On 24 January 2003 the company’s Supervisory Board assessed the business activities of the previous year. The business was successful and the company had a very intensive investment policy. 

The company had a revenue of SIT 7.62 billion, 8% more than in 2001. The profit grew by 14%, or by 65% if other business revenues are taken into account. According to the new Slovenian accounting standards, the current year’s business result is expected to come in at around SIT 730 million. Compared to 2001 and in terms of the former accounting standards, the business result in 2002 would have been 65% higher. The Supervisory Board estimates that shareholders will be paid their dividends at a minimum amount of SIT 1,000 gross, with the last word on this subject going to the members of the meeting on the distribution of profit.

In 2002 the company invested SIT 2.3 billion in the following activities:
· purchase of 40,200 m2 of land in Ljubljana and Murska Sobota;
· renovation of the Hall A facade;
· building the Aleja mladih park (youth centre) intended for sports, relaxation and entertainment;
· increasing the capacity of the Millenium sports centre to allow more space for fitness activities and massage;
· renovation of the shops in Halls 3 and D;
· renovation of Hall A in Novo mesto;
· arranging the outer plateau intended for warehousing in Češča vas;
· the start of works in the Murska Sobota subsidiary; the upgrading of 1,200m2 of warehouse space into office space in building IV in Ljubljana; and
· co-financing work on the roundabout on Bratislavska street.

In the previous year the company’s business partner Spar Slovenia finished building a 25,000 m2 warehousing area on Letališka street. BTC helped build the project and supervised the works. In January it took over the complete logistics activity and distribution for Spar shops all over Slovenia. Due to the increased capacity of logistics activities the number of employees rose by 8.5%.

In 2003 the company will invest more than SIT 2.5 billion. The biggest investment that is already in motion, that is the expansion of the shopping centre in Murska Sobota by an extra 6,700 m2, is worth SIT 1.3 billion. The new premises will be connected to the old space, Spar will expand its offer and thereby become the biggest provider of household supplies in northeast Slovenia. The new premises are expected to open their doors in the first half of the year.

For more information:
Marketing and Public Relations Department BTC plc
Šmartinska 152
SI – 1533 Ljubljana
Phone: 01 585 13 19
Fax: 01 585 13 76
e-mail: maja.oven@btc.si