profession is at the core of our business. I am very glad that we have so many enthusiastic people working at BTCL who want to promote IT to the students and also school children while sharing their experience and knowledge,” stated Head of Barclays Technology Centre Lithuania Giedrius Dzekunskas.
Camira Fabrics - We take great comfort from the work we do
We are pleased to announce that Camira Fabrics has adopted the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system. The International Standard promotes the adoption of a process approach when developing, implementing and improving the effectiveness of a quality management system, to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer requirements. We have manufacturing sites in the UK and in Lithuania, offices and showrooms in Europe, North America, Australia and China, and a global network of sales representatives and distributors. Moreover, we have an excellent London showroom which opened in early September, attended by over 300 architects and designers.
UAB Camira Fabrics is an English capital company which has been located in Ariogala (Raseiniai district) since 2006. We successfully work in weaving, cut & sew, yarn manufacturing, upholstery, and making samples. In the global market, our parent company Camira Fabrics Ltd is one of the leading companies in producing and selling fabrics for office furniture and vehicles. In order to meet environmental targets and to protect the environment, we work closely with the recyclers of textile waste. Camira love making fabrics. We design and manufacture the most innovative, adventurous, environmentally sensitive fabrics in the world. In case you’ve not heard, we have launched a new sustainable fabric that is made from hemp. Hemp is arguably our most sustainable fabric to date. Designed and manufactured following years of research and development, hemp combines two of nature’s cleverest renewables to make a totally natural and biodegradeable fabric. Hemp is a blend of wool and harvested hemp combined intimately into 31 naturally inspired shades with a soft handle, inherent flame retardancy, an exceptional eco story and comes with the backing of a five year guarantee.
DPA Lietuva's CEO Laurynas Truncė has stated that one of the key tasks that the customer set for the IT company was to find a solution, that would help to control the progress of order processing, optimise document management processes, and improve internal communications within the company. Therefore ShareSpace was the perfect solution for Lida beer.
Laurynas Truncė, CEO of „DPA Lietuva“
ShareSpace - an innovative information and business process management system created by the IT services company DPA Lietuva, was successfully implemented not only in Lithuania, but also outside the country. The system's success in Lithuania led to the export of ShareSpace to foreign markets - including Belarus. Lida beer is a Belarusian beer and a regional market leader which belongs to the international Finnish Olvi group. Lida beer is headquartered in Lida and has six more divisions of the company located throughout Belarus. As a result, the company required an IT system that would allow all workers in both the central and regional offices to access documents, conveniently, safely, and most importantly from any location with internet access.
Eversheds Saladžius hosted and sponsored a conference for business leaders in Lithuania for the fifth successive year. The major annual business conference in Lithuania Lūžio taškas was held once again in September this year. The conference, attended by the top business leaders in Lithuania, happens to be one of the major business events in the country and is
Marc delivered a presentation on risk and innovation worthy of gold at the conference.
Our Italian office is based just north of Milan, and is initially focusing on introducing Lithuania to local companies and investors. Commenting on recent developments, CCG director Charles Cormack said "We are really excited to be moving into new markets, and we think we have a unique offering for Lithuanian businesses, being able to help them understand and work in these exciting but challenging markets. We aim to continue our expansion with a new office in Romania before the end of the year. We are also in negotiations to form strategic partnerships with US and Chinese companies, allowing us to help companies in those markets too" .
practicing law for more than 70 years combined to provide valuable information about the every day reality of business in the US.
attended by approximately 200-300 top managers from the leading companies in Lithuania. This year we sponsored the arrival and presentation of Marc Lammers, the inspirational coach of the Dutch women's national field hockey team. Lammers coached his team to Olympic Gold at Beijing and London and is the former head of the most successful team in World Cup history, having won the title six times. Marc is well known in the sports world for his use of innovative techniques. He has discovered critical ingredients that can unleash the power of a team, as a whole, as well as through individuals, in unexpected ways.
Acknowledging the benefits of ShareSpace, Lida beer's IT representatives emphasised that the system has provided the company with greater mobility and improved internal business processes. An effective IT solution has helped the customer to overcome barriers and has ensured the expansion of the business.
