BCC handed over the construction “Oscars” for 2016

Svilena Grazhdanska Reneta Nikolova The Bulgarian Construction Chamber (BCC) handed over the awards to the best companies in the sector. This happened at the traditional Ball on the occasion of Builder’s Day – 26 October, which this year coincides also with 10 years of the creation of BCC. The event was held in “Sofia Hotel Balkan”. Host was the Chairman of the Managing Board of BCC Eng. Nikolay Stankov. Among the official guests was the President (2012 - 2017) Rosen Plevneliev, Lilyana Pavlova, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council 2018, Mayor of Sofia Municipality Yordanka Fandakova, Velik Zanchev – Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Eng. Svetoslav Glosov, member of the Board of Road Infrastructure Agency and Honorary Chairman of BCC, Deputy Mayor of Sofia Doncho Barbalov, Sofia’s Chief Architect Zdravko Zdravkov, Stamen Yanev, Executive Director of Invest Bulgaria Agency, Eng. Galina Vasileva, manager of OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014 – 2020, Evgeniy Ivanov, Executive Director of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria, Eng. Ioanis Parteniotis, Vice-President of CL Podkrepa, Prof. Dr. Arch. Borislav Borisov, Rector of VSU “Lyuben Karavelov”, Prof. Dr. Eng. Ivan Markov, Rector of UACEG, Eng. Stefan Chaikov, Chairman of the Board of Bulgarian Branch Chamber Roads, experts from state departments and others. The event brought together leading construction companies. Greeting addresses were sent by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Iskra Mihaylova, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development, Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva, Nikolay Nankov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Neno Dimov, Minister of Environment and Water, CEIBG Chairman Kiril Domuschiev and others. Dragomir Simeonov, presenter of the event, read the greeting address from Prime Minister Boyko Borisiov. “Take my sincere greetings on the occasion of Builder’s Day and the 10th anniversary of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber. I am grateful for the work, efforts and talent that you daily put into your work, for the humanity manifested in your charity activities when there is the greatest need for support. I am sure that nobody in Hitrino will forget that you were the first to give a hand to the suffering,” was written in the greeting address by the Prime Minister. “Bulgaria needs active, working organizations that give real results. I believe that the good partnership between the state and the businesses is a prerequisite for even more successful development of the construction industry, infrastructure and life in our country. Today, on St. Dimitar’s Day, I want to wish you health, peace and more happiness in your families, success in the work,” is written there. “Take my congratulations on the occasion of 26 October – the professional holiday of Bulgarian builders and the traditional annual ball of your branch organization. Unfortunately, I cannot attend this year’s event because the disastrous situation in some parts of the country requires my personal commitment to take measures and help the inhabitants of the distressed settlements. I am sure that as colleagues you are also involved with the problems of the people in the regions and you will help to improve the infrastructure in the affected settlements,” is written in the address of Minister Nankov to BCC. “In recent years the Chamber has proved its role as a consolidating and constructive factor in the relations between the business and the executive. I hope that in the future we will continue our partnership relations and joint work on the optimization of the regulatory framework in strategic areas – a priority of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works,” he stressed. “The construction sector is one of the leading sectors in the economy and I am confident that in the coming years it will be the one that will provide new jobs and economic growth of the country,” said Minister Nankov. “It is a great honor and pleasure for me to welcome you in my capacity as Chairman of the Managing Board of BCC on St. Dimitar's Day - Builder's Day. Moreover, in 2017 we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber. With most of you here we have known each other for a long time and we all know how the BCC was built and what efforts were made by the industry to adopt the Construction Chamber Act, which in turn became a prerequisite for making the rules in the sector. Together with the Chamber as an integral part of it we created the Central Professional Register of Builders (CPRB), which is unique and highly appreciated by our European counterparts. In Bulgaria it proves its usefulness with each passing day,” said at the opening of the Annual Ball Eng. Nikolay Stankov, Chairman of the Board of BCC. “We have also created our media – Stroitel Newspaper, which has become a recognizable brand and a symbol of high-quality journalism,” he said. “Whether ten years is a long or short period – depends on the point of view. During the years the Chamber established itself as the most authoritative branch organization protecting the interests of the sector. We became an unsurmountable factor in public life. We are a respected and sought-after partner for the institutions,” said Eng. Stankov, adding that traditionally at St. Dimitar’s Day we are taking stock. “This tradition was formed decades ago, when the beginning of the winter season actually marked the end of active construction. Now the technologies radically changed the situation, but the traditions remain. 