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1.1 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE GREECE The Demographics of Greece
refer to the demography of the population that
inhabits the Greek peninsula. As of January 2008, the population
of Greece is
estimated at 11,262,000 by Eurostat.
Greece was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic period. Prior
to the 2nd
millennium BC, the Greek peninsula was inhabited by various
pre-Hellenic
peoples, the most notable of which were the Pelasgians. The
Greek language
ultimately dominated the peninsula and Greece's mosaic of small
city-states
became culturally similar. The population estimates on the
Greeks during the 4th
century BC, is approximately 3.5 million on the Greek peninsula
and 4 to 6.5
million in the rest of the entire Mediterranean Basin,[5]
including all colonies such
as those in Magna Graecia, Asia Minor and the shores of the
Black Sea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurostathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_millennium_BChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_millennium_BChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_millennium_BChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelasgianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Basinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Graeciahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea
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Population: 11,329,618
Growth rate: 0.146%
Birth rate: 9.45 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 10.51 deaths/1,000 population
Life expectancy: 79.66 years
–male: 77.11 years
–female: 82.37 years Fertility rate: 1.50 children
born/woman
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.3%
15-64 years: 66.6%
65-over: 19.1%
Sex ratio: Nationality:
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.00 male(s)/female
65-over: 0.78 male(s)/female Nationality: noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
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1.2 GEOGRAPHY OF
Continent: Europe
Region: Southern
Coordinates: 39°00′N
Area:
131,940
99.1%
0.9% water
Borders:
1,228 km
Albania:
Bulgaria:
Turkey:
Rep. Macedonia:
Highest point: Mount Ol
Lowest point: Mediterra
Longest river: Haliacmon
Largest lake: Trichonida
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OF THE GREECE
n Europe (Balkan Peninsula)
′N 22°00′E / 39°N 22°E
Ranked
km2 (50,940
Total land
(7
282 km
494 km
206 km
donia: 228 km (142 mi)
lympus: 2,919 m
anean Sea: 0 m
n: 322 km (200 mi)
a: 98.6 km2 (38.1 sq mi)
96th
sq mi)
land
borders:
(763 miles)
(175 mi)
(307 mi)
(128 mi)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkan_Peninsulahttp://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Geography_of_Greece¶ms=39_00_N_22_00_E_type:countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_bordershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgariahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgariahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Macedoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Macedoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliacmonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Trichonida
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1.3 ECONOMIC REVIEW OF THE GREECE The economy of Greece is the
32nd largest in the world by nominal gross
domestic product (GDP) and the 37th largest at purchasing power
parity (PPP),
according to data by the World Bank for the year 2010. Per
capita, it is ranked
33rd by nominal GDP and 31st at PPP according to the 2010 data.
A developed country, Greece is a member of the European Union, the
euro zone,
the OECD, the World Trade Organization and the Black Sea
Economic
Cooperation Organization.
The service sector contributes 78.8% of GDP, industry 17.9%, and
agriculture
3.3%. The public sector accounts for about 40% of total economic
output. Greece is
the 31st most globalize country in the world and is classified
as a high-income
economy.
GDP - per capita (purchasing power parity)
$29,600 (2010)
$31,000 (2009)
$31,700 (2008)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developed_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_Black_Sea_Economic_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_Black_Sea_Economic_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_Black_Sea_Economic_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertiary_sector_of_the_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_sector_of_the_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_sector_of_the_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_sectorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_income_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_income_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_income_economy
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Rank: 32nd (nominal, 2010)
37th (PPP, 2010)
Currency: 1 euro = 100 cents
Trade organizations EU, WTO, OECD, BSEC Statistics
GDP: $312.042 billion (nominal, 2011)
$309.231 billion (PPP, 2011
GDP growth: 5.0% (Q3 2011 compared with Q3
2010, non-seasonally-adjusted)
GDP per capita: $27,875 (nominal, 2011)
$27,624 (PPP, 2011)
GDP by sector agriculture: 3.3%; industry: 17.9%; services:
78.8%
(2010)
Inflation (CPI) 2.9% (November 2011)
Unemployment : 17.7% (Q3 2011)
Main industries: tourism; shipping; industrial products,
food and tobacco processing, textiles;
chemicals, metal products; mining,
petroleum
Exports: €16.3751 billion (2010)
Export goods: food and beverages, manufactured
goods, petroleum products, chemicals,
textiles
Imports: €48.1074 billion (2010)
Import goods machinery, transport equipment, fuels,
and chemicals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominal_GDPhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_Power_Parityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_Black_Sea_Economic_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_price_indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment
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1.4 Monetary Policy In October 2008, i.e. about a year and a
half ago, the Bank of Greece stressed in
its Monetary Policy Interim Report that the Greek economy was at
a crucial
juncture and that, as the global economic situation worsened,
the
macroeconomic imbalances and structural weaknesses of the
domestic economy
would become more severe and more difficult to address.
• In the Monetary Policy Report that followed in February 2009,
the Bank of
Greece warned about everything that is happening today –
stressing, in
particular, the possibility of a rise in the cost of borrowing.
As that Report stated,
“a widening of the yield spread would increase the future burden
on taxpayers”.
• Lastly, in October 2009, the Monetary Policy Interim Report
underlined the need
to send a clear message to the markets that Greece is determined
to implement
a multi-year plan of fiscal consolidation and structural
reforms.
Unfortunately, the developments during the past few months have
confirmed the
Bank’s warnings and undermined confidence in the future of the
Greek economy:
Since April 2009, Greece has been subject to the Excessive
Deficit Procedure,
as the deficits of both 2007 and 2008 exceeded the reference
value set by the
Treaty. In 2009, as the Bank of Greece had warned, the general
government
deficit reached 12.9% of GDP and public debt stood at 115% of
GDP. These
developments triggered a series of downgrading of Greece’s
credit ratings and
led to a large widening in the yield spread between Greek and
German
government bonds – resulting in increased borrowing and
debt-servicing costs
for the Greek government. The increase in debt-service
expenditures, in turn,
increased the country’s budget deficit, made fiscal
consolidation more difficult to
achieve, and had serious repercussions for the real economy and
the banking
system. The Greek economy is caught in a vicious circle, with
only one way out:
the drastic reduction of the fiscal deficit and debt so that
there is an immediate
reversal of the current trend.
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1.5 SOME COMPARISION
S.No Factor Greece India
1 Population 11,329,618 1189172864
2 GDP real growth rate 5.0 10.4
3 Per capital income (US Dollar) $29,600 3500
4 Inflation rate (%) (CPI) 2.9 11.7
5 Exports (Billion $) 16.3751 225
6 Imports (Billion $) 48.1074 357.7
7 Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
(%)
17.7 9.4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_price_index
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1.6 India – Greece Trade Data
Year India’s
Exports
India’s
Imports
Total Trade
2006-07 671.98 209.49 841.47
2007-08 530.95 126.81 657.44
2008-09 878.43 69.49 947.92
2009-2010 452.80 154.13 606.93
(Source: Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce,
Government of India)
The main items of Greece’s exports to India are machinery,
rubber and plastic
products, cotton, copper products, iron and steel products and
chemicals.
The main items of India’s exports are machinery, automobiles and
auto parts,
iron and steel, aluminum, copper, dyes and chemicals, and
textiles and garments
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1.7 PEOPLE IN GREECE
Nationality: Greek
Population: 11,329,618
Population growth rate: 0.083
Region: Southern Europe (Balkan Peninsula)
Birth rate: 9.21 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 10.7 deaths/1,000 population Net migration rate:
2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 populations
Urbanization: urban population: 61% of total population
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkan_Peninsula
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1.8 INDIA- GREECE RELATIONSHIP
Greek-Indian relations are the relations between Greece and
India. Greece has
an embassy in New Delhi and 3 honorary consulates in Kolkata,
Chennai and
Mumbai. India has an embassy in Athens.