Gencs Valters Law Firm held a seminar on “How to do Business in the USA”
Eversheds Saladžius hosted innovation guru in sports The Pan-Baltic Gencs Valters Law Firm, which has offices in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, held a joint seminar, with their American partners, on how to do business in the United States of America. The Seminar was held on September 19th 2012 at the Radisson Blu Ridzene Hotel, Riga. Representatives of Frost Brown Todd LLC from Cincinnati, Ohio presented their views on entrepreneurial relations between the US and Latvia. Attorney Joseph Dehner spoke about the possibilities for Latvian companies trying to enter the highly-competitive US market via strategic alliances and attorney Susan Grogan Faller spoke about the cost of litigation in the US. Two lawyers
‘Zalgiris Arena Home for Callcredit Operations UAB’
ShareSpace has significantly improved the document management processes in the company. Previously, employees spent about 3 hours daily searching for documents, information and communicating. Since the implementation of the system, each employee has saved 1–2 hours daily. This adds up to about 20–40 hours a month. The system is used by 50 people, so about 1000 working hours are saved in the company each month, that means, based on average salary, approximately 15,000 LTL is saved per month, and about 180,000 LTL is saved on an annual basis.
CCG Opens Further Offices
The Cormack Consultancy Group (CCG) continues to expand the offer it can make to Lithuanian companies. Following on from the recent opening of an office in Russia, CCG has now opened an office in Kolkotta, India and Milan, Italy. The offices will be able to assist Lithuanian companies who wish to work in the market and are led by experienced local business people. Indian director Diwakar Thakore has extensive business interests across India in a range of sectors including mining, textiles and IT. The CCG office is already working on a number of projects, and as well as helping companies in the market will also be promoting Lithuania to Indian companies and investors.
Callcredit Information Group’s New Lithuanian Office Opens its’ Doors
A further special guest participated via a video link. Deputy Executive Director of SelectUSA, Aaron Brickmann, spoke about the important roles of this governmental institution. Foreign entities entering the US market, regardless of the means (founding subsidiary company, branch, using agents or distributors) can rely on SelectUSA. Aaron Brickmann also expressed his happiness about this first live conference with one of the Baltic countries where, he believes, future ideas will be found because of the highly competitive markets and motivated companies. The founder of the Gencs Valters Law Firm, Valters Gencs, spoke about the taxation aspects of business in the USA for Latvian companies based on the bilateral tax treaty between the USA and Latvia and informed the audience about some of the important changes in taxation due in 2013. The audience consisted of high-ranked managers and members of boards of both international and domestic companies who were informed about the enormous potential for foreign businesses that the US possesses.
At the Callcredit Information Group opening in Kaunas, from left to right: Adrian Mitri, Chief Operating Officer for Callcredit, Sandra Kundrotė, BCC Executive Director, Chris Butler, BCC Chairman of the Board, Dainius Aksinavičius, Country Manager for Callcredit
Callcredit Information Group, experts in the fields of credit referencing, marketing services, consumer information, interactive solutions and consultative analytics, officially opened the doors to the home of its new Lithuanian Operation at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas on 12th September. The official opening ceremony was attended by a number of distinguished guests including, the Mayor of Kaunas, the British Ambassador to Lithuania and members of the British Chambers of Commerce who were joined by the Chief Operating Officer for Callcredit Adrian Mitri and members of staff from both the Lithuanian and UK offices. Callcredit have taken approximately 2000 square meters of office space on the fourth floor, which will eventually provide office facilities for up 200 employees by the end of 2013. The Lithuanian office will provide IT Development resources to create and support a set of services which will enable the business' UK clients to make more informed decisions as well as ensuring that our data assets remain accurate and up to date.
The Kaunas operation will play a key role in ensuring that Callcredit has the right infrastructure in place to facilitate continued growth across the entire group and will enable the business to continue to invest in the UK, recruit additional staff which will help meet the future needs of its prospects and customers. Adrian Mitri, Chief Operating Officer at Callcredit Information Group commented, “We are delighted to be able to open the doors to our new offices here in Kaunas at the prestigious Zalgiris Arena. A tremendous amount of hard work has gone in to making this happen, over what has been a relatively short space of time, since Callcredit took the initial decision to open an operation in Lithuania. All of which would not have been possible without the help and support received from a number of different organisations in Lithuania. I would like to thank not only our own staff but also the many Lithuanian stakeholders involved, particularly the support of the Lithuanian Government, who have played an integral part in this process”.
