INSTITUTIONAL AREA

OPENINGS

Offices on the Costa del Sol

On the 10th anniversary of SERHS Tourism in Andalusia, a new centre was opened in the tourist division in the Torremolinos Congress Palace (Malaga). This was opened by the mayor of Torremolinos, Mr. Pedro Fernández Montes, accompanied by the Chairman of the Grup SERHS, Mr. Ramon Bagó and the commercial manager of SERHS Tourism in Andalusia, Mr. Pedro Díaz who explained that “the group invoiced 60 million euros in the community in 2007 and this new headquarters will be the central base for contracting of all the offices in the country”. More than 50 people work in the SERHS Tourism office in Torremolinos in the high season; it operates with approximately 350 hotels and moves more than 250,000 tourists each year.

“The New Celaya”, a great display window

The past 28th May 2008 saw the official opening of the new facilities of Celaya, the company ascribed to SERHS Projects&Equipments. It must be remembered that this centenary company founded in 1884 enjoys renowned prestige in the sector of supplies and installations for hostelry. This inauguration opens its doors with new, completely refurbished facilities in the middle of the Barcelona Eixample, in carrer Comte d’Urgell, with an exhibition space of 1,500 m2.

“SERHS Tourism Cities” in Barcelona

The Area of Tourism has staked on urban destinations, so on the past 3rd March 2008, it opened offices on the Passeig de Gràcia in the Catalan capital. The aim of the new delegation is to expand the range of products contracted directly in all European cities although at first the objective is to cover the cities of the Spanish state. “Mix, Create and Share” is one of the concepts that defines the idea on which the business philosophy is based.



Catalunya en Miniatura presents the Sant Hilari Rural village

On 6th October 2007, in the emblematic Catalunya en Miniatura park in Torrelles del Llobregat (Baix Llobregat), a new model was opened that reproduces our Sant Hilari Sacalm Rural Village (La Selva) on a scale of 1:25. The event, which was presided by the assistant general manager of Tourist Programming of the Generalitat, Government of Catalonia, Mr. Jaume Font, was attended by the Chairman of Grup SERHS, Mr. Ramon Bagó, accompanied by the park manager Mr. Fernando de Ercilla, and the mayor of the municipality of Sant Hilari Sacalm, Mr. Joan Garriga and the mayoress of Torrelles de Llobregat, Mrs. Glòria Matas. Also present was a large group of shareholders of Grup SERHS who attended this memorable event along with the visitors to the park.

Creasa, new stores

We must mention the qualitative leap taken by the company Creasa, S.L. which on the past 13th May 2008 opened a modern, well-equipped facility of 2,000 m2 in the heart of the Mas Roger Industrial Estate in Pineda de Mar (El Maresme), thus gaining production capacity and competitiveness. These new facilities, in addition to applying an organisation restructuring, allowed the manufacturing and finishing function being performed up to the present time to be modernised. Likewise, the company will work as a logistics storage centre and a base point for the team of installers, and after-sales and maintenance service.

SERHS New Technologies, new facilities

The operative area of SERHS New Technologies increased its operative capacity and know how, and also its activities at the service of the different areas of the Grup SERHS. The improvement was made both in the field of telecommunications, telephony, systems, software development, and in internet and e-commerce strategies. For this reason, the new facilities were recently opened with modern equipment and a diaphanous plant with the companies Migjornser and VectorK working alongside each other.



CELEBRATIONS

DIBAMA,S.A. celebrated its 30th anniversary in the Castell Jalpí

The company’s trajectory is closely linked to the history of the Grup SERHS. In the beginning, SERHS was a cooperative strongly related to DIBAMASA until it entered the Group. More than 350 people, all workers, self-employed, partners and people working with DIBAMASA, enjoyed the magnificent space of the Jalpí Castle and celebrated the 30th anniversary. The chairman of the area of SERHS Distribution, Mr. Albert Bagó i Mons, was the host and in his speech thanked everybody for having answered the invitation and took the opportunity to note that DIBAMASA was the embryo for Grup SERHS of its powerful Distribution Area (photo 1).