The first contact between both civilization dates back from
Alexander the Great’s
and King Porus's Battle of the Hydaspes River . In modern time,
diplomatic
relations between Greece and India were established in May 1950.
The new
Greek Embassy building in New Delhi was inaugurated on February
6, 2001.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkatahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Porushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Hydaspes_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi
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List of recent bilateral visits
• In December 2000, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou
visited
India.
• In February 2001, Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Simitis
visited India.
• In September 2006, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee
visited
Greece.
• In April 2007, President of India Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen
Abdul Kalam
made an unofficial visit to Athens.
Political relations
The most recent high-level visits date from December 2000, when
the then
Greek Foreign Minister, Mr. Georgios Papandreou, carried out an
official visit to
India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In February 2001, the then Prime
Minister of
Greece, MrKonstantinos Simitis, carried out an official visit to
India following an
invitation by the then Prime Minister of India H.E. Mr A.
Vajpayee. The former
Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. A. Kaklamanis visited
India from 15-21
February 2003 and had useful contacts with Indian officials.In
2007, the Minister
of Economy and Finance, Mr. G. Alogoskoufis, carried out a visit
to India from 7
to 11/2/2007, followed by Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Petros
Doukas (11-
14/11/2007).
Economic and trade relations
Greece and India have traditionally enjoyed close and amicable
relations, and in
recent years, there has been a trend towards broader bilateral
economic and
trade relations. Greek imports from India include cotton,
synthetic fibers, fabrics,
vehicles, iron, steel and fruit, while Greek exports to India
include fibers,
fertilizers, organic chemicals, pharmaceutical products, leather
goods, metal
processing machinery, etc. The Greek Embassy’s Office of
Economic and Trade
Affairs opened in 2000 in New Delhi, in an effort to promote
closer economic
cooperation between the two countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Papandreou_%28junior%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_Lok_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens
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Cultural relations Cultural relations between Greece and India
date back some three thousand
years. Within the framework of Greek-Indian cultural
cooperation, the Oasis
Foundation has awarded prizes and grants to Indian
intellectuals. In May 1999,
an Indian-Greek Friendship Society was set up in New Delhi, with
the support of
the Greek Embassy. Its members include distinguished Indian
philhellenes, and it
is aimed at promoting social and cultural action. In 1988, the
Greek Society
Kyklos was set up in Calcutta, with a membership of Indian
intellectuals who
share an interest in, and admiration for, Greek civilization.
Cultural links between the two countries have been celebrated with
a host of
events, including film festivals, book presentations, concerts,
plays, exhibitions,
etc., whilst on 9/9/2003 the Programmed of Educational Exchanges
was renewed
for the years 2003 -2006.
Greek community
There are a very small number of Greek families at various
locations around the
country.
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1.9 PEST ANALYSIS
PEST refers to all political, economic, social and technological
factors affecting
any industry. The objective of PEST analysis is to objectively
study the
environmental factors facing a firm, company or an industry. The
external
environment affects the company in many different manners and
unlike internal
environment it cannot be influenced much.
Political Factors
The political factors affecting the construction and housing
industry mostly
consists of documentation and permits that has to be obtained
during the various
phases of construction of a structure and its sale.
§ Building Commencement Certificate: Construction of a building
or any
such structure cannot take place unless and until the builder or
the
company secures a commencement certificate from the authority;
in case
of Mumbai it is the BMC who gives IOD&CC- Intimation of
Disapproval &
Commencement Certificate.
§ Floor Space Index (FSI): FSI is basically a ratio, which
determines how tall
buildings or a structure can be constructed on a particular
plot. The local
authority issues it.
§ Occupation Certificate: After the completion of construction
work of a
building, the builder or the company has to secure an
Occupation
Certificate without which the flats in the building cannot be
occupied for
residential or commercial purposes.
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Economic Factors
Fluctuations in prices of inputs: Many builders tend to stop
work when the
prices of inputs like cement; iron etc goes up so as to wait for
the time when
they expect the prices will come down. This result in
unnecessary delay in the
work and the cost of wasting time would actually be more than
the increase in
price.
Changes in demand: Changes in demand due to factors like changes
in
disposable income of prospective buyers and inflation. Also with
the easy
availability of housing loans and tax exemption on loans the
demand for
houses is rising.
Future Growth & Resale Value: Any project must be located in
an area that if
not fully developed must at least be on the way. This is because
people prefer
those areas having high resale value and will fetch them a good
amount of
gain.
Stamp Duty & Registration: Payments of Stamp duty followed
by the
registration of the agreement are two important acts when one
enters into an
agreement with a developer/seller. With the decrease in the
stamp duty by
50% it is considered as a good sign for Construction Sector.
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Social Factors
§ Credibility of the company/firm: People don know what kind of
materials
has been used in the construction of a building or a structure.
Credibility of
a builder or the company plays an important role in convincing
the buyer
to buy the house and be sure of the quality of construction work
done. A
low credibility or image can lead to poor financial performance.
A good
image is not just built in a day; it takes years of servicing
the society
through following high standards of work in the process of
construction
and sale.
§ Perceived Image of the property developed: A flat in a
so-called area may
cost much more than a one in an area. This factor can also
determine the
success of failure of a project. A flat is selected on the basis
of
infrastructure facilities like water availability, transport
facilities, nearness
to schools, colleges, hospitals, shopping complexes, leisure
centers, etc.
§ Building Facilities: The builders may offer buildings that
have swimming
pools, health-clubs, gyms & parks.
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Technical Factors Due to technical nature of the construction
process, the technical environment
keeps on changing everyday. There are developments in techniques
used,
materials used and various other such aspects of the
construction business. A
few of such developments are as follows
§ Pre-structured Concrete Blocks: These are blocks of concrete,
which are
made in the factories according to the dimensions of the
building or
structure to be built. It is just like a jigsaw puzzle where
these blocks are
put together using a huge crane and joined together using mortar
by
workers. This enables quick completion of work and also
economies of
scale.
§ Mixture of Cement and Sand: nowadays in order to save time
the
constructor can order the mixture of sand and cement directly
from the
suppliers as against the traditional way of ordering cement and
sand
separately and then filtering them and then mixing it.
§ Other Equipments: other modern machines that are used in
construction
are the use of huge drilling type of machines to dig the ground,
which was
before done by workers.
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2.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE PHILEKRAM JOHNSON S.A. Philkeram-Johnson
group consists of the homonymous company, Biomichaniki
Metalleftiki S.A. and Hippocampos S.A. Philkeram-Johnson S.A.
established in 1962 by Philippou family and Christos
Constantopoulos in the area of Patriarhiko, Thessaloniki.
Philkeram-Johnson was
the first ceramic tile producer in Greece, occupying 18 people
and producing
80.000 m² yearly. With 43 years of know-how, it seems to be a
real model
industry. Nowadays, 400 people are working for the production of
4.500.000 m².
30% of its production is being exported to 29 countries and is
one of the greatest
ceramic tile industries in Europe.
Ph/J S.A. since the beginning of its activity continues to give
great consideration
to quality in all aspects and fields, e.g. raw materials,
production process,
research and development, technological evolution, quality
control procedures in
all phases of production run and packaging, warehousing,
customer service, staff
administration.
Ph/J holds the ISO 9001:2000 quality certificates but also a
wide range of 1200+
products that include:
Wall tiles
Floor tiles for internal and external use
Swimming pool tiles
Tiles for all kinds of industrial uses (heavy duty) The modern
know-how, the advanced technology, the experienced personnel
and the continuous control in all production phases that are
beyond international
specifications, constitute a life time warranty for superior
quality product. The
great variety of tiles designed according to the most
contemporary trends of
style, meets the requirements for a higher standard of living.
And this because
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Philkeram-Johnson S.A. always looks for a better way to offer in
every consumer
alternatives of a whole life.
The group of companies Philkeram-Johnson S.A. equals quality.
Quality is
our AIM but first of all is our COMMITMENT.