A real „trendjetter“: the new Lufthansa Boeing 747-8!
In the 1970s, the first jumbo jets prepared the way for an era which we know today as the “Jet Age”. Thanks to the capacity of the 747s, longhaul flights and with them the pleasure of an excellent in-flight service became possible for an increasing number of passengers, such as in 1970 when, in a world-first, a film was shown on board a Lufthansa flight. A lot has changed since then, though admittedly only for the better - Lufthansa is very proud to introduce the new Boeing 747-8 to its fleet. Dimensions and Capacities As the world’s longest passenger aircraft, the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 is around 5.6 metres longer than the Boeing 747-400. The 76.3 metre-long fuselage of the 19.4 metre-high Jumbo comfortably seats 362 passengers. The performance data is impressive too: it will be able to carry 22 tons more in load capacity than the B747-400 and has a range of more than 14000 kilometers. With the B747-8 Intercontinental emissions can be reduced sustainably by around 20 per cent compared with earlier models. Fuel consumption is significantly less than that of comparable models currently in operation. The aircraft also has completely newly developed engines (the GEnx-2B67) manufactured by GE Aviation. These not only burn less fuel and generate fewer emissions than current generations of engines, they are quieter too. Longer upper deck For decades it has been the distinctive feature of the legendary 747 models: the typical “hump” on the Jumbo’s slim fuselage has been extended even further on the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8. The upper deck, about 4.10 metres longer than on the 747-400, now offers space behind the cockpit for the new Lufthansa Business Class. Business Class upstairs One of the most significant innovations on the Jumbo is not actually visible from the outside: the division of the passenger classes has been redesigned. Business Class seats are now located on both the main deck and the upper deck. The typical 747 staircase, which previously led up to First Class, now connects both floors of the completely redesigned Business Class. The new Business Class
LAWIN partner Vilija Vaitkutė Pavan reappointed as Lithuania's sole representative to the ICC International Court of Arbitration “The appointment as a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration is really good news and knowing that you are the only representative from Lithuania to one of the most prominent arbitration institutions in the world is both a great honour and a big responsibility. I hope that the next three years will contribute to the development of professional excellence in the commercial arbitration sector “, LAWIN partner Vilija Vaitkutė Pavan said. The ICC International Court of Arbitration is undoubtedly one of the most popular arbitration institutions in the world. In 2007, the court heard 600 cases and this number has continued to increase year on year with 796 cases being heard in 2011. During plenary sessions held each month, representatives of the parties spend most of the time reviewing and approving draft arbitral awards, dealing with issues pertaining to the preliminary costs of the arbitration process, and appointing and challenging arbitrators.
Vilija Vaitkutė Pavan, LAWIN partner
Vilija Vaitkutė Pavan, a partner of the law firm LAWIN, has been reappointed for a further threeyear term to the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.
“Although the work in plenary sessions requires a lot of time and resources, it is nevertheless an invaluable experience, because working together with arbitration specialists from various countries we solve very challenging arbitration issues. Such experience provides an opportunity both to publicize arbitration in Lithuania and to make our country and its representatives better known in the ICC International Court of Arbitration“, stated Vilija Vaitkutė Pavan. The LAWIN partner further notes that the number of cases involving Lithuanian natural or legal persons has been increasing recently at the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
seat which turns into a fully flat bed, the especially generous sense of space and the contemporary and spacious cabin design in all travel classes simply set new standards. First Class is now situated in the Jumbo’s notably quiet nose section. Economy class: compact and comfortable with entertainment at your fingertips The slimline design of the current Economy Class seat strikes you the moment you see it. However, the seat‘s compact construction is not just for visual appeal, above all it is for your comfort: with the optimised seat structure, ergonomic experts, designers and world-leading manufacturers have provided more comfortable legroom and created what is probably the most comfortable Lufthansa Economy Class seat ever. Your personal screen offers you an entertainment Programme tailored to your needs. The touch-screen controls give you access to numerous movies in different languages, plus international radio channels and a diverse selection of CDs. You can also call up current flight information at any time and the KidsFun Programme provides great entertainment for our youngest passengers. Experience the 747-8 in person The new aircraft owes much to ideas generated by Lufthansa – and it is an deal fit with Lufthansa’s fleet: with around 380 seats, the Intercontinental will slot in perfectly with the Airbus A380 (536 seats) and A340-600 (306seats). The modern Lufthansa fleet will guarantee efficient operations on its long-haul routes. The airline has placed firm orders for twenty Boeing 747-8 Intercontinentals and has options on a further twenty. In order to truly experience the fascinating scale of the world‘s longest passenger aircraft and the ambience on Lufthansa‘s most modern cabin classes, we recommend that one day you see the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 up close. The new jumbo jet is already in use on routes from Frankfurt to Bangalore, Delhi, and Washington. The next destination added will be Los Angeles. We would be delighted to offer you the combination of the latest technological achievements and excellent service high in the skies.
