Construction Company Kgroup Enjoys 20% Growth on Georgian Market

Georgian construction and repair company Kgroup has achieved 20% growth in the field of construction and metal product manufacturing.

According to statistics, Kgroup carried out 38 repair projects (+14.6%), 78 projects in construction (+30%), and 144 projects in metal product manufacturing (+55.4%) in 2022.

Korneli Khvedelidze, Director of Kgroup, said demand for services in the construction sector is growing every day.

“Kgroup cooperates with large companies such as M2, Villa Residence, Anagi development, Archi, Element Construction. This is not the full list, of course. The quality work of Kgroup and its professional team have made many partner companies want to continue working with us," he said.

Khvedelidze also informed readers of Golden Brand “with great joy” that Kgroup was “one step closer” to becoming the largest metal products company in the South Caucasus. He added that completely “new and modern” tools introduced to the company last year have significantly simplified the work process. The company even set an ambitious goal to start exporting its metal furniture abroad.

“We are offering even higher-quality metal products and construction facilities to customers and vow to continue growth and the development in the future," Khvedelidze said.

Kgroup has been operating on the Georgian market since 2014 and has established a
leading position in its field.

The company manufactures metal gates, railings, grilles and household items, as well as metal structures for large, industrial constructions. It owns a holding in the eastern city of Rustavi, which allows the company to serve customers virtually throughout Georgia while being headquartered in the capital city of Tbilisi.

Khvedelidze recalls that there were “many obstacles, many achievements, but the enthusiasm, dedication, and years of experience of the people working in our company have helped us to overcome all difficulties."

Khvedelidze says that the company went through “many new things, obstacles and experiences” last year.

“Ukraine, which is now fighting Russia, was one exporter of metal goods. Due to unfortunate events, the import of metal was interrupted and Turkey became our main supplier. We had to find new contacts in order to continue our work perfectly and with quality. We managed to achieve this goal," he said.

Khvedelidze considers the biggest achievement of the company creating quality products that were not produced in Georgia before Kgroup and restoring trust in craftsmen.

The successful development of the company has been crowned by the Golden Brand award this
year, which recognized Kgroup as Georgian customers’ favorite manufacturer of metal products.

Q. Due to the successful activities of 2022 Kgroup once again became the winner of the Golden Brand award. How has the company managed to maintain this award and the title of favorite manufacturer of metal products?
A. The Golden Brand award we received last year was a recognition of the company's reliability, the quality of its products, and appreciation of the work of its employees. All this motivated us to keep going, to prepare for the changing environment, to introduce innovations, to listen to customers and offer them even more diverse, sophisticated and even higher quality products and services.

Enthusiasm, loyalty of the people in the team, motivation received from you became a prerequisite for the fact that we once again earned the award which is often referred as the "Business Oscars" of Georgia.

Q. You said that completely “new and modern” tools had been introduced to Kgroup. What new features have these tools added?
A. Today we are equipped with new machine tools, and in the future we plan to make even more diverse both our equipment and manufactured products.

Thanks to the existing modern equipment, currently we can fulfill orders in a shorter period of time, and we have the opportunity to cut and process the metal with millimeter accuracy, which affects the quality and increases productivity - more products can be made with less effort than in the past.

All this helps us get relevant certificates, adapt to EU standards, think about going outside of Georgia and offering European quality products to foreign countries.

Q. Your goal is to make Kgroup the largest metal products company in the South Caucasus. What about in Georgia? What is the company’s position here?
A. I can confidently say that we are one of the largest companies in Georgia, which offers customers comfort in service, the highest quality metal products and construction objects made in full compliance with regulations.

As far as metal goods, I can proudly say that we are the leaders in the market and we have a 20% share, which increases every year. As Michael Jordan once said, "talent wins games but only teamwork wins championships”. Thanks to my team's hard work and enthusiasm, the market share of Kgroup will continue to grow and our leadership position will be maintained in the future.

We will also soon be the largest and most reliable enterprise in the South Caucasus.

Q. You mentioned export plans several times. Which countries are you thinking of cooperating with, and what type of furniture are you thinking of exporting?
A. Negotiations regarding the export of metal furniture were conducted with neighboring countries, but so far work on this issue has been suspended due to global crises and unfortunate events.