Philkeram Johnson S.A. was the first and largest ceramic tiles
producer in
Greece and was established in 1961 by the Philippou family and
Christos
Constantopoulos. In the 2000s, it occupied 350 people and had an
annual
production of 4.500.000 m². Almost 30% of the production was
exported to more
than 20 countries.
Up until 1962 the Greek market covered its needs of ceramic tile
by importing
from advanced industrial countries. The Philippou family,
devoted to the ceramic
art for 120 years, studied the market requirements and with the
establishment of
PHILKERAM in 1962, proceeded to design and produce a high
industrial level
product: the 'Earthenware' tile. The successful operation of
Philkeram during the
first two years of its existence drew the attention of
international investors. So the
English house Richard Tiles Ltd proposed a 50% cooperation with
the company,
which was accepted and renamed Philkeram - Richards S.A., thus
tripling its
production and substantially increasing the company's
exports.
In 1966 Philkeram - Richards S.A. introduced, for the first
time, the relief tile,
thereby increasing its exports to the EEC and the Middle East.
The increased
demand was dealt with investment in new equipment and the
quadrupling of
staff. In 1969 Richard Tiles Ltd merged with H & R Johnson
Ltd, leading the
company's title to be changed again to Philkeram - Johnson S.A.
The invested
capital reached 100,000,000 GRD, while the ownership structure
is maintained at
previous levels. The staff stood at 350 people and the sheltered
company area
covered 21,000 m2. In 1979, H & R Johnson was acquired by
Nocros Plc, which
today still owns 50% of Philkeram - Johnson S.A. In 1982
Industrial Mining S.A.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/w/106078956090444http://www.facebook.com/pages/w/106078956090444
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is founded, which produces and markets building materials, with
special
expertise in tile adhesives and grouts.
At first Philkeram Johnson produced only white square tiles
(15x15 cm). Soon,
however, the range spread to other colors. Then the company
proceeded to
install decorative machines that allowed the company to present
a wider range of
designs and colors, thus beginning the first exports.
Development continued with
the production of wall tiles of various dimensions as well as
experimenting with
and studying the production of tiles and flooring.
2.2 INTRODUCTION OF THE BUILDING MATERIAL
INDUSTRY
Building material is any material which is used for a
construction purpose. Many
naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and
rocks, even twigs
and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from
naturally occurring
materials, many man-made products are in use, some more and some
less
synthetic. The manufacture of building materials is an
established industry in
many countries and the use of these materials is typically
segmented into
specific specialty trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing
and insulation
work. They provide the make-up of habitats and structures
including homes.
Contents
FABRIC
MUD AND CLAY
WOOD
ROCK
CONCRETE
GLASS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpentryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumbinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roofinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_insulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Human_habitatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture
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PLASTIC
CEMENT COMPOSITES
BUILDING PRODUCTS 2.3 Structure of building material
industry
There are several types of establishments that fall into the
retail lumber and
building materials category. The largest categories, by far, are
lumberyards,
home centers, and warehouse home centers.
Lumberyards, whether as single establishments or parts of a
chain, rely heavily
on the industry's traditional customer base of contractors,
builders, remodelers,
and other professionals. Most of their business, anywhere from
two-thirds to
three-quarters, comes directly from the sale of lumber and
building material. Most
of these businesses average annual sales of about $3.8 million
per unit.
Sutherland Lumber, Grossman's, and 84 Lumber fall into this
category.
Home centers, which often sell hardware as well as lumber and
building
materials, generally occupy about 30,000 to 35,000 square feet.
Due to their
size, they greatly outsell the smaller lumberyards. Many of
these sales are to do-
it-yourselfers, as well as professionals. Hechinger, Lowe's
Companies, and
Payless Cashways are home centers.
By contrast, warehouse home centers have an average of more than
100,000
square feet of floor space. They boast a wide selection of
merchandise at lower
prices, although they offer fewer frills than the smaller
stores. Home Depot,
Builder's Square, and HQ (Home Quarters) are warehouse home
centers. At the
end of 1999, annual sales reported by the U.S. Department of
Commerce
20
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included totals from both home centers and warehouse home
centers. The sales
per unit averaged almost $13 million annually.
Competition has driven many retailers to find new ways of
attracting customers.
Many outlets offer custom bath and kitchen design and
installation, home
decorating merchandise, garden centers, and "how to" classes.
Some, such as
Lowe's, have moved into even more diverse areas, such as
electronics,
appliances, home office equipment, accessories, and
software.
Establishments in this industry purchase lumber from wholesalers
or direct from
factories and mills. Most of the lumber and wood products come
from the Pacific
Northwest and the Southeast. Other building materials, such as
paints, cement,
hardware, and related supplies, usually were purchased through
wholesalers,
specialty distributors, or direct from the manufacturer. Some
larger chains carried
their own labels on products they sold through contractual
agreement with
manufacturers. Larger stores also worked with manufacturers in
training
employees about particular product lines.
The industry is represented in federal government policy-making
processes by
the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association
(NLBMDA.) The
NLBMDA also provides educational and informational programs to
meet industry
needs. Some 6,800 retail lumber and building materials dealers,
in all 50 states,
belong to the association. The NLBMDA also publishes the
Building Materials
Retailer, a monthly magazine, and maintains a site on the World
Wide Web.
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2.4 Group's Activities of philekram Johnson S.a. Ph/J S.A. since
the beginning of its activity continues to give great
consideration
to quality in all aspects and fields, e.g. raw materials,
production process,
research and development, technological evolution, quality
control procedures in
all phases of production run and packaging, warehousing,
customer service, staff
administration.
Using Economically Designed Shewhart and Adaptive X - Charts
for Monitoring the Quality of Tiles This paper presents a
detailed study leading to the industrial application of
relatively new concepts in control chart design for more
effective statistical
monitoring of a critical stage of tile manufacturing. The
motivation for the study
came on one hand from the endeavor of the management of
Philkeram -
Johnson S.a. (PJ for brevity), a major Greek manufacturer of
ceramic tiles, to
continuously improve their on-line quality assurance methods and
on the other
hand from the authors’ observation that such an improvement
could be based on
the utilization of economically designed control charts. Current
quality monitoring practice in tile formation
The currently used quality monitoring procedure in the tile
formation stage is the
following. At the beginning of each shift (i.e., every 8 hours)
three tiles are
collected, one from each stream/pressing position (corresponding
to a die of the
punching set), and their penetrability is measured at an
adjacent working bench.
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23
2.5 COMPARATIVE POSITION OF BUILDING MATERIAL
INDUSTRY WITH INDIA
Building material is any material which is used for a
construction purpose. Many
naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and
rocks, even twigs
and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from
naturally occurring
materials, many man-made products are in use, some more and some
less
synthetic. The manufacture of building materials is an
established industry in
many countries and the use of these materials is typically
segmented into
specific specialty trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing
and insulation
work. They provide the make-up of habitats and structures
including homes. One
of the biggest boosts for the building materials sector is the
seemingly endless
raising of the bar by various national planning departments on
“green” building.
The green building materials market was worth some US$60 billion
in 2009 in the
United States alone, with the residential market being a major
driver. One of the
biggest segments of this market is the green floor-coverings
sector, with
renewable products such as woven floor coverings, bamboo, or
cork being in
huge demand.
India Greece keen to enhance trade and economic ties bilateral
trade with
Greece up by 84 percent
• India and Greece as emerging economies While the Greek and
euro zone debt crisis is the current preoccupation of policy
makers, Indian newspapers and TV channels are virtually silent
on the matter.
After all, India’s economy is booming – growing at a solid 8%;
what can India
have to worry about?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpentryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumbinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roofinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_insulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Human_habitatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecturehttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-10-17/news/30289833_1_indian-economy-growth-rate-kaushik-basu
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24
At closer inspection, the Greek crisis is more relevant to the
Indian economy than
one would necessarily imagine. India’s budget deficit is nearly
at $50 billion – the highest amongst BRIC countries; a 2009 study
indicates that India owed about
$2.5 trillion – 78% of its GDP at the time. And while it’s true
that India has
traditionally financed its budget deficits domestically, this is
where the Greek
crisis becomes a pertinent case study. India, like Greece, is
plagued by an
evasive tax ethos and a large, informal economy.