BCC paper Autumn 2012
BCC paper Autumn 2012
14 Presenting New BCC Members BCC Corporate Member Callcredit Operations
BCC Small company member (upgraded!) Eurocontinental Ltd forward, last year Callcredit took the decision to establish an operation here within Kaunas. The decision to move into Lithuania was taken to help support this ambitious expansion and growth strategy which will enable the business to move forward at a much faster pace. Our decision to choose Lithuania was motivated by a number of key factors. Lithuania is a global leader in IT infrastructure with a highly educated, talented and multi lingual population. Other UK companies already have offices situated here and who have been great Lithuanian advocates.
Dainius Aksinavicius, Country Manager
Founded in 2000, Callcredit Information Group brings together 12 years’ experience across the fields of credit referencing, marketing services, interactive solutions and consultative analytics, to provide clients around the world with innovative products and services to help businesses like yours make smarter, more informed decisions throughout the customer lifecycle. We are experts in managing consumer data for businesses across every sector and hold detailed credit and marketing data on 42m individuals and 2.8m active businesses. Our leading edge approach to deploying consumer information enables our clients to cost effectively identify, engage and convert more new customers whilst optimizing existing customer profitability. Over the last 5 years Callcredit has grown at 27% per annum, in 2007 we employed 400 people, today we employ 1000. This is clearly a great place to be given the world economic challenges. In order to keep pace with our expansion and growth strategy and to help the business move
Finding the right location for our Lithuanian operation was a crucial part of the process and we are delighted to have found such iconic offices in the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas. Kaunas has one of the largest technology universities in the Baltic region and we were aware that many of those leaving the university looking for employment have done so with employers based in Vilnius. Callcredit wants to be one of the main international companies based in Kaunas and as such we recognised that there was a real opportunity to tap into Kaunas’s rich employment resource and provide employment opportunities to highly skilled staff. Our new office will provide IT Development resources to create and support a set of services which will enable the businesses UK clients to make more informed decisions as well as ensuring that our data assets remain accurate and up to date. Company contact details: Callcredit Operations, UAB Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 50, LT-44333 Kaunas, Lithuania Tel.: +370 655 511 27 www.callcreditgroup.com
GUARTIS, AB was estabilshed in 1967 as Panevezio Stiklas . Now, it is an independent glass manufacturing company producing a wide range of glass products, operating in two Business Units with 350 employees. Guartis' core business is the manufacturing of flint glass bottles and jars. The company supply non-standard exclusive designs for spirit distillers and manufacturers from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Kaliningrad District and Finland. Based on its new sales strategy, the company has successfully developed the production and sales of glass jars for northern European food processing groups. The company's second business arm is its glass processing unit. It is a leading supplier of tempered, laminated glass as well as insulated glass units, exporting 80% of products to countries throughout Europe. Processes of all types of float glass offer a wide range of operations from edge finishing, engraving, drilling and milling to painting and enamelling.
Textiles in the Baltics since 1992 The company has an extensive record in the fields of contract manufacturing, wholesale and retail, B2B marketing in all the Baltic countries as well as Finland and the other Nordic countries. The common denominator has always been textiles, fashion, raw materials, fabrics etc. We also provide services for British and other European companies to establish distribution networks in our professional and geographical area. Recently we have established an import network for a leading European manufacturer of safety clothing and equipment. We also import and wholesale fashion stock lots to be sold in the Baltic area.
