Jože Mermal, Chairman of the Board of  Directors, BTC d.d.

Jože Mermal, university graduate in economics, started his professional career at BTC in 1978. He worked at different management positions until 1993, when he became Chairman of the Management Board of BTC. He served as the Director of the development and planning service, assistant to the General Director and Procurator for the commercial sector, Member of the Management Board of the joint stock company and responsible head of the Interspar shopping centre which was a key step in the creation of the modern BTC City. In 1997 Mr. Mermal led the demanding project of placing BTC stock on the London Stock Exchange. In 2019 BTC company transformed it’s business structure to one-tier management system in which Mr. Jože Mermal serves as a Chairman of the Board.

Jože Mermal is the author of the versatile project BTC City, which represents a one-stop-shop that combines business, shopping, entertainment, recreational and cultural programs. In fact, it is a business unique on an international scale, since in the 20 years the company has evolved from the organizer of the first Slovenian shopping center in Slovenia into the manager of one of the largest business, shopping and recreational centers in Europe with 21 million visits per year.

The development of BTC City has been most influenced by the excellent implementation of business plans and the intense investment of the last two decades. From 1993 to 2019, the company renovated 200,000 m2 of business premises and invested 269 million EUR, and its business partners an additional 184 million EUR. With its openness, the company has achieved partnerships with the most excellent domestic and foreign partners, which have influenced the strengthening of market contents, the top offer of BTC City, the implementation of the latest technology for individual programs. New synergies have established a new culture of social contact, and BTC City has become an important, indispensable part of the map of Ljubljana, which can no longer be ignored from either a domestic or an international perspective.

As the BTC company is involved in many projects that include the wider social environment – in the fields of culture, science, education, humanitarianism and sports – which Jože Mermal actively supports, the BTC company and Mr. Mermal personally have received many important awards over the years.

Awards and recognitions

• 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award in management awarded by the Managers’ Association of Slovenia
• 2017 Highest honor of the Municipality of Ljubljana – Honorary Citizen Jože Mermal
• 2016 Independent agency for the selection and promotion of managers / 34th Best European Managers Awards: Jože Mermal, Chairman of the Management Board of BTC, prestigious award for exceptional results of the BTC company under his leadership, the highest managerial lifetime achievement award of “Best Manager 2016” of Southeastern and Central Europe and “Best Company”.
• 2014 Award of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce for exceptional achievements in economics and business for 2013
• 2013 European award for socially responsible business practices in Slovenia, in the large business category for the project “BTC City and ladies ski jumping”
• 2012 The “Jože Mermal, patron of the year 2011 in culture” award
• 2012 The “Jože Mermal, Vision Manager” for visionary management and creativity
• 2011 BTC company nominated for European business award for the Ecoindex business model
• 2011 SiBrand award for the BTC City brand name
• 2011 JAPTI award for the most innovative business model for Ecoindex
• 2011 Horus Award for the most socially responsible company
• 2011 Diamond award for over 15 years of sponsorship for Cankarjev Dom
• 2010 The “Most environmentally friendly company” award
• 2005 Award of the Slovenian Scientific Foundation
• 2001 Primus Award – expert commendation for excellence in communication, awarded by the Slovenian Public Relations Society
• 1997 Award for “Jože Mermal, Manager of the Year”

Board of Directors

Executive Directors

From Central to Public Warehouses

The BTC company began in 1954 with the adoption of the founding contract for the Central Warehouses company at the incentive of the then Mayor of Ljubljana Marijan Dermastja. Expansion of operations and scope of business soon led the company to rename itself Public Warehouses. All of the warehousing activities in Ljubljana were thus consolidated in one place. In 1963 the company managed 68,867 m² of warehousing space. Just two years later the location grew into the largest goods storage facility in the former Yugoslavia.

Goods Transportation Centre Ljubljana – BTC

In 1975 the company developed into the largest goods and transport centre in former Yugoslavia and the Public Warehouses were again renamed into the Goods Transportation Centre Ljubljana (Blagovno-transportni center) – BTC. The company primarily operated in goods storage and distribution and in the period between 1977 and 1987 became one of the largest land terminals in Europe with 180,970 m2 of covered storage facilities. The warehouses stored goods prepared for export abroad and goods imported from Europe which were then distributed throughout Yugoslavia. The warehouses ware filled to capacity at all times.