2017 has been a tense year, we have overcome many challenges and achieved results. We actively defended and will continue to defend the National Program for Energy Efficiency of Multi-Family Residential Buildings, because it provides jobs for many of our small and medium-sized companies; besides it has a serious economic and social impact on society,” said the Chairman of the Board of BCC. “A proof of this is that together we are strong and we can create rules, such as the standard tender documents in the water sector developed jointly with the Ministry of Environment and Water. I hope that the other institutions will follow this example and we will prepare with them such projects. We will continue to develop proposals for a change in the legal framework concerning the construction and investment process in the country with the aim to improve the microclimate,” he said, adding that the work on solving the personnel problem in the sector has started, as besides better qualification of the workers in the country the Chamber will also seek to ease the procedures for cadres from non-EU countries. “With regard to construction in 2017, for the first time in many years the sector has grown. Colleagues, we are going out of the crisis. A lot of projects were implemented in 2017, some of which you can see at the exhibition we organized together with Stroitel Newspaper and the kind support of Sofia Municipality. The exposition is located on the bridge over Bulgaria Boulevard near the National Palace of Culture,” informed Eng. Stankov. “In 2017, as in all ten years, we have been very active and have participated in various charity initiatives. We have been involved in overcoming the consequences of disasters and accidents, in repairing and building churches, monasteries, schools, monuments. Now is the time to thank all colleagues who participated in these initiatives, for their worthy public position and first of all for their great hearts,” he said. “We will respond adequately to what has happened in the Burgas region. We have already been able to talk with some members of the Executive Board of BCC about it. I express my sympathy for the national tragedy that has come to us in the Burgass region,” the chairman added. In his words, 2018 is expected to be a very active year for the sector. Many public contracts will be announced and some projects under the current programming period will be launched. “Let us all, together with our skills and professionalism, by implementing these sites, work for a more beautiful, more modern and more attractive for investors Bulgaria. Dear colleagues, I would like to thank you all for your professionalism over the years and your tireless efforts. The big and small victories of our industry over these 10 years would not have been possible without you, the fellow members of BCC and those registered in CPRB. I wish to all of you and your families health, happiness and luck. Let us all together go along the way forward to achieve even higher professional successes,” the chairman said. Then Eng. Stankov awarded the honorary sign of the Chamber to the two honorary chairmen of BCC Eng. Simeon Peshov and Eng. Svetoslav Glosov on occasion of the 10th anniversary and for their overall contribution to the creation, development and establishment of the organization over the years. “Thank you all. The creation of the Chamber was due to a large team – mainly the chairmen of the Regional Offices. I would like to especially thank Eng. Ivan Boykov and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Linkov. Without you the Chamber would not be created.” “This award is for the three of us. Thank you,” said Eng. Peshov. “The Chamber is 10 years old but thinking about the fact that six of them I have been chairman of BCC, I think it is too much. The Chamber has always been a cause for me and it will remain such. I had an example and a good advisor before me – that is the other honorary chairman of BCC – Eng. Simeon Peshov. I am convinced that what we have achieved with him as chairmen, Nikolay will continue to be worthy of it and the Chamber will increasingly exude its authority. I thank all those we have worked with during these years – the members of the Board, the chairmen of the Regional Offices and others,” Eng. Glosov said. For the 10th anniversary of the Chamber, a large cake was cut by the three chairmen. During the Annual Ball were awarded the construction “Oscars” for 2016. In the ranking are included only companies registered in CPRB and those that implemented the procedure under Article 20, paragraph 2 of the Construction Chamber Act for 2016 as of 2 October 2017. The total number of listed in the Register is 4,516 companies. Of these, 345 are registered in CPRB with priority fifth group “Individual types of construction works” and are not subject to classification. In the ranking, on the grounds of Article 8, paragraph 3 of the Rules, four companies, which were given golden awards successively in 2014 and 2015, do not participate. These are Glavbolgarstroy AD, Lirex BG OOD, Trace Group Hold AD and Victoria Trans – 2007 EOOD. The total number of companies participating in the ranking is 4,167. In the first group are 3,159 companies executing high-rise construction (residential, public servicing, industrial), its adjacent infrastructure, electronic communications networks and