We are happy to offer our customers export services for the Scandinavian markets. We have long and versatile experience in fashion and contract manufacturing in the Nordic area with retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. Many Lithuanian small and medium size companies would have a great opportunity in the Nordic area. Many times only small adjustments are needed to successfully enter the market. Company Contact Details: Eurocontinental Ltd Contact person: Mr Jouni Kaitila modum@takas.lt Tel.: +37065260955
Company Contact Details: Guartis AB Pramones g. 10, LT-35100 Panevėžys, Lithuania Tel.: + 370 45 50 79 60 Fax: +370 45 51 12 98 info@guartis.lt
Bunnahabhain rep. by Mineraliniai vandenys, UAB Production of single islay malt Scotch Whisky www.bunnahabhain.com
BARCLAYS Technology Centre Lithuania (http://www.lifeintechnology.co.uk/global-locations/vilnius-lithuania/) / one of strategic IT engineering centres providing support for Barclays business activity worldwide. BERNOTAS & DOMINAS GLIMSTEDT (www.glimstedt.lt) / Legal services Best Western HOTEL VILNIUS (Naujasis Vilnius, UAB) (www.vilniushotel.eu) / Centrally located Hotel, restaurant, conference centre, fitness centre, swimming pool and sauna BITĖ LIETUVA, UAB (www.bite.lt) / Telecommunications
Baltic Legal Solutions Lithuania Full service law firm www.blslawfirm.com
BIURO PASAULIS, UAB (www.biuropasaulis.lt) (www.elektromedia.lt)/ /Office supplies, printing management and IT solutions BNTP, UAB (www.bntp.lt) / Private equity investment; real estate development and investment; asset management; project management; facilities management
Forthcoming Events Calendar 2012
Bright Purple Resourcing (www.brightpurple.co.uk) / Technology and financial services recruitment specialists British Council (www.britishcouncil.lt) / the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Calenberg Vilnius (www.calenberg.lt )/ International moving/ relocation and dealership of the office furniture- STEELCASE CALLCREDIT OPERATIONS, UAB (www.callcreditgroup.com) / Experts in the fields of credit referencing, marketing services, consumer information, interactive solutions and consultative analytics. NEW! CAMIRA FABRICS Ltd (www.camirafabrics.com) / Contract seating & transportation fabric manufacturer COWI LIETUVA, UAB (www.cowi.lt) / Consulting and engineering services related to building design & engineering, energy, environment, territory planning, topographic survey, hydraulic engineering, technical supervision, water and sewage systems design
OCTOBER 25TH, THURSDAY BCC Political Briefing Lunch Kindly hosted by the British Ambassador David Hunt Exclusively for BCC Sponsor and Board members only
NOVEMBER 23RD NEW! First BCC Curry Cook – off Partners: Sue’s Indian Raja & Čiop Čiop The strengths of Guartis are: • a production process tailored to meet different customer’s size specifications • well educated and skilled staff • the crew’s drive, passion and commitment The Company guarantees process traceability based on ISO 9001:2008 and development policy. On the 8th of Dec 2011, the plant received the National Quality Award from the Prime Minister of LR. It was just the first step towards becoming a modern, smart and agile company which will be well prepared for a possible macroeconomic crisis. Guartis established its own Continuous Improvement Program focused on 4 areas: safety, hygiene, process and personnel. The company implements world safety standards, world class manufacturing ideas and is going to introduce BRC hygiene standards. Guartis' strategy is to increase export sales by 30% each year. The company currently exports products to EU countries, Russia and Belarus. The Strategical future markets are those of the Scandinavian countries mainly Sweden and Finland as well as the Kaliningrad District. There are also a growing number of potential ventures in the UK, Georgia and Israel. Guartis' growth in exports were recognised this year by the Lietuvos Pramonininku Konfederacija and on the 19th of June 2012, the plant won the 'Exporter of the Year' award.
