12 news and stories that marked 12 months in 2009 when it comes to number of readers on "eKapija"

Year 2009 was pretty strange - undoubtedly marked by the crisis, quite depressing, and then again, when we take a look at the most read texts on "eKapija", it was rich with investment stories and investment courage. Or maybe the investors were only "prisoners" of their own investments whose realization was started in 2008?

It is better to believe that these stories were initiated by economic optimism and that they were in connection with Serbia's getting closer to European Union, as well as cooperation with Russia and adoption of numerous laws that support correct people in their further development of visions, intelligence and courage, by employing other people and other companies.

We hope that year 2010 will be even more turned to these positive trends.

Let us take a look at the most read texts in 2009.

J A N U A R Y 2009

MULTICON Engineering draws plans for "Holiday Inn" hotel in Kragujevac

The crisis started to scare people seriously in the third quarter of year 2008. Entrepreneurs were in the dilemma whether "Fiat" had withdrawn from Kragujevac or not. The optimists, who (as we see now) were right, wanted to get ready for the days following the first hit of the crisis, so that they kept working on all important details of future harmonious "marriage" between Kragujevac and "Fiat". That is how the work on drawing of plans for "Holiday Inn" hotel near Bubanj lake in Kragujevac started.

F E B R U A R Y 2009

Exhibition space "Kompresor" opened in Dorćol - furnish your office and apartment at one place

Four brave ladies (Vesna Ječmenica, Dragana Zeljković, Divna Minić and Milka Tomić-Perović), the frontmen (or front-women) of companies "Nitea", "Haus", "Kare" and "Micros Group", opened exhibition space "Kompresor" in Žorža Klemansoa Street in Belgrade. This attractive space was the result of new architectural transfer of soul into the former hall for car repairs of automobile company "Kompresor", in the reconstruction of which aforementioned companies invested significant funds and rented it on the period of ten years.

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M A R C H 2009

SIEPA grants non-refundable funds for investments - condition for grant is employment of new workers

The crisis already became a part of everyday life, and the economy reacted by admitting to itself that the crisis was here to stay and that the work must be resumed. The state recovered from the first shock and started implementation of projects such as "old for new", "first chance"… The Investment and Export Promotion Agency of Serbia (SIEPA) joined these campaigns and announced public invitation for allotment of non-refundable grants for investments that enable employment of new workers. The money was intended for investments in production and services that can be exported and for investments in research and development.

A P R I L 2009

Biggest trade center in region opened - "Ušće Shopping Center" at 130,000 square meters

The opening of the biggest trade center in the region, under the name of "Ušće Shopping Center", at the surface of 130,000 square meters, in which 150m EUR were invested, drew the greatest attention of the public in late March and early April 2009. This large investment was realized by company "MPC Properties", the product of joint investment of Belgrade-based company "MPC Holding" and US company "Merrill Lynch".

M A Y 2009

"Italian mall" - the first outlet trade center in Surčin

Early May was marked by the investment that was not that big financially as it was big in a conceptual sense. This investment, a small empire of textile and footwear, was intended for the women who first had to find out everything about it on Internet, so that this story became the most read story in May.

J U N E 2009

Drawing of plans for hotel "Ruža vetrova" - healthy life center opens on Zlatibor mountain prior to end of June 2010

Maybe the reason for the fact that this document was the most read story in June was the proximity of summer vacations and the concern for how to lose weight. Whatever the reason was, we need to wait some more for this center for healthy life to open, that is, until summer 2010.

J U L Y 2009

Expensive land - obstacle for company "Ikea"

"Ikea" is coming, "Ikea" is not coming, "Ikea" comes in this way, "Ikea" is not coming at all, but it will come after all. We hope that good model will be found and that Serbia will be an important destination on the map of one such empire as "Ikea".

A U G U S T 2009

Life DESIGN Hotel in Belgrade – Enjoy Life!

August was not marked by any seaside, lake or mountain hotel, but by the newly opened hotel in Belgrade's center, in Balkanska Street. Good and imaginatively designed hotel!

S E P T E M B E R 2009

"Mercator" gets ready to take over "Delta Maxi"?

Just like in the previous news ("Ikea" is coming/"Ikea" is not coming), the stories that either "Mercator" is going to buy a part of the "Delta" empire or that "Delta" is taking over "Mercator" were quite frequent over the past few years. We don't know who has the ball at the moment, but this was the situation in September, and it was followed by denials. To be continued...

O C T O B E R 2009

Austrian "Kika" opens department store in Belgrade on November 26th - investment worth about 30m EUR

Swedish "Ikea" did not arrive in Serbia, but Austrian "Kika" did. The new department store that offers furniture and other goods was opened in November next to "Merkur" shopping center on Bežanijska Kosa. The offer does not include many pieces of cheap furniture, but it definitely includes beautiful and imaginatively designed ones.

N O V E M B E R 2009

Construction of first "Mr.Bricolage" facility in Serbia finished - 9m EUR invested in Niš-based center

The autumn opening of trade centers continued. French "Mr. Bricolage" made the citizens of Niš happy and announced surprises for the citizens of Belgrade and Novi Sad.

D E C E M B E R 2009

Law on Traffic Safety in effect starting December 11th - How much will each mistake cost you?

And then, just before the New Year, the attention of the driving population in Serbia was redirected to the future penalty points and the need for absence of alcohol in blood and fastened safety belts. They all started to think how they were going to miss driving through red light, without lights and in yellow lane - all those "romantic" habits that will be harshly punished by the traffic police from now on.

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