 INTRODUCTION |
In the Ancient Greece Helios was the name of the
resplendent God of the Sun. Helios is also the name
of the company founded on September 27, 1999 in
Kazakhstan. Helios specializes in wholesaling oil
products within Kazakhstan, and partially Kyrgyzstan
as well as retailing. In three years the company
has solidified its position as a steady supplier
of quality competitive oil products what resulted
in an increased the number of Helios clients. Today
Helios operates the network of 80 service stations
in Kazakhstan (Astana, Karaganda, Pavlodar, Shymkent,
Ust'-Kamenogorsk, Taraz, Kyzylorda, Semipalatinsk,
etc.) 40 of which are located in Almaty.
The company is an official representative of
the Pavlodar Refinery. Today the Pavlodar refinery
is the most modern refinery in Kazakhstan, annual
capacity of which is 7 million tons. The Helios
is the first and the sole home-grown energy company
to adhere to Western standards of the vertically
integrated structure and controls upstream and
downstream processes - from the oil well to the
end user. The company carries out careful lab
tests based on state GOST oil products quality
requirements being observed as the product makes
its way from the refinery to the end user. The
priorities of the company in doing business are
quality gasoline, reasonable prices and high level
services.
Helios monitors the product market; studies all
the factors determining demand and supply on the
market; planning and developing the network of
it's own service stations.
Since its foundation the company has designed
a strategy aimed at expanding its own network
of service stations focussing on construction
of Helios brand petrol stations. For that reason
a capital construction department was established
to co-ordinate fully the issues of construction
as well as reconstruction and repair of petrol
stations. Nowadays the Helios capital construction
departments is responsible for considering and
implementing the issues covering selection and
acquisition of plots of land and sites for construction
of service stations, selection of a developer,
project co-ordination with public services, processing
of legal documentation, tenders selecting a contractor
to build service stations and many others.
Managerial expertise, a powerful car stock and
efficient use of all the resources available have
enabled the company to conclude long-term contracts
for fuel product supplies to large Kazakhstani
consumers. Among them are Aluminum of Kazakhstan,
Open JSC Ispat Karmet, Corporation KazakhMys,
Republican State Enterprise Kazakhstan Temir Zholy,
Open JSC Air Kazakhstan, etc. Helios also supplies
fuel products to state bodies and organizations,
including the city's administration of internal
affairs, the border service and the border school
of the National Security Committee of the Republic
of Kazakhstan, a mayor's office - in Almaty; automobile
transportation enterprises and the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of RK, republican state enterprise
KazakhAutoDor, a military unit 90139 - in Astana;
a mayor's office, a regional tax committee, an
agricultural department and a regional administration
for construction and highways, etc. - in Karaganda.
Private companies, owners of other services stations,
car fleets throughout Kazakhstan are also consumers
of Helios oil products. At last, individuals who
are the citizens of the cities where the company
has its affiliates also have a chance to purchase
Helios gasoline.
Helios employs the latest technology and environmental
safety equipment and uses the most modern stock
of Mercedes Benz-Actros 3840 trucks that meet
the world's standards. Trucks are outfitted with
the vapor utilization system that prevents hazardous
emissions polluting the air. They are also equipped
with multi-sectional tanks, which consist of two
to seven isolated pressurized compartments that
are used to deliver six (6) types of fuel products
simultaneously.
| One
of the strategic directions Helios pursues
is to create an environment-minded company.
|
Helios is the authorized dealer of well-known
Swedish Dresser Wayne AB, the world's leading
manufacturer of dispensers. Why "Dresser
Wayne" dispensers? The dispensers installed
at Helios service stations are used to serve clients
to the world's standards. Electronic gauges so
called "meters" that are installed on
the dispensers are capable of keeping stock of
fuel sales and cash flow with precision of 0.00
gram what confirms the principle of transparency
of financial transactions that Helios may carry
out. Secondly, dispensers are outfitted with thing
clearing filters capable of providing practically
clear fuel without micro-particles ending up in
the consumer's fuel tank. Thirdly, dispensers
are fully operated via cash machines ISM-3000
what speaks for precision of technical operations
when filling a fuel tank. Dispensers can withstand
the vagaries of adverse continental climate of
Kazakhstan with temperature varying from -40 to
+60. Underground tanks for fuel storage at Helios
service stations provide for three safety layers,
which consist of two walls and concrete reservoirs.