BANKSERVIS, UAB (www.bankservis.lt) / Bank and office equipment, security products and solutions
GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals www.gsk.lt
OCTOBER 31ST, WEDNESDAY, 8.00 A.M. Breakfast Technical Briefing “The interconnected world – is your workplace ready?” Venue: Shakespeare Hotel (Bernardinų str. 8/8, Vilnius)
PricewaterhouseCoopers Assurance, Actuarial, Advisory, Tax and Legal services www.pwc.com/lt
Strategic Staffing Solutions International Provider of information technology solutions. Recruitment Services www.strategicstaff.com
BCC IT Partner
NOVEMBER 28TH, WEDNESDAY, 8:00 A.M. Breakfast Technical Briefing Venue: Shakespeare Hotel (Bernardinų str. 8/8, Vilnius)
CORMACK CONSULTANCY BALTIC LT Ltd (www.ccbaltic.eu)/ Business development, export development, market researches, consultancy in investment, innovation, management - Baltic states, UK, Rusia, India, Italy markets CSC Baltic, UAB (www.csc.com/lt) / IT services and outsourcing DANSKE BANK A/S LIETUVOS FILIALAS (www.danskebankas.lt) / Banking services DELOITTE (www.deloitte.lt) / Audit. Tax & Legal. Consulting. Financial Advisory. Enterprise Risk Services DELTA MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, UAB (www.deltamanagement.lt )/ Recruitment, Executive Search, Temporary Staffing, Employment Services, Personnel Testing & Assessment, Greenfield Staffing Support DPA LIETUVA (www.dpa.lt) / IT infrastructure solutions, IT security solutions, Solutions for Education, software deployment and management, information and document management system, customized IT projects DPD LiETUVA (www.dpd.lt) / Parcels delivery for business and private customers within Lithuania & EU countries, logistics solutions for business EFT Lithuania, UAB (www.eft-group.net )/ Electricity Trading Company EKO RIVI, UAB (www.ekorivi.lt) / Consultancy in municipal and environmental infrastructure
DECEMBER (date tbc) Traditional Christmas Carols
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BCC Sponsor Members
Carlson Wagonlit Travel Corporate travel management www.carlsonwagonlit.lt www.kalevatravel.lt
NOVEMBER 10TH, SATURDAY Guy Fawkes (Bonfire) Night Venue: Belmontas Leisure and Activities Centre
BCC Corporate Member GUARTIS
Artur Jan Wozniak, CEO
List of BCC Members
BCC PR Partner
EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL (www.euromonitor.com ) / Provider of strategic market research on countries, consumers and industries EVERSHEDS SALADŽIUS (www.evershedssaladzius.lt) / Legal services
JANUARY 26TH, SATURDAY BCC Top Annual Charity Event Burns Night Sponsorship opportunities!
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT GROUP, UAB (www.fmg.lt) / Accounting, tax consulting, legal advice
BCC Accounting Partner
FIORENTINO RESTAURANT (Altomondas, UAB) (www.fiorentino.lt) / Restaurant/ Catering Services G4S Lietuva, UAB (www.g4s.lt) / Security Solutions covering cash handling, guarding, electronic security, system maintenance, installation, courier service GrECo JLT Lietuva, UADBB (www.greco.lt ) / Insurance intermediation Grontmij Lietuva, UAB (www.grontmij.lt)/ Engineering consultancy and design projects
BCC Corporate & Group Members ARIJUS (www.arijus.lt ) / Transport and Logistic services AVIS Rent a Car & Leasing Company (Litideal, UAB) (www.avis.lt) / Car rental and leasing AVIVA LIETUVA, Joint Stock Limited Life Insurance and Pension Company (www.aviva.lt) / Life insurance and pension funds ĄŽUOLYNO Clinic (www.azuolynoklinika.lt) / The first private clinic in Lithuania for psychological problems, psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, long – term nursing. Patients can be consulted or hospitalised Baldai Jums, UAB (www.BaldaiJums.eu) / Solid wood furniture production Baltic American Medical & Surgical Clinic (www.bak.lt )/ Health Care BALTIC SURVEYS (Baltijos Tyrimai, UAB) (www.gallup.com) / Market research
GUARTIS, AB (www.guarti.lt) / Glass processing & container glass manufacturing HIGHLIFE, UAB / Manufacturing for export timber components for the furniture and construction industries HOTEL VANAGUPĖ (Eskom, UAB) (www.vanagupe.lt) / 5* Hotel, Modern Conference centre and luxury GOLDEN Spa centre, gourmet cuisine restaurant L’Ambra Rossa