We stand by Turkey and Ukraine and wish them a peaceful life.

Discussions on furniture export will definitely continue and we will be able to offer neighboring countries comfortable and high-quality furniture made of natural loft materials in the near future

Hyleys Wins Third Golden Brand as Number One Foreign Tea Brand in Georgia

Hyleys, which has been delivering the best blends of tea to its customers in Georgia since 2003, has won the country’s most influential business award, the Golden Brand for the third year in a row, after customers and experts chose it as their favorite foreign tea brand.

Since its introduction to the market, Hyleys has managed to win the hearts of many consumers. The brand has been developing year after year, experiencing stable growth in sales of about 20% annually and expanding its product portfolio to meet increased demand.

“Thanks to its high quality, unique style, broad presence on the market, loyal customers and firm establishment on the market, Hyleys is definitely a leader among many other similar brands.
Since its very first days Hyleys has been offering products which will satisfy the taste of any consumer,” Koba Metreveli said, Director of Everest 2010, a distribution company that imports Hyleys Tea to Georgia.

While initially only the detox tea from Harmony collection was sold in Georgia, now consumers are able to try green and black ginger, raspberry, cranberry, graviola, pomegranate, blueberry, chamomile, mint, linden, hibiscus, lemon balm, thyme and others from the same collection.

Hyleys Tea retains 100% of the original flavor of freshly picked tea, and is available in almost all supermarkets in Georgia and PSP and Aversi pharmacies.

Currently fifty different types of Hyleys Tea are imported to Georgia, while the brand produces more than 200 varieties of tea overall.

Metreveli said that Hyleys British collection is more popular than other collections both in Georgia and abroad.

“Hyleys has become popular around the world thanks to the British collection, which is pure black Ceylon tea, hand-picked, without additives,” Metreveli stated.

Since its inception in 1997, Regency Teas LTD has been packing tea under its flagship brand Hyleys.

The wide range of teas in the Hyleys portfolio includes classic black and green, and specialty blends with various flavors and herbs.

The company obtains these blends from various countries worldwide and is one of the few tea exporters in Sri Lanka to have its own cold storage facility specifically for herbs.

Hyleys recently launched several teas consisting of 100% natural ingredients in stride with the latest global consumer trends.

These innovative products have special packaging and unique customer appeal, adding further value to ‘taste and health’ aspects.

Regency Teas exports to over 25 countries worldwide and its strongest presence is in North America and Eastern Europe.

On the manufacturing front, the company operates a production plant of 90,000 square feet with modern infrastructure, tea packaging machinery and highly skilled staff.

Annually, the factory produces 3,500 metric tons of tea under strict Food Safety Management Systems and guidelines.

The plant is certified through the Sri Lanka Tea Board and Bureau Veritas for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000, which is a recognized body of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

The company is also licensed to manufacture products certified by kosher and organic bodies.

Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi Offers Chinese Dining Experience at New Ensemble Restaurant

If you want to enjoy a true Chinese dining experience while visiting the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, five-star Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi's new restaurant Ensemble is your new go-to.

Fried tofu with barbecue sauce, gongbao chicken, stewed beef meatball with cabbage and vermicelli, fried mussels with garlic on sizzling board, and other masterful blends of ingredients and spices from China are created by a crew of ten chefs all from China and brought to table with legendary Chinese dining etiquette.

General Manager of the Hotel, Peter Hoellrigl, talks about Ensemble and shares some of Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi's future plans.

Q. Please introduce us to Ensemble restaurant.
A. Our Ensemble Chinese restaurant has been in operation since March and is going well. We still have many things we keep tweaking and improving. Sourcing all proper and “real” products for a wider variety will take more time. We are ramping up for the main season at the hotel, and in this period we will also hold an official opening ceremony, the exact date to be announced.

The restaurant decoration is simple Chinese, interesting are the paintings with the horses as they have a story to tell. Like all real Chinese restaurants, the main focus is on private dining rooms where we can host dinner parties of up to 24 people. Those events are in more private, luxurious settings, good for celebrations and for business meals. The service, food and environment at private rooms are even higher standard.

The most important feature of course is our team of chefs. We have a minimum crew of ten chefs, all of them from China. There is no place in Georgia even coming close to this. The chefs come as a team led by the master chef, specialized in their categories and with regional strong points.