facilities, second – 245, working on sites from the transport infrastructure, third – 475, engaged in the field of energy infrastructure. In the fourth are 288 companies specialized in public works infrastructure, hydro-technical construction and environmental protection. The winners are nominated by a three-member commission on the basis of the declared information from the annual reports for 2016 in the electronic system of CPRB and by certain evaluation indicators according to Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Rules for the annual ranking. The commission is headed by Eng. Lyubomir Kachamakov – member of the Executive Board and the Managing Board of BCC and member of the Board of Directors of Stroitel Newspaper EAD. Deputy chair is Eng. Tanya Kamenova, chairperson of the Regional Office of BCC – Pernik and member – Georgi Grancharov, head of unit “Register”. Among the most significant valuation criteria is “Net sales income for the past financial year”, for which companies receive 15 points. “Average staff for the past financial year” brings 10 points and “Fixed assets for the past financial year” – 5 points. The Chairman of the Board of BCC Eng. Nikolay Stankov handed over the awards in the first group – high-rise construction (residential, public servicing, industrial), its adjacent infrastructure, electronic communications networks and facilities. The golden award in section “Big builders” was for Geostroy AD, the silver one for Vodstroy 98 AD and the bronze – for ISA 2000 EOOD. The first prize for “Medium builders” was for DV stroy consult OOD, the second – Laki stroy 2011 EOOD, and the third – for Interhold EOOD. The golden award in “Small builders” received Arete stroy EOOD, the silver one – ZSK montazhi OOD, and the bronze – Bul stroy invest EOOD. “Construction is a major sector of the country’s economy and this is proved by the fact that more than 5,000 construction companies are registered in Bulgaria,” said Velik Zanchev, Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications. “The professional organization, which this year celebrates its tenth birthday, is one of the most influential in the country and during this period it has established itself as an important partner of the state in the development of strategic infrastructure,” he added stressing that the Chamber represents the interests of companies with over BGN 11 billion annual turnover. According to him, the companies that are members of it are one of the largest employers in Bulgaria that employ more than 200,000 people. “A large part of the activity in the sector in recent years is due to the infrastructure projects with European funding. In the past programming period we have marked a growth in the construction of some of the largest projects in the country,” added Zanchev, pointing out that the Bulgarian construction sector shows an extremely high level of professionalism. He, together with Eng. Nikolay Stankov, handed the awards in the second group – construction works from the transport infrastructure. The golden prize in sector “Big builders” got G.P. Group JSC. The silver award went to Hydrostroy AD, and the bronze to GBS – Infrastructure construction AD. For the best “Medium builders” were awarded Patstroy Varna EOOD, Kram Complex Company JSC and Toni Todorov OOD. For “Small builders” the awarded companies are Stroitelna kompania Patstroy invest OOD, EIV EOOD and Agrobuild EOOD. “Happy holiday to all! Happy anniversary! In the last ten years the Bulgarian Construction Chamber has not just defended the interests of the industry but also has ensured its good prestige. I am grateful for the good partnership of BCC and Stroitel Newspaper, said the Mayor of Sofia Municipality Yordanka Fandakova. “In those years you have accomplished a lot of sites in our city. I hope you will not stop by tradition on St. Dimitar’s Day because you still have a lot of work in Sofia. For next year we have prepared many tasks for you. I wish you to be healthy you and your families and to have many new successes because they are successes for both the city and the state. We will continue to be, regardless of any crises, one of the biggest investors, and certainly one of the most demanding. I think that you understand it well, because that is what our fellow citizens expect,” she stressed. Mayor Fandakova and Eng. Nikolay Stankov distinguished the best in the fourth group – constructions from the public works infrastructure, hydro-technical construction and environmental protection. Stanilov Ltd got the golden award at “Big builders”. The silver award went to Infrastructure construction AD and the bronze to Pipe System JSC. In sector “Medium builders” the highest prize was for Savarona EOOD. Miko – D Ltd ranked second and third was Berus OOD. In “Small builders” the golden award went to Vera Stroy EOOD, the silver one to Aquapro OOD and the bronze to Dar-55 EOOD. The prizes in the third group – construction works from the energy infrastructure, were handed by Eng. Nikolay Stankov. With “Big builders” the golden prize was for Atomenergoremont AD, the silver – for Metalik AD, and the bronze – for Hydroenergy Company AD. The biggest award for medium-sized companies was received by Energoimport-export OOD, followed by Elemon OOD and Belvi OOD. In section “Small builders” the golden prize was awarded to Technoterm engineering EAD, Peev – Rumen Peev ET got the silver one and the bronze – Emu – Pernik EOOD. After the official part the Akaga group took care of the mood of the guests.