Let’s describe the Greek crisis in a nutshell: Greece racked up
government debt
so it had to adopt stringent austerity measures and secure a
bailout. And why did
Greece get itself into this mess? While the most common answer
is excessive
public spending, one cannot ignore the role of tax evasion in
perpetuating a
regressive economic system.
Public spending and tax evasion contributed to the Greek crisis
in equal
measure, and this is where the relevance and parallels to India
are evident.
India’s public deficit is three times the average of any
emerging economy. India
has an even larger informal economy than Greece, with the Indian
informal
economy making up roughly two-thirds of its GDP as opposed to
Greece, where
the informal economy is about 27% of the GDP. Further, India,
like Greece, has
been plagued by corruption scandals, some of the foremost
examples being the
3G scam (totaling about $40 billion in losses for the Indian
Government) and the
Commonwealth Games. The two countries are characterized by a
peculiar vicious cycle – where tax
evasion makes people trust the system less, and inexact
enforcement measures
and bribery encourage evasion. Both Greece and India have
recently dealt with
public protests; Greece is trying to improve its enforcement
system, and the
Indian government has been compelled to commit to introducing an
anti-
corruption law known as the “Lokpal Bill” following a popular
protest led by
Gandhi an Anna Hazare.
http://www.topnews.in/india-s-budget-deficit-doubled-2340011http://asiancorrespondent.com/449/debt-by-country-map-and-indias-national-debt/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-10-19/news/27660130_1_public-debt-fiscal-deficit-gdp-ratiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G_Spectrum_auction_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerns_and_controversies_over_the_2010_Commonwealth_Gameshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Lokpal_Bill
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25
• Trends in Indian and Greece economies as trading
economies
India and Greece are keen to enhance the levels of bilateral
trade, which stood at
around US $ 620 million in 2005-06. A meeting held here today
between Shri
Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, and the
visiting Greek
Minister of Finance and Economy, Mr. George Alogoskoufi noted
that India’s
trade with Greece increased by an impressive 84% to reach US $
620.46 million
in 2005-06 (i.e., comprising US $ 564.09 million worth of
exports from India to
Greece and US $ 56.37 India and Greece are keen to enhance the
levels of
bilateral trade, which stood at around US $ 620 million in
2005-06. A meeting
held here today between Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of
Commerce and
Industry, and the visiting Greek Minister of Finance and
Economy, Mr. George
Alogoskoufi noted that India’s trade with Greece increased by an
impressive 84%
to reach US $ 620.46 million in 2005-06 (i.e., comprising US $
564.09 million
worth of exports from India to Greece and US $ 56.37 worth of
imports from
Greece to India). However, this was way below the potential,
both the Ministers
said, while underlining the desire to develop bilateral trade
and economic ties
especially in view of close and friendly relations between the
two countries as
ancient civilizations and modern democracies.
Referring to the proposed Agreement on Trade and Investment
between India
and the European Union (EU), which could open vast opportunities
for business
on both sides, including Greece, Shri Kamal Nath said that India
would like to
see early commencement of negotiations for this Agreement and
sought
Greece’s support in the Council of the European Commission for
ensuring an
early mandate for the negotiations focused on trade and
investment.
While noting that Indian exports to Greece had diversified
beyond traditional
commodity items to include machinery, automobiles and
engineering goods, Shri
Kamal Nath said that auto components, pharmaceuticals, health
sector including
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26
medical tourism, agriculture (especially olive oil) and food
processing were the
other potential areas of growth. He invited Greek companies to
participate to
India’s infrastructure programmed while conveying that Indian
companies could
also participate in the infrastructure sector in Greece. The
need for easier visa
procedures for Indian businessmen and professionals in Greece
was also
flagged.
Worth of imports from Greece to India). However, this was way
below the
potential, both the Ministers said, while underlining the desire
to develop bilateral
trade and economic ties especially in view of close and friendly
relations between
the two countries as ancient civilizations and modern
democracies.
Referring to the proposed Agreement on Trade and Investment
between India
and the European Union (EU), which could open vast opportunities
for business
on both sides, including Greece, Shri Kamal Nath said that India
would like to
see early commencement of negotiations for this Agreement and
sought
Greece’s support in the Council of the European Commission for
ensuring an
early mandate for the negotiations focused on trade and
investment.
While noting that Indian exports to Greece had diversified
beyond traditional
commodity items to include machinery, automobiles and
engineering goods, Shri
Kamal Nath said that auto components, pharmaceuticals, health
sector including
medical tourism, agriculture (especially olive oil) and food
processing were the
other potential areas of growth. He invited Greek companies to
participate to
India’s infrastructure programmed while conveying that Indian
companies could
also participate in the infrastructure sector in Greece. The
need for easier visa
procedures for Indian businessmen and professionals in Greece
was also
flagged.
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27
2.6 PRESENT POSITION AND TREND OF BUSINESS Traditionally, the
balance of Greece trade has been negative. However, ever
since Greece joined the EU and gave up restrictive trading
measures, things
have started to look up, albeit with still a negative balance.
The US remains the
largest trade partner of the nation outside of EU members.
Greece trade imbalance has been managed with loans from the EU,
remittances
from expatriates, shipping and tourism. Tourism has, in fact,
helped the nation
collect foreign exchange and contributes to the GDP on an
increasing trend.
The global building materials market is expected to grow at more
than 6% yearly
through 2015 to reach almost $890 billion, according to Market
Line. The industry
encompasses cement, brick, concrete, sand, aggregates and
gravel
manufacturers. Cement manufacturing was the most dynamic market
segment in
2010, reaching close to $200 billion, or nearly a third of the
overall global market.
Among the most-used building materials are steel, glass, wood,
plastics and
cement. The industry supplies related industries, including
wiring manufacturers
and furniture manufacturers.
The building materials market is fuelled in a large part by
green building, with
this market segment worth over $60 billion in the US. Green
building is
particularly popular in the residential market, lead by demand
for such products
as cork, bamboo and woven flooring. Concrete production from
recycled
materials is also a dynamic growth area within the industry,
along with wood from
sustainable forests, energy-efficient lighting fixtures and
water-efficient plumbing
fixtures.
http://www.reportlinker.com/p0191663-summary/Global-Construction-Materials.html
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28
Market Outlook Economic growth and rising population impact the
construction materials market,
and profitability will be curbed by high-energy prices. Economic
slowdown is also
likely to cut profit as companies absorb input costs they can
pass on in a stronger
economic climate.
Areas of innovation in the building materials industry include
specialty materials,
such as those used in storm rooms to provide shelter during
extreme weather
conditions. Much development is being carried out to limit
thermal loss from
residential buildings to boost energy efficiency. In addition,
environmental
regulations pertaining to building requirements and the need to
cut energy costs
will continue to fuel market growth, with smart buildings and
green buildings set
to see substantial expansion.
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29
2.7 Policies and Norms of Greece of building material
industry
for import & export
• Building Licenses Section The competences of the Building
Licenses Section are as follows:
• Receive applications for construction, maintenance, and
destruction
licenses, and work on issuing them.
• Receive applications for work completion certificates, and
work on issuing
them.
• Control buildings under construction to ensure that the
construction is
conducted according to the licenses and designs accredited by
the
Municipality, and take appropriate measures against
violators.
• Import and export restrictions Duty rates on imports vary
according to the type of goods imported. There is no
requirement for an import license for non – EU transactions.
Agents or customs
brokers, who are hired for this reason, upon transfer of goods
through customs,
usually pay duties and VAT. Terms of payment are usually
arranged through a
commercial bank. A non‐ resident importer must under certain
circumstances,
appoint a VAT fiscal representative in Greece.
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30
• Custom’s Export & Import Standard Greece has established
specific certification for certain products. This
"homologation" involves cumbersome product testing by approved
laboratories.