KPMG Baltics, UAB (www.kpmg.com/lt ) /Audit, Tax, and Advisory services LAUTUS Holdings, UAB (www.lautus.lt ) / Asset management (mainly, private equity investments) and related strategic business advisory services (incl. insolvency management, legal consulting, fundraising (private placement), CPF LEINONEN, UAB (www.leinonen.eu) Accounting services LE MERIDIEN VILNIUS & V GOLF CLUB (VILLON, UAB) (www.lemeridienvilnius.com) / 5 star Hotel, 8.000m2 Conference Centre, Catering Services, Spa, Fitness Centre, Leisure, PGA design Golf course, Over the water restaurant, Real Estate LawIN (www.lawin.com) / LAWIN is a leading and internationally highest ranked business law firm in the Baltics. Monetų Namai, UAB (www.monetunamai.lt) / Collectable coins and medals MOTIEKA & AUDZEVIČIUS, Law Firm (www.ma-law.lt) / Legal services MIRROR SUPPORT SERVICES, UAB (www.mirroraccounting.lt ) / Accounting services NOVOTEL VILNIUS CENTRE (Hekon, UAB) (www.accor.com) / Hotel services Ober Haus Nekilnojamas Turtas (www.ober-haus.lt )/ All real estate services ODONTIKA (www.odontika.com) / Dental surgery PERITUS SPRENDIMAI (www.peritus.lt) / EU funding, Project Management, Public Procurement, Strategic Research, PPP PUBLICUM, UAB (www.publicum.lt) / Public Relations, Public Affairs, Management consulting and training PZU Lietuva, UAB DK (www.pzu.lt ) / Insurance QUANTUM CAPITAL (www.qcapital.eu ) / Investment banking & strategic advisory boutique Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva (www.radissonblu.com/ lietuvahotel-vilnius)/ Hotel, biggest centre located Conference and Event centre, Riverside restaurant, Skybar, Lobby bar, fitness centre and sauna Radisson Blu Astorija hotel (www. radissonblu.com/hotel-vilnius) /Hotel, French restaurant „Brasserie de Verres en Vers“, Astorija Bar, Meetings & Events center, Catering services, Health club with swimming pool Raidla Lejins & Norcous law offices (www.rln.lt) / Legal services in all fields of business law in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Belarus REGUS (www.regus.lt ) / The world leading provider of pioneering workplace solutions, with a large range of products and services from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the largest network of videoconference studios SCAENT Baltic, JSC (www.scaent.lt) / Investment Enterprise Scandinavian Airlines SAS (www.flysas.lt) / / the biggest airline company in North Europe operating in Lithuanian for 20 years with the regular flights from Vilnius and Palanga SHAKESPEARE Boutique Hotel (Olizarų rūmai, UAB) (www.shakespeare.lt) / Boutique hotel, Sonnets restaurant, Globe bar, conference halls SIMEON, UAB (www.simeon.lt ) / Transport & Logistics SORAINEN (www.sorainen.com) / Legal services in all fields of business law in the three Baltic countries and Belarus Storebrand Baltic , UAB (www.storebrand.com) – Shared service centre for Storebrand ASA in Norway and SPP in Sweden. Financial services within life- and health insurance, banking and asset management Sue’s Indian Raja (www.suesindianraja.com) / Indian Restaurant SWEDSPAN Girių Bizonas (www.swedspan.lt) / Particle board production TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE, Law Firm (www.tarkgruntesutkiene. com) /full-service business law firm in the Baltic region and Belarus TRANSCOM Worldwide Vilnius (www.transcom.com) / International provider of outsourced services and solutions in the field of customer contact (client relationship management & credit management). Near shore outsourced services from Lithuania to UK and other European countries ŪKIO BANKAS, AB ( www.ub.lt)/ Banking Ūkio Banko Investicinė Grupė, UAB (www.ubig.lt ) / Investment projects; real estate; banking; life insurance and other financial services; industry, industrial engineering; logistics and sports VARUL, Law firm (www.varul.com ) / Legal services in all fields of business law in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Belarus Western Union Processing Lithuania UAB (www.westernunion.com) - Financial Services WorldOne (www.worldone.com) / Global healthcare research and highest quality data collection solution. ZABOLIS PARTNERS (www.zabolis.com) / Finance and Real Estate
ISM University of Management and Economics (www.ism.lt) / Higher education JURIDICON, Law Firm (www.juridicon.com) / Legal services, tax consulting, corporate services, legal project & risk management. Member of Warwick Legal Network.