Underground tanks are equipped with gas-leveling
casing and necessary attached implements. Since
April 2000, the personnel have been trained for
Helios service stations personnel at special qualification
upgrade courses on the basis of a Helios Training
Engineering Center in cooperation with Open JSC
Kaznefteproduct and a representative of Dresser
Wayne in Kazakhstan.
One of the challenging marketing policies Helios
pursues was to introduce a smart card system being
used for better convenience, in particular the
card service system. The smart card service system
keeps track of and controls cash flow. Today almost
3,000 clients of the company both corporate and
private persons are being served via the smart
card - a charge Helios plastic card as well as
coupons. A flexible discounts system and a case-by-case
approach towards every client have enabled the
company to expand its clientele. The smart card
allows the client to pay for gasoline and/or goods/services
(like car wash, maintenance, etc.) at Helios service
stations. The client may also receive discounts
at malls, restaurants, insurance companies, nightclubs,
beauty salons, tourist agencies, etc. The Helios
smart card system can be served in many cities
of Kazakhstan, as well as at several service stations
in Kyrgyzstan.
In order to expand the range of card-based services
a department was established to tackle the company's
transit clients. K????? SMAP, a Kazakhstani automobile
transport society of the union of international
automobile shippers embraces nearly 145 organizations
and individuals that are entitled to carry out freight
traffic in Kazakhstan and beyond. Helios has concluded
contracts with members of this organization to provide
diesel fuel to their motor vehicles, mainly trucks.
|
In addition to the Helios
affiliates, transit clients can refuel their tanks
by using a Helios smart card in Aktubinsk, Kustanai,
Petropavlovsk, Ucharal. Outside of the republic,
transit clients have an opportunity to fill up their
tanks by using ARIS smart card in Russia, Moldova,
Belarus, the Baltic nations, Slovenia, Austria,
Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia
and Germany. The reference: Helios has concluded
a contract with ARIS Ltd. for mutual cooperation
and supply of diesel fuel to clients of Helios.
Which means that the clients of Helios can produce
an ARIS smart card and be served freely in the above-mentioned
countries. As of September 1, 2002 about 25 Kazakhstani
companies were served through the network of Helios
service stations in Kazakhstan, and about 20 Kazakhstani
companies beyond its borders. A transit service
system introduced via smart cards provides maximal
benefits to our clients: a credit service, a printout
about purchase of diesel fuel, a weekly monitoring
of prices at the network of ARIS service stations
and, at last, only two cards and a daily ration
a driver can carry instead of two sacks of cash
as it was a case in the past. In the near future
the Helios transit department is planning to provide
diesel refueling services to transit clients that
use the network of ARIS service stations in Kazakhstan,
namely at Helios service stations in Astana, Almaty,
Taraz, Shymkent and Pavlodar.
Another constituent of services the company provides
is mini-marts (small self-servicing stores that
offer the essential range of products to drivers)
at Helios service stations. What is a mini-mart
like and what makes it differ from normal stores?
Like service stations, mini-marts work around
the clock. Clients can pick out from a wide range
of the piece goods (cigarettes, drinks, canned
food, confectionery) up to industrial group of
products (lubricants, filters, automobile care
products). In mini-marts one can buy anything
necessary for a long trip as well as for home.