However, a product that meets the standards and certification
requirements of
any other EU country can be imported and sold in Greece without
further testing.
Greek homologation requirements remain in force for computer
keyboards and
screens, dot matrix printers, Teleprompters, medical equipment,
electric
typewriters, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles,
bicycles, pleasure
boats, gas connectors, etc. Greece uses NP EN ISO 9000
Standards, which are
equivalent to ISO 9000 standards. Exporters must demonstrate
through a
certifying entity that the products offered meet equivalent
quality standards.
Greece allows the entry of used equipment, material and goods.
However, they
are subject to the same standards concerning safety as apply to
any new import.
Additionally, there may exist regulations specific to the
particular type of
equipment, such as computers and peripherals that is being
imported.
• Custom’s duties Following Greece’s entry into the EU, cross
border trading is no longer subject to
strict controls. Transactions between residents of EU member
states are not
considered imports or exports and therefore they are not charged
any duty. Sales
to purchasers registered for VAT in EU member states are not
subject to VAT in
Greece provided that there are the VAT registration numbers of
the supplier and
purchaser on the invoice.
• Import Duty Rate Greece, like most member states of the
European Community, bases its
Harmonized Tariff Schedule on the TARIC (Integrated Tariff of
the European
Community) which is issued by the Commission and the Member
States for the
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31
purpose of applying Community measures relating to import and
exports, and-
when necessary- to trade between member states. The TARIC also
serves as a
basis for the working tariffs and tariff file of Greece and
other Member States.
Greek customs values shipments at C.I.F. prices. Import duty
rates are divided
into two classifications: Most Favored Nation (MFN) and General.
Import duties
are calculated on ad valorem basis, i.e. expressed as a
percentage of the value
of the imported goods. There are three primary entry types for
importing into
Greece:
1. Standard clearance procedure
2. Simplified clearance procedure
3. Simplified declaration procedure The first two procedures
apply to all shipments regardless of value; the third one
applies to shipments of commercial samples valued below 45 EUR
or gifts
valued below 23 EURO and/or to negligible value shipments below
22 EURO
and provides Duty and Tax relief.
Below is a summary of the new rules for EU demonisms value that
enter into
effect December 1, 2008:
• A commercial shipment below 22 Euros: no duty and no VAT
collected.
• A commercial shipment between 22 Euros and 150 Euros: no duty
but
VAT is collected.
• A commercial shipment over 150 Euros: duty and VAT are
collected.
• Import Licenses Certain products require special documents:
food products need a certificate of
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32
health in Greek; electric materials and construction
equipment/machinery need a
certificate of conformity to EU directives; grapes, alcoholic
beverages and
tobacco need a certificate of authenticity. Certificates of
origin may also be
required if the origin can in any way be attributed to a country
subject to
quantitative. Importers apply for import licenses at the
Ministry of National Economy or the
respective agency that controls the commodity. A commercial
invoice that
includes freight and insurance, the C.I.F. price, net and gross
weight, and an
invoice number must accompany the license application. Customs
accepts
commercial invoices by fax. The license, once granted, is
normally valid for six
months but may be extended if adequate justification is
provided. Goods that are shipped to a Greek customs area without
proper import licenses
or declarations are usually subject to considerable delay and
may run up
substantial demurrage charges. Prior to making shipments,
exporters should
ensure that the importer has obtained the necessary
licenses.
• Excise Duties Excise duty rates may also be applicable on
certain items such as alcohol and
tobacco. For further information, please contact the Greek
Customs Office.
Excise taxes are assessed against certain commodities, which are
normally
identified as "luxury" goods. The excise tax is normally
assessed against tobacco
products, perfumes and alcohol products but can also be assessed
against other
goods as deemed by Greek regulations. A 12% admissions tax is
applied on all
motion pictures
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33
2.8 Policies and Norms of India for Import or export to
the Greece in building material industry
S.
No.
HS
Code
Commodity 2009-2010 %Share 2010-2011 %Share %Growth
HS
Code
digit
level
option
1. 69 CERAMIC
PRODUCTS.
100,008.68 0.1183 153,725.85 0.1345 53.71 4 6 8
India's Total
Export
84,553,364.38 114,264,897.18 35.14
• Taxation India has a well developed tax structure. The power
to levy taxes and duties is
distributed among the three tiers of Government, in accordance
with the
provisions of the Indian Constitution. The main taxes/duties
that the Union
Government is empowered to levy are:- Income Tax (except tax on
agricultural
income, which the State Governments can levy), Customs duties,
Central Excise
and Sales Tax and Service Tax. The principal taxes levied by the
State
Governments are:- Sales Tax (tax on intra-State sale of goods),
Stamp Duty
(duty on transfer of property), State Excise (duty on
manufacture of alcohol),
Land Revenue (levy on land used for
agricultural/non-agricultural purposes),
Duty on Entertainment and Tax on Professions & Callings. The
Local Bodies are
empowered to levy tax on properties (buildings, etc.), Octroi
(tax on entry of
goods for use/consumption within areas of the Local Bodies), Tax
on Markets
and Tax/User Charges for utilities.
http://commerce.nic.in/eidb/ecom4.asp?hs=69http://commerce.nic.in/eidb/ecom8.asp?hs=69
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34
• Excise Duty Central Excise duty is an indirect tax levied on
those automobiles which are
manufactured in India and are meant for home consumption. The
taxable event
is 'manufacture' and the liability of central excise duty arises
as soon as the
automobiles are manufactured. It is a tax on manufacturing,
which is paid by a
manufacturer, who passes its incidence on to the customers.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs ruled January 21, 1998,
that
CKD/SKD kits, which are taxed at the same rates as CBUs, are
eligible for a
credit for the full additional duty as they are considered
inputs for manufacture.
However, if the kits contain all of seven essential parts,
components or sub-
assemblies (engine, gear box, chassis, transmission, body/cab,
suspension
system, front/rear axles), the kits are treated as a finished
motor vehicle for
purpose of assessing customs duties
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35
• India import export with Greece
S.No
.
\Year 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
1. EXPORT 304,306.09 213,659.96 406,323.82 214,976.71
163,008.63
2. %Growth -29.79 90.17 -47.09 -24.17
3. India's
Total
Export
57,177,928.52 65,586,352.18 84,075,505.87 84,553,364.38
114,264,897.1
8
4. %Growth 14.71 28.19 0.57 35.14
5. %Share 0.53 0.33 0.48 0.25 0.14
6. IMPORT 94,867.89 51,029.76 31,933.84 73,953.90 42,440.19
7. %Growth -46.21 -37.42 131.58 -42.61
8. India's
Total
Import
84,050,631.33 101,231,169.9
3
137,443,555.4
5
136,373,554.7
6
168,346,695.5
7
9. %Growth 20.44 35.77 -0.78 23.45
10. %Share 0.11 0.05 0.02 0.05 0.03
11. TOTAL
TRADE
399,173.98 264,689.72 438,257.66 288,930.61 205,448.82
12. %Growth -33.69 65.57 -34.07 -28.89
13. India's
Total
Trade
141,228,559.8
5
166,817,522.1
0
221,519,061.3
2
220,926,919.1
4
282,611,592.7
5
14. %Growth 18.12 32.79 -0.27 27.92
15. %Share 0.28 0.16 0.20 0.13 0.07
16. TRADE
BALANC
E
209,438.21 162,630.20 374,389.98 141,022.81 120,568.44
17. India's - - - - -
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36
Trade
Balance 26,872,702.81 35,644,817.75 53,368,049.58 51,820,190.38
54,081,798.39
2.9 Present Trade barriers for import & Export of
building material industry
Greece Trade (expressed in billions of US$)
exports imports
1975 2.294 5.357
1980 5.153 10.548
1985 4.539 10.134
1990 8.105 19.777
1995 10.961 25.944
As seen in the chart, Greece's balance of trade hasn't been very
encouraging,
due to the fact that Greece's exports are continuously less than
its imports.
Greece's trade barriers has put it into horrible debt, now over
US$400 billion, an
overwhelming 125% of Greece's gross domestic product (GDP).
