Sharrcem

Cement Leader Building Tomorrow’s Kosovo

Sharrcem continues to drive Kosovo’s economy forward. Now under new management following the acquisition of Sharr Beteiligungs GmbH by the Titan Group (from the Holcim Group), Sharrcem is set for continued expansion. The company achieved turnover of €45 million in 2009, representing an impressive growth of €7 million over the year, a record for Sharrcem and a reflection of its potential for further success.

A current challenge for Titan is to acquire Sharrcem’s assets from the government. Managing Director Emmanuel Mitsou says, “Sharrcem’s assets belong to the state and we run the whole business. The full privatisation process is in the final stage and
we are in talks with the Privatisation Agency of Kosovo for the acquisition of all assets of the Sharrcem plant.”

Titan, in business for more than a century, has a clearly defined growth strategy in place for Sharrcem once it obtains these assets. Emmanuel Mitsou says that Titan will move forward in upgrading Sharrcem’s organisation, technology and processes thus bringing the plant up to Titan’s international standards. He notes that the Kosovo market presents a number of challenges which require skilled, experienced and fl exible management, one reason Sharrcem has achieved success there.

Titan has made a long-term commitment to Sharrcem and to Kosovo. Emmanuel Mitsou explains, “Titan is one of the biggest players in its field in the Balkans, which is why the group wants to establish a strong presence in Kosovo. We are here to stay and make Sharrcem a state-of-the-art facility.” An active member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Sharrcem
aims to reinforce its CSR activities to the benefit of the community, and it has already cooperated with nongovernmental organisations from Western Europe concerning local infrastructure projects.

A country set for growth

Kosovo is rapidly catching up with European countries as to become a modern and well-structured marketplace. As Emmanuel Mitsou points out, “Kosovo has a skillful and youthful population determined to move forward and we are committed to helping the country achieve prosperity. Our aim is to keep providing high quality products and, through our group policies, make Sharrcem the point of reference in Corporate Social Responsibility principles.”

Emmanuel Mitsou urges international investors to target Kosovo. He says, “For investors, the government here is very open and accessible, and we have never experienced any examples of corruption. There are challenges here but also huge opportunities. Kosovo is a country that will prosper.”

Sharr Beteiligungs GmbH
71510 Hani i Elezit – Kosovo
Tel: +381 290 385 500
Fax: +381 290 385 510
www.sharrcem.com

Tags: cement, Emmanuel Mitsou, Kosovo, sharrcem, Titan Group