Products of renowned trade marks COCA-COLA, PEPSI,
VITTEL, PERRIER, MARLBORO, SOVEREIGN, SOBRANIE,
KENT, HEINEKEN, AMSTEL, NESTLE, NESCAFE, CADBEURY,
FAZER, GILLETTE, SCHICK, ARIEL, ESSO, SHELL, BP,
CHEVRON, MOBIL and others are always on shelves
in mini-marts. Mini-marts focus basically on clients
what is essential for any other activities that
Helios carries out. Getting lubricants in a mini-mart,
you can replace it free-of-charge at oil replacement
outlets (ORO) that can be found practically at
any Helios service station. Helios mini-marts
are known for excellent service, ability to anticipate
and fulfill the wishes of buyers, and good will
of the personnel. The plans are to expand services
and range of products in mini-marts that have
the future in the Kazakhstani market. As of September
1, 2002 the company operated 39 mini-marts 27
of which are in Almaty, the southern capital of
the republic. Until the end of 2002 Almaty, Ust-Kamenogorsk
and Kyzylorda are planned to see the opening of
another 10 mini-marts.
The unified corporate style was developed by
the design & advertisement section of the
company which enabled the brand Helios to become
the most recognized and popular among the car
drivers of Kazakhstan. The brand uniforms for
workers of Helios service stations were also developed
and produced in compliance with state standard
of the Republic Kazakhstan.
As of September 1, 2002 the company employees
1,350 people of which 760 people are the service
station personnel.
A training and engineering center (TEC), a structural
division of Helios was set up to consider and
make decisions about training and re-training
of highly skilled employees of the company. The
purpose of TEC is to provide quality training
of the necessary number of the personnel of the
first and middle levels: cash operators, fueling
operators, managers of mini-marts and managers
of service stations. Training at TEC is provided
by highly skilled employees that boast many years
of hands-on experience in the field of oil products'
supply. The training system of Helios is rather
dynamical and provides for regular advanced training
courses both for top executives and employees
of the company's affiliates. Upon completion of
courses attendees are awarded certificates authorized
by the Emergencies Agency of the Republic Kazakhstan
(EA RK). For example, at the beginning of 2002
a group of employees of Helios received certificates
at EA RK that confirm that they passed exams on
labor safety at their workplace. In spring of
2002 another group of employees was trained by
representatives of Dresser Wayne at TEC that awarded
them with brand diplomas. In order to proceed
with educational process an educational and presentation
video-commercial was produced to describe key
parameters of the operation of a service station
and its structure, labor safety at a service station.
The commercial has been shown at TEC and all Helios
service stations. Along with it, other educational
films are expected to come out. They will cover
the following themes: observance of fire safety
at oil storage premises, operation of gas equipment
at a gas station, techniques of sales of industrial
group of products (motor oil and automobile care
products) and others. Among other companies of
this kind, Helios is a pioneer in creating the
training and engineering center designed to provide
continuous training and upgrade of professional
levels of employees of the company.
The company also tackles public relations issues
and provides support and sponsorship for social
projects as well as sport events. The following
organizations enjoy the patronage of Helios: The
Regional Boarding School for the Legally Blind
Children in Shymkent, a soccer team that participates
in city-wide competitions, the Muaytai Federation
and the kick-boxing Federation of the Republic
of Kazakhstan. The company also participates in
one-time campaigns aimed at providing material
aids to non-profit organizations and individuals.
Since its early days the company has been an
accurate taxpayer that observes financial transparency
and operates according to Western-based standards
covering organizational structure of business
up to its technology capacities.
In 2001 Helios-branded service stations were
recognized as the best stations in the Republic
of Kazakhstan thus winning an honorary medal and
certificate in the nomination "Service Station
No. 1 in Kazakhstan, 2001" at the contest
"THE CHOICE OF THE YEAR IN KAZAKHSTAN".
In a long-term period the company will pursue
a developed strategy of further expansion and
development of businesses under the Helios trademark
by solving the following tasks:
· Creating the modern network of Service
Stations throughout Kazakhstan;
· Developing fully integrated businesses
engaged in delivering and retailing fuel and lubricants
across all the regions of Kazakhstan;
· Offering high-quality products and high-class
services to the clients;
· Outpacing the competitors and taking advantage
of "the first move" in the regions that
are not covered by the rivals and maintaining this
principle. |
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