Greece is a
member of the European Union (EU), which has helped them out a
lot. Although,
it still has an enormous trade deficit - $42.8 billion for 2009
– an amount 2.5
times higher than its total exports. In 2008, Greece had a
higher trade deficit of
$64.8 billion, which is somewhat reassuring. It stays grounded
with the help of
loans from the EU, remittances from Greeks living abroad,
tourism, and
shopping.
37
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37
Although the trade deficit might have decreased in 2009, the
trade imbalance
wasn't as comforting. Greece’s trade imbalance with America was
a negative
$1.64 billion for 2009, up by 75.3% from $932.6 million in 2008.
America’s delivery of air combat machinery to Greece accounted for
almost half
of total Greek imports in 2009 ($1.1 billion). Other top Greek
imports from the
U.S. include fuel oil, medicinal equipment, and steelmaking
materials. Greek
imports from America that were the fastest-growing also includes
aircraft on the
top of the list - as well as animal feeds, railway
transportation equipment, coal,
and inorganic chemicals. Greece's fastest-growing exports
include: textile,
sewing and working machinery, food and tobacco processing
machinery, pulp
and paper machinery, plastic materials, and non-textile apparel
and household
goods. Greece's Business Trade Barriers Strengths
• Greek exporters delivered $95.6 million worth of vegetables to
the U.S.
last year.
• Greece shipped $21.9 million worth of dairy products and eggs
to the U.S.
while spending only $121,000 on similar food items from
America.
• Greece’s industrial sector transports large amounts of fuel
around the
world.
• A moderately-valued currency, high investment flow potential
and average
business environment lead to a slightly positive outlook for
Greek
investments.
Greece's Business Trade Barriers Weaknesses
• America exported $1.1 billion worth of military aircraft to
Greek importers
versus only $19.3 million in military aircraft and parts that
Greece shipped
to the U.S.
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38
• Some aspects of Greek legislation on the stocking, transport
and
distribution of petroleum products violate EC Treaty trade
barrier rules.
• The rules forced companies marketing petroleum products to
conclude supply
contracts with Greek refineries and prevent retailers from
importing petroleum
products directly from other Member States.
• Greece's exports are almost always less than their imports,
which causes
massive trade imbalance.
• When it comes to aircraft, U.S. still has a huge competitive
advantage over
Greece. The E U has a wide free-trade system which means that
there are few legal barriers
to discourage any E U company, or individual person, from doing
business in
Greece. Inbuilt System disincentives to looking to do business
there would be that the
potential workforce might prove volatile, especially when
working conditions are
ungenerous, the relatively weak transport infrastructure, and
the high costs of
distribution within the country due to its geographical
difficulties.
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39
2.10 Business opportunities of building material
industry in Greece
1. Its Cheap: Businesses and individuals can get doors,
flooring, lighting,
cabinets, windows, sinks and much more for half of the original
price or lower.
Because Build It Green! NYC is a non-profit; there is less
incentive to jack up the
prices. Of course, it wouldn't matter if everything on sale was
unattractive or dated.
Luckily...
2. Its Hip: More and more of New York's hippest restaurants and
bars, from chic
cocktail lounges to fancy boutiques, are using reclaimed
materials for a cool vintage
aesthetic. Spaces get a nice weathered look with lots of
character and building
materials are saved from the landfill--a win-win for everyone
involved.
3. It Encourages Recycling on a Large Scale: When a building is
about to be
demolished or remodeled, everything inside is usually thrown
away. Build It Green!
NYC comes in and takes those materials away to sell to
you--cheap, as salvaged
materials. Plus, less new materials need to be manufactured to
feed the voracious
appetite for construction in New York City.
4. It Lessens Waste: Often contractors and business suppliers
end a project with
surplus materials. Instead of getting rid of them,
environmentally conscious businesses
donate them to Build It Green! NYC. Consumers and businesses get
cheap building
materials that are almost as good as new and less waste goes
into the already crowded landfills.
5. Its Versatile: Build It Green! NYC has the ability to serve
huge clients as well as
eco-conscious individuals, meaning everyone from giant
corporations to
homeowners can benefit from it.
6. It Supports Great Things: Build It Green! NYC's profits go
towards
supporting the Community Environmental Center's environmental
education
program at Solar 1, an organization that teaches schoolchildren
in all five
http://www.cecenter.org/http://solar1.org/
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40
boroughs about sustainability.
EU investment
Greece, which joined the single currency in 2001, has enjoyed a
stable political
environment since the mid 1970s. Its growing economy has boosted
business
confidence over the last decade, leading to considerable foreign
investment..
2004 saw Athens host the Olympic Games, which brought yet more
investment into
the area, and many infrastructure projects have been funded by
the EU (€26bn was
pledged for between 2000 and 2015) including highways, tunnels
and bridges,
railways, airports and harbors, water and sewage projects, and
health and welfare
projects.
With the enhancement of the country’s image, the Greek
Government is keen to press
on with these structural reforms and privatization in the large
state sector, and is
generally supportive of foreign investment.
However, dealing with local bureaucracy can be time consuming
and it is
advisable to appoint a local representative in Greece before you
enter the
market. Most are available in the Athens area and cover the
whole of Greece, but it
may be necessary, in some cases, to appoint a separate agent for
the
Thessalonica region.
Low labor costs For global companies wishing to penetrate the
Balkan market, Greece offers a
sound base as it is the EU’s largest investor in this region.
Staff recruitment is not generally a problem in Greece as the labor
force is highly
educated and most Greek businesspeople speak English.
Unemployment levels run at
12% and Greece has the second lowest labor costs in the EU.
Deregulation, modernization and a series of mergers and
acquisitions have seen the
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41
Greek banking system expand rapidly in the last few years.
A full range of services are available from both state and
private Greek banks, and a
number of foreign banks, including venture capital and other
finance for start-ups and
established businesses. The Greek government has passed
developmental legislation which aims at
providing investment incentives to promote regional development,
environmental
protection and energy saving and increase employment and
competitiveness.
Incentives include investment grants, interest rate subsidies,
tax allowances and
special incentives for significant industrial mining and large
tourist projects
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42
1.1 Demographic profile of Greece
Demographic profile of Greece:1 The demographic profile of
Greece is similar to that of other developed countries: a low
birth rate and an increase in the proportion of elderly people.
Fertility rates per 1,000
inhabitants are continuously falling in Greece: 18.9 in 1960,
16.5 in 1970, 15.4 in 1980,
10.7 in 1988, and 9.5 in 1998 (Statistical Year Book of Greece).
According to the United
Nations' population projection, Greece has one of the lowest
fertility rates in Europe
(1990–1995). The average number (fertility rate) of children per
woman between the
ages of fifteen and forty-four in Greece was 1.32 in 1995. In
all European countries,
fertility rates in the same year were 1.43 children per woman.
The fertility rates in urban
and rural areas of Greece are now the same.
The following is a summary of demographic trends in Greece:
• The average life expectancy was 75.3 for men and 80.5 for
women in 1998.
• Contraceptives, especially abortion, are used as methods to
interrupt unwanted
or unplanned pregnancies.
• Marriage and childbirth now occur later. In 1995 the mean age
at which women
gave birth to their first child was 28.2 years.
• Infant mortality is dramatically lower, due to improved health
conditions for
mothers and newborns. In 1960, infant mortality per 1,000 live
births was as high
as 40.1; in 1998, it was 6.6.
• Internal and international migration are significant factors.
The majority of
migrants are young people at their most productive age.
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece
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43
Table-1
Population
10,760,136 (July 2011 est.)
Age
structure
Male Female Male Female Male Female
787143 741356 3555447 3567383 923177 1185630
0-14 years: 14.2% 15-64years: 66.2% 65 Years +: 19.6%
Urbanization Urban population: 61% of total population
(2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15
est.)
Sex ratio
(2011 est.)
at birth: 1.064 male(s)/fem ale
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/femal e
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/femal e
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
Infant
mortality rate
total: 5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.92 years
male: 77.36 years female: 82.65 years (2011 est.)