BTC City

Over two decades of business transformation and urban renovation between 1993 and 2013 the BTC company – whose shares were successfully placed on the international capital market at the London Stock Exchange – pursued an intensive restructuring of the warehouse facilities and reorganisation of operations and developed into a property management company which now along with numerous business partners creates a harmonious fusion of different activities in a modern urban city space. The newly created BTC City is a diverse, architecturally modern, ambitiously reformed and carefully planned space, created as a response to the changing demands of modern times. The space has now become an integral part of the central cityscape and has established itself as a place of vibrant happening that anybody can participate in and co-create.

Growth of business premises and development of content at BTC City Ljubljana

/VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT/

Intensive investments and development

Revolution in space

Best practices around the world and new opportunities of modern time became the incentive that led BTC to reinterpret and redefine its space. The grey warehousing monolith at the edge of the city was gradually transformed into a modern city area. The changed image and new business purpose of the area became a generator of further company development, source of inspiration and constant challenge.

That is why every year of BTC’s history was marked by investments, either the company’s own or those of partners, through which the company realized set projects, many of them large in scale and breakthrough in nature. Their realization influenced the growth and expansion of operations that are based more and more on the principles of sustainable development.

BTC shares at the London Stock Exchange

Shares of the BTC company were listed on the London Stock Exchange between 1997 and 2001. The selling of shares at LSE brought the company important funds for further development.

Investments; construction 1993–2014

• 177,000 m2 of renovated business premises
• 150,000 m2 of new constructions
• The BTC company invested 241 million EUR.
• Partners of the BTC company invested 165 million EUR.

One-tier management system

With the consent of the BTC, d. d., Assembly, the BTC Company adopted a one-tier management system in July 2019. The change in company management from a two-tier to a one-tier management system was implemented to facilitate the inclusion of BTC Company owners in strategic management decision-making and the development of the company’s activities. Therefore, the Board of Directors will also include the representatives of owners, who will not deal with business operations directly but rather monitor them and be involved in decisions relating to the company’s strategic matters.

The one-tier management system requires the establishment of a Board of Directors. A four-member Board of Directors was unanimously approved by the Assembly, with an additional member of the Board of Directors proposed by the Works Council. On the basis of the decisions adopted during their constitutional meeting, the Board of Directors consists of Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jože Mermal (non-executive member), his deputy Helena Petrin (non-executive member), Andrej Repina (non-executive member), and an employee representative, also a non-executive member, who will be proposed by the Works Council. The chief executive director, who will be responsible for the business operations of BTC, d. d., along with the other executive directors, each responsible for separate domains, is mag. Damjan Kralj.

With the one-tier management system, the BTC Company continues with the implementation of its vision and strategy, ensures transparency and a greater inclusion of company owners in the process of the company’s strategic development and decision-making, and fosters intergenerational co-operation and the transfer of knowledge in the company.

From green projects and state of the art technology to inventive management solutions.

Management of property and space, development of assets and consulting engineering

Through its many years of development the BTC company profoundly transformed itself and renovated the expansive area of BTC City, developing in the process into an exceptionally well versed manager of property. The company is now successfully marketing its comprehensive expert knowledge and experience in the field of property management.

The company portfolio was supplemented by another new service: integrated management of business premises for other business partners. Clients benefit from a comprehensive insight into the local market as the operative, tactical and strategic aspects of building and spatial management constitute part of the company’s daily activities.

High quality services and innovative management solutions assure optimal processes in the management of buildings and premises and enable the achievement of optimum cost efficiency.

Sustainable development

All the business decisions the company adopts reflect its responsible attitude towards its business partners, visitors, greater community and the environment.

Innovative business services

Expert and innovative business services in property management have empowered the BTC company to expand its undertaking of managing and developing properties to groups of similar character, including shopping centres, logistics, business premises, …

Inventive management services are based on partnerships with key business partners. BTC strives for excellence in its management of properties owned by other business entities and its knowledge and experience is supplemented by specialised know-how of strategic partners such as Petrol in the field of energy, IBM Slovenia and Microsoft in IT and others.