XXXII SERHS Evening

On the past 4th March 2008 in the Santa Susanna multi-sports centre (El Maresme), there was a new edition of the annual party of the Grup SERHS, the dinner of the 32nd Evening. More than 600 people gathered to celebrate the dynamism and the operation of the corporation, of the First Tourist Group in Catalonia. The meeting was presided by the Minister for Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, the Rt. Hon. Mr. Josep Huguet (photo 6), who was accompanied by some people responsible for the tourism department, such as the general manager Mr. Joan Carles Vilalta, the assistant manager for Tourist Planning Mr. Jaume Font, and the director of Turisme de Catalunya Mr. Ignasi Delàs. The presence must also be highlighted of the presence of the chairman of Port Aventura, Mr. Lluís Rullán, who collected one of the evening’s awards, and a large representation from the different levels of administration, along with senior managers from the business and financial world who maintain a relationship with the corporation (photo 2).

SERHS awards and distinctions

In this edition, the awards given were: “Special prize for trajectory and commitment to SERHS”, “Manager of the year award” and “Distinguished worker award”. The first of these prizes is a distinction that was created in the previous edition of the SERHS Evening and which is awarded to institutions or companies with a special trajectory and commitment to SERHS due to their close relationship in time, not only with regard to mercantile matters, but also bearing in mind the human side of the relationship. The “Special prize for trajectory and commitment to SERHS” went to the Port Aventura theme park and was collected by the park’s chairman Mr. Lluís Rullán (photo 3) who, in addition to giving his thanks, remembered the links and relationships that this magnificent park has with our corporation. With regard to the “Manager of the year award” this year it went to Mr. Rafael Aranda Rodrigo (photo 4), the manager of our agency, Rhodasol S.A. in Zaragoza, a professional who has always had an exemplary attitude for his colleagues and has proven great responsibility. Today he can see with satisfaction that his work and dedication have taken the Rhodasol agency to the forefront of the Spanish ranking.

We can not say that the “Distinguished worker award” is the most important, because they all are, but it does have a special meaning as it is awarded to the person representing the broadest collective of SERHS. This year the winner was Mr. Manuel Salazar Espejo (photo 5), the kitchen manager of our Sant Hilari Sacalm Rural Village. The presentation of each award was preceded by a small collection of images of each of the winners.





Organisation of the 11th Natalie Tours Congress in Granada

Under the guard of the Department of Incentives and Congresses of SERHS Tourism and SERHS Tourism Andalusia, more than 200 travel agents and counter staff of the Russian operator Natalie Tours took part from 8th to 13th March 2008 in the annual congress of the company, held in the brilliant Hotel Nazaries ***** in Granada. The congress organisation came at a time of special interest from “Turismo Andaluz”, the public company dependant on the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Sport of the Government of Andalusia, organising a powerful workshop with the participation of the whole varied offer of tourist products of the community, and also to establish a meeting between travel agents and sector professionals. There was also cooperation, by also organising a route around the territory, from the Provincial Association of Tourism of Cordoba, the Russian air company AEROFLOT, the hotel chain “Sol Melià Hotels & Resorts”, and the tourist promotion body of the Spanish state “TURESPAÑA”.

EXPOSERHS 2008 at Port Aventura

Once more we must highlight the organisational success and participation achieved at the ExpoSERHS, the interactive Fair Exhibition for professionals of hostelry, restaurants and collectives, held in the past April 2008 within the incomparable framework of Port Aventura (Tarragonès region). This, the tenth edition, undoubtedly consolidated the unique, singular event in the sector of hostelry and restaurants. ExpoSERHS 2008 received more than 6,000 certified professionals in a fair space of more than 6,600 m2 with 100 exhibitors from all areas of activity.

SERHS Forum

The Castell Jalpí in Arenys de Munt (El Maresme) has become the new centre for holding the traditional SERHS Forum, which has given it a suitable space, the Sala August Borràs, for members of the corporation to be able to listen and compare everything we can do to improve our country with people of great value and concerned with our future. On 14th June 2007 the first Fòrum SERHS of the year was held with the participation of Dr. Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, teacher of Economic Theory in Barcelona University, who developed a talk with the title “Aeroports catalans de peix al cove”. On 24th October, the meeting revolved around the talk opened by Dr. Ramon Folch, sociologist and general manager of the company ERF, who gave a pleasant talk called “Environment, Economy and Sustainability”. Dr. Folch made all of those attending reflect on the subject of the environment directly related to our present economy and explained that our present lifestyle and particularly our processes of work division, land occupation, transport, industrial production, agriculture, consumption and leisure activities, make us particularly responsible for many of the environmental problems facing humanity.

