Karelia – The highest turnover in its history in 2021 – Reflections on energy and raw materials

2021 closed with a positive sign for the Karelia tobacco industry, whose management provided emergency financial benefits of more than 4 million euros to its employees, as well as to non-profit organizations and institutions.

The relevant announcement was made in a message to the staff by the CEO of the company, Andreas G. Karelias, as for the second year the emergency health conditions did not allow the realization of the established New Year celebration.

Mr. Karelias stated, among other things, that this year’s turnover was the largest in the history of the company, while he spoke of enhanced profitability, which “would be even greater if the traditionally profitable sales volumes at the retail and Duty Free points amounted to levels of previous years “, to increase the share in the Greek market, increase sales abroad, referring in particular to the high performance of the company in Bulgaria, while there was an increase in the company’s cash and cash equivalents, which today exceed 530 million euros.

In particular, the year closes with an increase of 8.5% in the sales of the company outside Greece in cigarettes and 10.5% in tobacco for hand rolled cigarettes.

The challenges of 2022

For this year, Mr. Karelias focused on the uncertainty related to the course of the Omicron mutation but also other possible developments of the pandemic, with the risk of new lockdowns, the significant increases in the purchase prices of raw materials and auxiliary materials, which will push the company’s profitability. , as he said, the unprecedented increase in energy costs, the constant pressure on the supply chain and transportation costs, both in the import of raw materials and in the costs of marketing our products in international markets, as well as in the restrictions on the way its products communicate .

“It is certain that the above difficulties, some of which we encounter for the first time or in such intensity, will test us and lead us to decisions that in other cases we would not have taken,” said the CEO.

The goals for this year are, according to Mr. Karelias, the continuation of the increasing course of the company’s share in the Greek market and in foreign markets, further strengthening of the commercial network and continuous actions of social assistance and solidarity.

The benefits are over 4 million euros

Extraordinary benefits to employees include:

Wage increases

All employees with a salary over 2,501 euros, will receive, an increase of 4% to their gross monthly salary, from 01.01.2022.

All employees with a salary of 2,500 euros and below, will receive from 01.01.2022 in their gross monthly salary an increase of 100 euros.

Extraordinary financial aid

The extraordinary financial support for the festive table amounts to 300 euros net this year.
In addition, each employee who has children studying at a state university or TEI, will receive an extraordinary financial support of 1,500 euros net.
In addition, the employees, whose children succeeded in the above Institutions in 2021, will receive an additional aid of 500 euros net.
At the same time, the company will give a gift of a state-of-the-art Apple laptop to every child who succeeded in being admitted to one of the above schools in 2021.
All employees with a salary of more than 2,500 euros will receive an extraordinary financial support of 1,200 euros net.
All employees with a salary of 1,700 to 2,499 euros will receive an extraordinary financial support of 1,650 euros net.
All employees who have a salary of more than 1,200 euros up to 1,699 euros will receive an extraordinary financial support of 1,900 euros net.
All employees with a salary of less than 1,200 euros will receive an emergency financial aid of 2,150 euros net.
Each lottery ticket for today for each of the 40 lucky ones, will amount to 1,000 euros net.

Financial aid to charities

At the same time, as every year, so this year KARELIA SA will continue its social work with the financial support of those organizations that really need our support. Especially for this year, the Board of Directors of our company decided to support with the total amount of 850,000 euros the following bodies:

The Holy Diocese of Messinia with the amount of € 130,000 of which € 50,000 for the completion of the construction of the Holy Temple of St. Catherine in our city.
The “Smile of the Child” with the amount of € 100,000
The “Therapeutic Equestrian Association of Greece” with the amount of € 80,000
The Efstathia I. Costopoulou Foundation “Grandma’s Orchard” for its multi-year contribution to children, in the amount of € 70,000, for the development of innovative actions, such as the creation of an library for toddlers but also for the training of human resources.
The Association of Parents, Guardians and Friends of People with Autism of the Prefecture of Messinia with the amount of € 50,000 The Association of Friends of People with Special Needs of Messinia (SY.F.AMEA) with the amount of € 50,000
The SOS Children’s Villages of Kalamata with the amount of € 50,000
The Laboratory of Special Vocational Education and Training of Kalamata (Ε.Ε.Ε.Ε.Κ.) with the amount of € 50,000
The voluntary non-profit organization “The Ark of the World” with the amount of € 70,000
The Fire Service of the Peloponnese Region with the amount of € 200,000
Thus, the total amount given this year for salary increases and extraordinary financial benefits to the employees of the Company, but also for the support of the public benefit bodies mentioned above, exceeds 4,000,000 euros.