Georgian Industrial Group
The Georgian Industrial Group (GIG, Georgian: საქართველოს ინდუსტრიული ჯგუფი, sak'art'velos industriuli jgup'i) is the largest holding company in Georgia, with business interests ranging from energy to real estate, headquartered in the country's capital of Tbilisi.[1] It was founded, in 2006, by David Bezhuashvili, a member of the Parliament of Georgia from the ruling United National Movement party and brother of the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Gela Bezhuashvili.[2] The group has been involved in several international projects in Georgia and is a corporate member of the EU–Georgia Business Council.[3]
Subsidiary companies
As of February 2012, the GIG encompassed a number of subsidiary companies operating in energy sector, acquiring and processing of natural resources, production of building materials, logistics service, real estate development, etc. These companies are:
- The Georgian International Energy Corporation (GIEC), founded in 2005 and involved in importing and distribution of natural gas. It also operates several small and medium hydroelectric power plants and plans to construct thermal power plants that will utilize coal mined in Tkibuli, western Georgia.[4]
- The Saqnakshiri GIG Group, the only enterprise in Georgia that extracts coal. It operates the Tkibuli-Shaori and Akhaltsikhe Lignite coal mines.[5]
- Intertrans, which operates a container terminal in Tbilisi.[6]
- Globaltrans, founded in 2005 and involved in construction of highways and the Millennium Project road, building of military bases, construction of irrigation systems, etc.[7]
- The Kutaisi Auto Mechanical Plant (KAMP), one of the oldest production facilities in the Caucasus region founded in 1945 as the Kutaisi Automobile Factory.[8]
- Industria Kiri, producing quicklime.[9]
- The Durnuki Road Metal Factory, which produces road metal from raw basalt and is the major supplier to the Georgian Railway.[10]
- Orbi, founded in 2005 and involved in the production of construction blocks and walkway slabs.[11]
- Tiflis City, involved in real-estate development and management in Tbilisi and Batumi.[12]
Tkibuli coal mine accidents
In a series of accidents in 2010 and 2011, several workers were killed and injured in the Tkibuli coal mine, operated by the GIG subsidiary Saqnakhshiri. In January 2011, the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili accused the coal mine owners of neglecting safety norms and of covering up real reasons behind the incidents.[13] The same month two of the company's employees responsible for safety issues were arrested, while the miners responded to the incidents with a strike.[14]
Media ownership
The GIG has been heavily involved with the Georgian media, which has led to the concerns about "media concentration". In November 2009, the Transparency International–Georgia reported that the GIG was in control of 30% of the shares of the Rustavi 2 broadcasting company, 45% of Mze, an entertainment television channel, and 65% of First Stereo. Furthermore, it owned the Georgian Business Consulting, which published the English newspaper Georgian Business Week and operated the news-wire GBC.ge.[15] After the Parliament of Georgia passed, in April 2011, amendments to the Law on Broadcasters, the GIG sold its share in the TV-company First Stereo in December 2011.[16]
References
- ↑ Georgia's GIG and Turkey's Misman Plan Thermal Power Station. Civil Georgia. February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Intelligence Chief in U.S. to 'Increase Qualification'. Civil Georgia. February 1, 2011.
- ↑ Corporate members. EUGBC. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Georgian International Energy Corporation (GIEC). The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Saqnakshiri GIG Group. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Intertrans. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Globaltrans. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Kutaisi Auto Mechanical Plant (KAMP). The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Industria Kiri. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Durnuki Road Metal Factory. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Orbi. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Tiflis City. The Georgian Industrial Group. Accessed February 16, 2012.
- ↑ Two Arrested over Blast in Coal Mine. Civil Georgia. January 26, 2011.
- ↑ Coal Miners on Strike in Tkibuli. Civil Georgia. February 2, 2011.
- ↑ Television in Georgia — Ownership, Control and Regulation. Transparency International–Georgia. November 20, 2009.
- ↑ Georgian Industrial Group "Gives Up" the 1st Stereo. Media.ge. January 4, 2012.