Žemaitijos pienas (www.zpienas.lt/) / Production and sales of milk products
KAUNAS AIRPORT (www.kun.lt ) / Airport
999 Design Group (www.999design.com/) / Branding, Communications, Marketing, Packaging, Event, Digital media, Web Design Agency
KAUNAS FREE ECONOMIC ZONE MANAGEMENT COMPANY (www.ftz.lt ) / Real estate development KERNAVĖS BAJORYNĖ, Conference and Leisure Centre (www.kernavesbajoryne.lt )/ Conferencies, leisure and other activities KLAIPĖDA FREE ECONOMIC ZONE MANAGEMENT COMPANY (www.fez.lt) / Management and development of Klaipėda Free Economic Zone
BCC Small company Members
A Hostel ( www.hostelsvilnius.lt) / Accommodation Services AMBER STAFF (www.amberstaff.com) / Temporary staffing and employee leasing NEW! ARTAPRO (www.artapro.lt) / Creative property management NEW!
BALTIC HOLIDAYS (www.balticholidays.com) / Tour operator in the UK specializing in Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia BCS International Ltd (www.bcsinternational.net) / The Behaviour Change Specialists, are an international people development organisation, dedicated to the practical use of emotional intelligence to improve individual and team performance. Celtic Asset Management, UAB / Real estate DEKONA, Evaldo Darškaus IĮ (www.dekona.lt ) / Management Consulting: Operational efficiency, Lean, Six Sigma, process improvement DRUSKOS NAMAI (www.druskosnamai.lt) / Restaurant Eurocontinental Limited / Textiles FINREDA, UAB (www.finreda.net) / Corporate services provider. Legal, financial and business consulting & services including translations to Lithuanian and foreign companies GENCS VALTERS, Law Firm (www.gencs.eu ) / full service, general practice international business law firm with offices in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius focused on tax, litigation, M&A, corporate, immigration, finance and intellectual property law Growing Talent (www.growingtalent.eu/) / Providing executive coaching, and delivering training for leadership and talent development INOVA BALTIC, UAB (www.inovabaltic.com ) / Real estate and private equity investments, property and asset management LONDON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES (www.londonisl.com) / Business courses, specialized training for both IELTS and TOEFL university admission exams STRESS REGRESS (www.stressregress.com) / A business partnership dealing with stress issues, including testing, measurement and treatment, and offering advice for a healthier lifestyle including exercise, diet and supplements, among other options. MICHAEL LITTLE IR KO, UAB (www.mikelittle.lt) / ACCA accountancy tutors REENPRO, UAB (www.reenpro.lt) / We develop and construct Your solar energy park. Turn-key services. Green-field, roof-top, building integrated photovoltaic solutions SGandA (Smith Guttridge & Associates) (www.smith-guttridge. eu) / Business Psychology & HR Consulting including training/ coaching, career management and team and leadership development. Tauragė Industrial Park (www.tip.lt)/ Industrial premises for rent in Southwest Lithuania Vilnius International School (www.vischool.lt) / International Baccalaureate World School. Early childhood education, primary and middle school Vilnius MONTESSORI pre-School (www.vms.lt) / English Language pre-School VINKLERIS and partners (www.legalconsulting.lt/) / international law firm providing legal advice regarding taxes, company establishment and competition, as well as family and labor law issues
BCC Social Members Chris Butler NEW! Christian Ranft Erika Cisotti NEW! Geoffrey Cohn Graham Keith Hugh Miles Thomas OBE, FCA Dr Helene Ryding James McGeever Jūratė Rusteikaitė – Bakšienė Mark Whittle Mervyn Richardson Richard Wernick Ron Sheppard Sigitas Žutautas
BCC Board 2011-2013 Honorary President David Hunt, HM Ambassador to Lithuania Chairman Chris Butler BCC Social member Mike Little, Michael Little & Ko, UAB Algirdas Pekšys, SORAINEN Field of interest in the board - lobbying Alistair Day-Stirrat, Odontika, Dental Surgery Field of interest in the board - BCC paper Amit Majithia, Cormack Consultancy Baltic Lt Ltd Field of interest in the board - membership Geoffrey Cohn, BCC Social member Field of interest in the board - BCC paper Robertas Juodka, Law Firm VARUL Field of interest in the board - lobbying Rimantas Tuskevičius, EKO RIVI, UAB Field of interest in the board - lobbying Sergejus Fedotovas, Ūkio banko investicinė grupė, UAB Field of interest in the board – membership Tim Mahon, Deloitte Field of interest in the board - finances Observer Ieva Binkauskaitė, British Embassy, UK Trade and Investment Section
BCC paper Autumn 2012