As our restaurant is already extremely popular with Chinese natives living and working in Georgia, we also have a service team lead by a Chinese Restaurant Manager. Mr. Wang has worked for Chinese Restaurants and five-star hotels his entire career. What makes him extra successful is his past experience running a free-standing Chinese restaurant in Europe for many years.

With the wide variety of dishes from the menu and the option for custom set menus we can cater to every guest’s taste, occasion and spending power.

Q. Why did you decide to open a Chinese restaurant and not a European one, for example? Do you think it is popular among Georgians or visitors of the country? Or did you see there was a lack of quality Chinese restaurants in the country?
A. China has been in the news as future opportunities and upcoming market for several years, which is one reason to focus on. Our market research clearly showed that Asian food is trending and popular in Georgia, so we decided to specialize in Chinese cuisine, as we plan to be on the market for many years to come. Over time, when Georgians get used to sampling Asian food and their knowledge grows, they will choose specific cuisine and appreciate the taste of authenticity.

As China is such a huge country, and very diverse, we can provide food for every guest’s preference. China has healthy choices, comfort food, refined seafood, heavy meat dishes, and certainly everyone is aware of their spicy delicacies.

Since the hotel investments and BTL Hospitality Management come originally from China, we have the right connections and support. In the Hualing area there are many Asian people and Chinese based companies; they certainly are on our radar. We believe that if we can satisfy Chinese people at our restaurant, this will ensure Georgians that we are doing the right thing.

Q. I read several reviews on Tripadvisor and the restaurant got excellent ratings in most cases. Your guests said Ensemble restaurant was the place to go, calling it “a real Chinese restaurant”. What do you think, how has the restaurant achieved this recognition?
A. At our hotel, just like at our Ensemble Chinese Restaurant, we strive to deliver “Asian Hospitality” Friendliness, and special ceremonies, Asian gestures and poses are very common. This works very well for catering to guests, treating all guests like we treat honored friends visiting our home. Through specific training and commitment of our associates we ensure extra focus on guests’ satisfaction. Not just satisfying a guest, but making them regular, repeating guests.

We actively encourage our staff to request feedback, we are setting targets on satisfaction scores and also on quantity of feedback, all this as friendly, fun competition with monthly small celebrations of the team. In China, as we have experienced, the competition is so much tougher and many companies are providing restaurant reviews on the internet. We use what we learned there to keep creating and inventing ever-changing unique customer experiences.

After all, pleasing and hosting guests is a personal trait and attitude, not something that can be trained or forced – for that, allocating the right people to the right venue is key to success.

Q. What do you have planned for the Hotel?
A. In the past year we have planned and executed upgrades and renovations everywhere. All of our 246 rooms have had new features installed, furniture replaced, even electrical and mechanical things the guests don’t see, for example air quality has been updated. We plan to keep increasing our creativity and the quantity of special events and promotions.

The newest item is our family room. These rooms are biggest and feature bedsheets, pillows, and blankets with cartoon characters as well as toys, colorful kids towels, bathrobes for a family-friendly low price.

Because our hotel is big and therefore not downtown, we all have to work a little harder and better. Since last year we have been looking and working on our unique segment, a niche where we can play with less competitors. As we have our Chinese connection, some tasteful Chinese character decorations and of course our Ensemble restaurant we have been working with Asian markets. Now since China has overcome the pandemic this is paying off. We continue to extend our strength for sports groups and extend and increase our already strong SPA facilities and packages. With our current guests’ origination point, we are a perfect mix of East and West, as this beautiful country has been here for thousands of years.

Q. Let's talk about Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi as a place for different kinds of meetings. What types of meetings can be held at the hotel?
A. Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi offers perfect spaces for holding conventions, seminars, workshops, incentives, exhibitions, fashion shows, corporate parties, concerts. The hotel has six conference rooms, all with daylight. The size of the meeting rooms varies from 120m2 to 220m2 and can host up to 250. Not to mention our 800m2 ballroom, which is perfect for sporting events and exhibitions.

Also, if you are planning to celebrate your dream wedding party in a luxury ambiance, then our ballroom is the perfect place.

Our food and beverage department will guarantee delicious coffee breaks, mouthwatering desserts, and a variegated menu for lunch and dinner.

