Rossiya (Moscow), October 31, 2003

This was the fifth time the national annual business award "Company of the Year" was awarded. This award was introduced in the post-crisis year of 1999 and was, in fact, "an award of hope" granted for "playing by civilized rules".

At present, the national business award, which is organized by the RosBusinessConsulting news agency and supported by the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry, reveals truly outstanding representatives of domestic businesses.

This year, the expert council consisting of prominent state and public figures, representatives of business elite together with Russian and foreign mass media, chose 37 winners from 300 of the largest Russian companies nominated for the award. For the first time in the award's history, prizes were granted to foreign companies, i.e. Ramstore (run by Turkey's Ramenka) and the multinational pizzeria network Sbarro.

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Winners of the Company of the Year award

Nomination / Winners

MANUFACTURING

Fuel and energy complex / RAO UES of Russia
Machine building / United Heavy Machinery
Metal industry / Mechel (Chelyabinsk Metal Works)
Food industry / Wimm-Bill-Dann
Timber industry / Arkhangelsk pulp-and-paper plant
Agroindustrial complex / Razgulyay-UKRROS

FINANCE

Bank of the year / Bank of Moscow
Insurance company of the year / Rossiya insurance company
Investment company of the year / PIOGLOBAL Asset Management

SERVICES

Business services / Ernst & Young
Public consumer services / Perekriostok trading house
Retail trade / Techmarket
Telecommunications / ZAO TransTeleKom
Distribution and trade / Dixis
Franchising / Sbarro
Trade network / Ramstore
Transport and logistics / Novorossiysk Seaport
Tourism / Natalie Tours
Information technologies / 1C

SPECIAL CATEGORIES

Discovery of the year / First Real Estate Investment Fund
Business reputation / Yarpivo
For contribution to revival of industry / Prodimeks
Most dynamically developing company / FosterGroup
Customer-oriented company / Zenit bank
For corporate management / Perekriostok trading house
For potential and outlooks / Stolichnaya insurance company
For efficient merger and acquisition policy / Norilsk Nickel
For investment attractiveness of companies within a group / MAIR industrial group
For attracting foreign investments in Russia / Brunswick UBS
For high quality of services / Equant
For efficient social policy / RosBank
For best marketing / Komus
For best management / CSKA
For promoting the mission of corporate rights advocates / RightON group
For successful business strategy / S.P.I. Group
For contribution to city building / Sistema Hals
For developing and upgrading the international-level transportation junction in Russia / East Line Group

Philipp Chernykh