This was followed on 23rd January 2008 by the Fòrum SERHS carried out by Mr. Salvador Cardús (photo 7), sociologist and doctor in Economic Science at the UAB. The talk dealt with the subject of “Challenges and opportunities for immigration in Catalonia” and was also attended by more than a hundred people between workers and shareholders of the corporation.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ramon Bagó, named “Citizen of the State of Rio Grande do Norte” (Brazil)

On the past 19th September 2007, within the assembly of Ministers of this Brazilian state, Ramon Bagó was solemnly named “Citizen of the State of Rio Grande do Norte”. He was accompanied by the managing director Mr. Jordi Bagó Mons, the general manager Mr. Josep Puig and the Grup SERHS delegate in Brazil, Mr. Ivanaldo Becerra, and also the majority of those responsible for the management areas of the SERHS NATAL Grand Hotel, which was able to take part in a ceremonious, solemn event in the legislative building of Rio Grande do Norte. Here, in the Plenary Assembly of Ministers, presided by its chairman Robinson Faria accompanied by the living forces of the state, in a solemn act the chairman of Grup SERHS was awarded the appointment of “Ciutadà Potiguar”. The event was widely covered by the different Brazilian media and was even broadcast live by a Natal television station. In his speech of thanks, Ramon Bagó stressed the understanding and help received from the executive powers of the Government of Rio Grande do Norte, and from the judicial powers by posing and carrying out the construction project of the SERHS Natal Grand Hotel, which has become an extremely welcoming hotel unit with high quality in the services given. And he transmitted the distinction to the whole team of people of Grup SERHS in Rio Grande do Norte.

The Grup SERHS chairman, rewarded with the prize to “The pioneering entrepreneur” of the CETT

Within the incomparable framework of the Paranimf of Barcelona University, on 12th June 2007 the “pioneering entrepreneur” award was given, and honorific distinction created by the Centre d’Estudis Tècnics Turístics (CETT), the entity promoted in 1969 and led by the teacher Gaspar Espuña. The prize was given to the chairman of Grup SERHS, Mr. Ramon Bagó, and is intended to recognise the enterprising spirit, innovation as a competitive strategy and the creation of companies in the tourist sector, and for having worked in body and soul on developing the tourist and hotel sector in our country. Grup SERHS receives the SIDEM Trophy for business management In its 9th edition, a jury made up of 10 SIDEM engineers chose to distinguish the Grup SERHS for its expansion and management in the business world. The choice was between companies of renowned prestige and it was finally the Catalan company that took the prize. The chairman of Grup SERHS, Ramon Bagó, collected the SIDEM Trophy for the best business management carried out by the Grup SERHS management team, accompanied by the managing director of the corporation, Jordi Bagó. The board member Ricard Martin of SIDEM, the body that gathers teams of consultants who study and evaluate the evolution and the dealings of companies, gave the award.



SERHS Tourism Eivissa, distinguished by “Hotels4U” in the WTM

During the last edition of World Travel Market (WTM) in London held in the past December 2007, there was the annual dinner of the “Hotels4U” operator, attended by the collaborators. Here Mrs. Teresa Martínez López, the manager of sales and contracting in Ibiza, collected the prize for the best “SERHS Tourism Eivissa” receiver. 2007 was the first year that this issuer had operated with “SERHS Tourism” in the Balearic Islands.

Dimarser, finalist of the Accord 2007 awards

The Accord award is given to companies performing good contracting practices with groups with problems of labour insertion. The company Dimarser SL of Benicarló, ascribed to the Area of SERHS Distribution, was given the honorary “Social Quality Agreement 2007” award by the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Castellón. This recognition is due to the company’s initiative in bringing in 4 people with slight mental disability in the summer season. The four workers do container classifying and organising work in the store and come from the Centre Occupational del Maestrat, dependant on the Valencia Institute of Attention to the Disabled (IVADIS) and ascribed to the Government of Valencia, with which it signed a cooperation agreement in 2005.