Hotel Gudauri Inn Expanding With 32 High-Class Rooms

Gudauri Inn, a hotel operated by one of Georgia’s leading hospitality companies, Inn Group, is expanding with a new building next to the existing hotel, which will offer 32 high-class rooms with perfect views, a spa center, and a swimming pool.

CEO of Inn Group, Erekle Kokaia, said construction is due to be completed by next winter.

Located in the heart of Georgia’s popular ski resort of Gudauri, 4-star Gudauri Inn hotel features 92 stylish rooms with balconies and magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. The hotel is a perfect getaway for ski lovers and those who wish to relax surrounded by the majestic Caucasus mountains.

Q. Let’s start our interview by talking about the Golden Brand award. Gudauri Inn has become a favorite ski hotel of Georgian customers and experts. What does this recognition mean for you?

A. Each such recognition is a great honor and incentive for us, because it shows that we are on the right track.

It is the second year that the hotels located in the mountain resorts of Inn Group ⁠— Gudauri Inn and Bakuriani Inn ⁠— have won the Golden Brand, which is obviously a great incentive to continue to grow and develop, to expand our team, and to promote the development of tourism in our country.

Q. What special offers does Gudauri Inn have for its guests?

A. Gudauri Inn is a four-star hotel which is distinguished by impressive views from almost every floor, amazingly comfortable rooms, and delicious food. In the near future, we plan to add another building to the hotel, which will work for the premium segment and in which, in addition to the rooms, there will be a pool, sauna and jacuzzi.

Q. Since attention was mostly directed to Bakuriani, as it was hosting FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships this year, and the winter was not that snowy, how was occupancy at Gudauri Inn during the winter season?

A. January could have been better. Occupancy dropped to about 60%. Our expectation was about 80%. Fortunately we achieved this result in February, but as the season ended and the weather changed, occupancy dropped back to 60%.

It should be said that this winter was unusual. We don't remember when there was no snow during the whole season in Bakuriani and Gudauri. The only thing that saved the season was the New Year, when occupancy rate is always very high. As soon as the New Year ends, if there is no snow, the demand for ski resorts drops. As soon as the snow fell the situation improved, especially in Bakuriani.

Q. Inn Group is continuing its expansion across the country with a new hotel planned for Akhaltsikhe in the southwestern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Please share some details of this project.

A. Akhaltsikhe Inn will be a 115-room, five-star hotel, which will feature a restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, gym, entertainment spaces with billiards and board games, a courtyard and conference halls.

The hotel will be suitable for foreigners, locals, and corporate clients.

There are often so many holidaymakers and travelers in the summer in Akhaltsikhe that the city can’t accommodate them all. On the other hand, the number of travelers decreases drastically during the winter. That is exactly why we will try to make Akhaltsikhe Inn attractive to corporate clients and businesses with solid offers. That’s why the hotel will have medium and large conference halls, with places to rest and a lot of space for entertainment.

With our new hotel, we want to promote this region among both foreign and local vacationers.

Q. What are your impressions of the newly-opened Gori Inn hotel?

A. When we announced that we were building a hotel in Gori, everyone asked, why Gori?

We have several answers to this question; the first is that Inn Group always tries to promote different regions of the country as we see potential in all the regions of Georgia, including Gori, and the number of hotel reservations confirms this. Our goal is to make the Shida Kartli region and its city of Gori as interesting for Georgians as it is for tourists. The interest is already quite high, but we think that Gori Inn will have many more visitors from spring onwards.

In addition we have created a number of jobs in the area, as 99% of the hotel’s employees are locals.

Q. Let’s talk about the Kutaisi Inn hotel in Georgia’s Imereti region, which has been named the most successful new hotel of the year according to research conducted by the Swiss Ratings Association. How did you achieve this?

A. It was a great honor for us to win this just a few months after the hotel’s opening.

Kutaisi Inn is the first 5-star hotel in Kutaisi, where guests are greeted with wonderfully comfortable rooms, delicious cuisine and a yard hidden among evergreen trees. This success is due to the efforts of each employee at Kutaisi Inn, as well as each of our guests, the people who entrust their vacation experience to us.

Inn Group and all its member companies continue their journey of development on the Georgian market, striving to be a symbol of Georgian hospitality.