Ethnic
groups
Greek 93% other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census)
Religions Greek 98% Muslim 1.3% other 0.7%
Languages Greek (official) 99% other (includes English and
French) 1%
Literacy Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
male: 97.8% female: 94.2%
total population: 96% (2001 census)
School life expectancy
male: 16 years female: 17 years
total: 17 years (primary to tertiary education)
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44
1.2 Economic overview of Greece
• The Greek economy grew significantly after World War II, but
declined in the
1970s due to poor economic policies implemented by the
government. As a
result, Greece has spent much of the latter part of the 20th
century and the early
21st century trying to rebuild and strengthen the economy. Thus,
Greece is one
of the least economically developed member countries in the
European Union
(EU).
• The Greek government took measures in the late 1980s and 1990s
to reduce the
number of state-owned businesses and to revitalize the economy
through a plan
of privatization.
• In 2001, the Greek government fully encouraged foreign
investment, particularly
in its infrastructure projects such as highways and the Athens
Metro subway
system.
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45
v Greece GDP Growth:
v The following comments highlight some of the extreme
weaknesses in the
Greek economy: • Economic sentiment (confidence) has been
decimated in the past two years and
remains close to its record low
• The rate of unemployment has risen sharply from around 8% in
2008 to over
16% currently
• Retail sales have fallen by an average of 12.5%y/y in the
first half of 2011, after
declining sharply in 2009 and 2010
• Industrial production has fallen on an annual basis in each of
the past 39 month
• The VAT rate has been increased to 23%
• House prices have fallen for the past 2 years and in Q1 2011
recorded an annual
decline of 5.7%y/y
• The stock market has lost 84% of its value since peaking in
late 2007
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46
• The value of government bonds have plunged dramatically in the
past 18
months, with yield on the 2-year government bond over 70%
• The dramatic fall in equity and bond market prices suggest
that the value of
pension and long-term retirement savings have been decimated
• Greek citizens have withdrawn a significant portion of their
deposits from Greek
banks, presumably to either transfer to banks outside of Greece
or to utilise the
funds to supplement their monthly income
• Greek banks have had to dramatically increase their borrowing
from the Euro-
system
• The deficit on the Greek State Budget for the eight months Jan
to Aug 2011
amounted to €18,1 billion. This compares with €14.8 billion
during the same
period in 2010.
• Net government revenues amounted to €30.7 billion in the
period Jan to Aug
2011, falling 5.3%y/y, mainly as a result of the severe
recession.Government
expenditure has risen by 8.1%y/y during the period Jan to Aug
2011, partly
driven by increased unemployment benefits and grants to social
security funds.
• By January 2001 Greece had successfully reduced its budget
deficit, controlled
inflation and interest rates, and stabilized exchange rates to
gain entrance into
the European Monetary Union. Greece met the economic
requirements to be
eligible to join the program of a single currency unit (the
euro) in the EU and to
have the economy governed by the European Central Bank's focused
monetary
policy. The Greek government now faces the challenge of
structural reform and
to ensure that its economic policies continue to enhance
economic growth and
increase Greece's standard of living.
• Greece is currently facing on-going street riots as so-called
anarchists prompt
widespread protests against government policy. The situation is
sure to get
worse if the Greek government actually starts cutting its budget
deficit.
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47
v Greece Current Account Deficit
2
• One of the recent successes of Greece's economic policies has
been the
reduction of inflation rates. For more than 20 years, inflation
remained in double
digits, but a successful plan of fiscal consolidation, wage
restraint, and strong
drachma policies has lowered inflation, which fell to 2.0
percent by mid-1999.
2 http://greekeconomy.blogspot.com/
http://greekeconomy.blogspot.com/
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48
1.3 Overview Different economic sectors of Greece • Greece has a
capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about
40%
of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that of the
leading euro-zone
economies.
• Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly
one-fifth of the work
force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs.
• Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3%
of annual GDP.
• The Greek economy grew by nearly 4.0% per year between 2003
and 2007, due
partly to infrastructural spending related to the 2004 Athens
Olympic Games, and
in part to an increased availability of credit, which has
sustained record levels of
consumer spending.
• But the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the
world financial
crisis, tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to
address a growing
budget deficit, which was triggered by falling state revenues,
and increased
government expenditures.
• The economy contracted by 2% in 2009, and 4.8% in 2010. Greece
violated the
EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no
more than 3% of
GDP from 2001 to 2006, but finally met that criterion in
2007-08, before
exceeding it again in 2009, with the deficit reaching 15.4% of
GDP. Austerity
measures reduced the deficit to 9.4% of GDP in 2010. Public
debt, inflation, and
unemployment are above the euro-zone average while per capita
income is
below; unemployment rose to 12% in 2010.
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49
v Greece Retail sales3
v Contribution of different Industry
4
3
http://www.investingreece.gov.gr/default.asp?pid=21&la=1
http://www.investingreece.gov.gr/default.asp
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50
• The concentration of business in these areas favors the
establishment of new
businesses (Greenfield investments) in Greece, and the
investment cooperation
of foreign companies with Greek companies to produce end
products that meet
the needs of domestic and international markets.
v Contribution of different services
• Growing investment trends in education and health sectors.
• A low percentage (7%) of foreign investment focused on the
least productive
class of "real estate", whereas the majority of foreign capital
went into productive
activities with high value added.
4
http://www.investingreece.gov.gr/default.asp?pid=21&la=1
http://www.investingreece.gov.gr/default.asp
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51
1.4 Overviews of Business and Trade at International Level Main
Industry Sectors
• Traditionally, the Greek economy is based on agriculture. The
sector represents
3% of the GDP and employs around 12% of the active population.
The main
crops are tobacco (largest European producer) and cotton (fifth
largest exporter
in the world). Greece also has a significant ovine livestock. A
large fishing
industry is found in coastal regions and the merchant navy
represents 10% of the
GDP.
• The main sectors are: electronic goods, transport materials,
clothing and
construction. More specifically, Greece is the largest European
ship-owners.
Growth in the tertiary sector is booming. It accounts for nearly
three-fourths of the
GDP. Tourism provides a vital source of income and alone
contributes 11% of
the GDP. Marine fishing represents 10% of the GDP.
FDI in Figures
The available data on FDIs in Greece should be taken with
caution because they do not
reflect the real situation. Compared to other countries of the
European Union, the level
of FDIs is low, and given the difficulties the country is
currently facing, this trend should
continue.
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52
Country Strong Points:
Greece's main strong points are:
• Its membership to the European Monetary Union (EMU). Today,
Greece has
become the economic hub of Southeast Europe;
• Its competitiveness within the active population in terms of
education, manpower
costs and work productivity;
• Its geographical location, which makes it a strategic link to
the emerging markets
of the Balkans, Black Sea, Eastern Europe and Eastern
Mediterranean regions;
• Its infrastructures, which are improving significantly, mainly
due to the 3rd
European Union community support framework.
Country Weak Points The Greek economy has always been and
continues to be subject, to intense
governmental regulation. According to Transparency International
the country also has
to tackle high levels of corruption that affect many aspects of
the economic and
commercial life. In addition, growth has been financed by
private sector loans and the
public sector's absorption of EU structural adjustment funds,
which has caused a large
public deficit.
Foreign Trade Overview
Greece has an export-oriented economy, trade representing more
than 50% of the
GDP. The trade balance is negative and has worsened as an effect
of the fall in exports
caused by the recession. However, the Greek Minister of Finance
recently stated that
the figures for the first quarter of 2011 showed a significant
recovery in exports.
Greece's main trading partners are the European Union
(especially Italy and Germany)
and the United States.
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53
1.5 Present Trade Relations and Business Volume of
different products with India Ø India and Greece established
diplomatic relations in May 1950. India opened its
resident Embassy in Athens in March 1978.