Multidimensional growth

The BTC company maintains its dynamic character through various forms of growth, ranging from innovative services and new business content, projects based on sustainable development, synergy between local and foreign business partners, social responsibility … to entry into new market segments. We have close ties with various multinational corporations and local companies, allowing us to link new projects with the local community while assuring investors all the benefits of long term growth and optimal yields.

BTC has in conjunction with IBM Slovenia introduced the most modern information system for computer supported management of assets and services – IBM Maxima. The system supports integrated management of investment projects, space, energy and the environment.

Logistics

The BTC logistics centre builds on its long standing tradition of logistics services and wealth of knowledge and experience with modern information and communications technology. Modernisation of services across the board has strengthened BTC’s position on the logistics market and placed it among the leading service providers for higher end goods.

Globalisation

BTC company selects international business partners for long term strategic cooperation and strengthening of market content on the basis of trends and guidelines in the global and local arena.

Key generators of income:

• BTC Cities management
• Logistics services
• BTC PROP – Development and management of third party properties
• Mission: green
• Strategic projects

The future is now

In 2014 the company celebrated its 60th anniversary. Thoughts about where to take the company in the future developed gradually throughout the year, culminating in the realisation that we are bound not only to maintaining the continuity of our current success, stable development and goodwill, but also to put efforts towards emphasising modernity through new services and incentives for new and original creations. Our management is infused with vibrant energy and synergy among generations. The strategy is a sound foundation that will allow the company to continuously increase growth, act responsibly towards the environment and continue to co-create further socially responsible projects in various areas. In this sense the development strategy is more than just a document detailing the company’s plans to expand and increase in economic terms. It sets out a gradual transition into a new business culture for BTC, a culture focused on increased creativity, innovation and constant dynamics. We are certain that these guidelines will bring us to our goal – an open company in the year 2020.

The rich history of BTC has taught us that change is the only constant and that the company can only maintain its vitality and growth through taking on new and increasingly daunting business challenges posed by current social and economic circumstances. This realisation has led us to define our company mission for the 2014 – 2020 strategy as such: create conditions for the flourishing of new business opportunities.

Intensive and thorough work on the strategic plan showed that we are either already working on most of the anticipated new developments in the region or we are very close to launching. The company, which until recently focused its operations on two main sources of revenue, namely renting of properties and logistics, is expanding its portfolio by two further areas of operations – integrated management of third party properties and Mission: Green. Initial activities in these areas are already bearing fruit, but we are aware that most opportunities for growth and generating new value in both existing and new operations lie in the future.

Successful business in the past and new findings on business opportunities in the future are a source of optimism and we firmly believe that the company will maintain its position among the most successful companies in the region, create new jobs, co-create social wellbeing and keep its place among the most esteemed companies in Slovenia.

Jože Mermal, Chairman of the Board
october, 2013

Innovative services, creative solutions, partnership networks in dialogue with the future.

Management of property and space, development of assets and consulting engineering

Another major factor in the further development of BTC City beside the Ljubljana Intermodal Logistics Terminal will be the large scale new urban development project titled the Šmartinska Partnership.

A prestigious city quarter like New York’s Manhattan

Considerable investments over the past twenty years, particularly in new construction, renovations of facilities and infrastructure, energy efficiency and modern information technology have transformed the suburban industrial area into a modern city – BTC City, attesting to the company’s relentless pursuit of growth, development and expansion of activities.

This public-private partnership project, for which the Urban Municipality of Ljubljana published an international urban planning competition for a complete design concept of the area that directly borders on BTC City, will redefine the purpose of 230,000 m2 of degraded industrial land along one of the longest traffic routes in the city, Šmartinska street, and a railway line.

The selected concept proposes that the area be developed into a prestigious urban quarter the likes of New York’s Manhattan, with a number of business/commercial and residential buildings around a large central park.

Two of the projects planned in the Šmartinska Partnership have already been realised: the Crystal Palace and Plaza hotel.

BTC d.d. Corporate Governance Code

Company management and the Supervisory Board have adopted the Corporate Governance Code in order to further emphasise the ethical relations and conduct among all stakeholders in the company: company bodies, employees, shareholders, business partners and the wider community. Professional and appropriate relations and well defined responsibilities are the basis for good, transparent and forward looking management and a precondition for further development and all future successes of BTC.