Ø Greece has been consistently supporting of India�s core
foreign policy objectives. Ø The existing treaty framework is as
follows: Trade agreement, Agreement on
avoidance of double taxation currently under review, Agreement
on Economic,
Scientific and Technological Cooperation, Agreement on Tourism
Cooperation,
Agreement on the Mutual Protection and Promotion of Investments,
Agreement
on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, Memorandum of
Understanding on
Cooperation in the Agricultural Sector. The following agreements
have been
signed between state agencies in the two countries: Cooperation
Agreement
between the Athens Chamber of Trade and Industry and the FICCI
and
ASSOCHAM, Memorandum of Cooperation between the Federation of
Greek
Industries and the CII, Memorandum of Cooperation between the
Hellenic
Foreign Trade Board and ITPO.
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54
Table:2 Bilateral trade in US$ Million
Year India�s Exports India�s Imports Total Trade
2007-08 530.95 126.81 657.44
2008-09 878.43 69.49 947.92
2009-2010 452.80 154.13 606.93
(Source: Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce,
Government of India)
v Greece and India have traditionally enjoyed close and amicable
relations, and in
recent years, there has been a trend towards broader bilateral
economic and
trade relations.
• The main items of Greece�s exports to India are machinery,
rubber
and plastic products, cotton, copper products, iron and steel
products
and chemicals.
• The main items of India�s exports are machinery, automobiles
and auto
parts, iron and steel, aluminum, copper, dyes and chemicals, and
textiles
and garments.
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55
1.6 PESTEL Analysis Political factors:-
• Greece is the birthplace of politics as an art and democracy
as a form of
government.
• The prime minister and cabinet council play the central role
in the political
process, while the president performs some governmental
functions in addition to
ceremonial duties.
• Greek governmental structure has many similarities with other
democratic
countries in Europe, while it has been described as a compromise
between the
French and German models.
• Political factor is good for the business in Greece. Economic
factors:-
• The Greek economy adopts the principles of free enterprise and
is bound by the
regulations of international organizations such as ECOFIN and
WTO, of which it
is a member.
• Greece is a member of the European Monetary Union (EMU) and
one of the very
well performing economies in the Euro zone.
• Greece has become the economic hub of Southeast Europe and
offers a stable and
healthy economic environment that is supportive to the needs of
business and
investors.
• Unemployment in Greece, up to 2008, was relatively low at
7.6%, approximately the
mean value of the Euro zone. During 2009, unemployment rose as a
result of the
international crisis that also affected Greece and reached 9.5%.
In 2010
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56
unemployment showed a further increase, at 12.5%, as a result of
the domestic
debt crisis. In second quarter of 2011, unemployment rose
further to 16,3%,
compared with 11,8% of the same quarter of 2010. • In 2010,
fixed capital formation in Greece reached 33.2 billion Euros,
showing a
decrease of 13% compared with the levels of 2009 (38.2 billion
Euros). This
decrease is due to the drastic reduction of public expenses and
the restrictive fiscal
policy resulting from the financial crisis in Greece.
• So Economic condition is very complicated for the business
purpose in Greece.
Socio-cultural factors
• Greece has a rich cultural heritage and, without doubt, there
are many unique
archaeological places and monuments such as the Acropolis of
Athens, the
Epidaurus Theatre etc.
• cultural life is varied, offering a range of different
museums, theatres and
cinemas, live music, festivals etc.
• The Greek education system includes preschool education,
primary education,
secondary education and tertiary education.
• So Socio-Cultural factors are excellent for business in
Greece. Technological factors
• A strong policy commitment, notably through the National
Digital Strategy (2006-
2013), has led to an improvement of most benchmarking indicators
in the Greek
ICT sector.
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57
• Greece boasts one of the highest mobile penetration rates
worldwide, with a
penetration rate at 170%.
• Faster changing development in technology creates a need to
react quickly for
different businesses in order they want to maintain the
competitive environment
by providing the same innovative services, which their
competitors are offering.
• There is headroom for significant growth, as the public and
private sectors
embrace new technologies throughout the country.
• The development of technology is affecting the businesses in
Greece and all
over the world. Changes in the technology have changed the way
businesses
operate i.e. Internet booking for tickets and holidays.
• Distribution of products by the use of technologies e.g.
marketing information
systems, customer relationship management are also common
practices with
different businesses for effective services to their
customers.
• So technology factor is gives to good impact for the business
in Greece. Environmental factors:-
• Greece is embarking on a long-term plan to overhaul its
waste management practices. New technologies are
needed to deal with an increasing burden of waste and
that meet the demand for disposal, energy generation,
recycling, and building new, closed-loop systems that limit
waste generation.
• Greece consciously looking towards environment & recycle
55-80% of packaging
material by 2011 and decrease organic urban waste by 25% through
composting
processes at source by 2010. This should increase to 50% by 2013
and 65% by
2020.
• Greece having a highly promising area is technology to
transform waste to
energy.
• So Greece have wonderful environment for the business.
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58
2.1 Introduction of the Vodafone and its role in the economy of
Greece
• This wireless giant was created in 1984 as a subsidiary of
Racal Electronics Plc.
• In September of 1991 Vodafone Group Plc. emerged and became
and
independent company from Racal Electronics Plc.
• On 28 July 2000 in a merged with Air Touch Communications,
Inc. In 2001 they
introduce instant messaging the networks.
• They launch their first 3G service in Europe with their mobile
connect 3G/GPRS
data card in 2004.
• in February of 2007 Vodafone, Microsoft and Yahoo! together to
bring Instant
messaging services to the mobile world which can be accessed
from both the PC
and mobile handsets. Today they have become a wireless
giant.
• Vodafone Offered is a variety of voice, messaging, data and
fixed broadband
services.
• Vodafone provides a variety of billing options. Such as: month
to month, prepaid
and even contract. So this gives you the option to choose what
fits your needs.
• Vodafone-Panafon is a leading GSM/GPRS/UMTS mobile operator in
Greece
since the introduction of GSM in the Greek market (1993) and a
member of the
Vodafone Group with over 200 million customers worldwide.
• The company operates a cellular network in GSM 900 and
1800MHz, 2.5G with
GPRS launched in Mar �01 and UMTS launched in October 04 with
more than
50% population coverage.
• The group has launched UMTS services in 18 countries and has
more than 50
million Vodafone live! subscribers.
• The company offers full range of mobile telecom services,
operates also as an
Internet Service Provider, as a WLAN operator and offers LMDS
services for
corporate customers.
• Vodafone Greece owns the largest private transport network in
Greece with
microwave and fibre-optic transmission systems.
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59
• Vodafone Greece has been participating to European Research
projects since
ACTS (STORMS, ASPECT) and since 2001 it has a specific R&D
team which
has intensified the relevant activities. The team has focused on
internal projects
including:
Ø the development of Value Added Services and Internet
related
applications,
Ø the overall improvement of network performance, quality,
Ø the extensive employment of field trials for new products and
technologies
(e.g. VoIP, LBS, Multicasting), and
Ø the specification and development of MIS and network related
software
tools (planning tools. network management tools), and has
increased
significantly its participation to IST projects (LOVEUS,
CREDO,
ADAMANT, CONTEXT, SEMOPS, MB-NET, MCAST, MOTIVE) and e-
Content projects (M-GUIDE, MUSICAL). In the context of these
projects,
• Vodafone Greece has developed certain areas of technical
expertise as well as
extensive skills on performing prototype system trials. The
R&D unit of Vodafone
Greece has since 2003 has been integrated to Vodafone Group
R&D UK Centre
and has taken over the responsibility of Collaborative Research
Management.
• “Vodafone is proud to be part of Greek economy. Vodafone
continue to invest
through challenging economic times. They believe that their
sector is critical to
the economic regeneration both of Greece and of Europe
generally. ICT has
been a fundamental driver of economic growth for the past 20
years in both
developed and developing markets.
• World Bank studies suggest that broadband has had the biggest
effect of any
technology so far: a 10% increase in broadband penetration
drives a 1%
increase in GDP growth. This is more than internet or mobile.
But
