Samir Mane

Samir Mane
Born	24 December 1967 Korçë, Albania
Nationality	Albanian
Known for	Balfin Group Mane TCI QTU Tirana East Gate Tirana Logistic Park
Children	4

Samir Mane is one of the most successful Albanian entrepreneurs. He is president and owner of BALFIN Group, which is among the largest private investment groups in Albania and South-east Europe. The Group`s investment portfolio embraces activities of real estate development, retail sales, commercial and industrial space management\ services, mining and metallurgy industry, customer financing, est. Actually part of BALFIN Group are more than 18 companies; geographically the Group is present in 7 countries, employing more than 3,000 people.

That makes Mane ^[1] not only one of the most influential businessmen in Western Balkans but a story of success for Albania.

Biography

Mane was born in the southern Albanian city of Korça on 24 December 1967. He was a student of the Faculty of Geology and Mining at Tirana University when the communist system in Albania collapsed. In this new social, economical and political situation he emigrated in Austria looking for a better life. Mane started working as a translator, helping himself to create contacts with the business world too. Whilst living in Austria in 1993, he spotted the opportunity to start business with electronic products and home appliances in Albania. In 2008 he was included in the Financial Times top four "people to watch in business" in Albania.^[2] The president and CEO of Balfin Group, the largest privately owned company in Albania, has been identified as the country’s first billionaire, with a fortune worth $1.2 billion, according to data provided by WealthX, a global ultra high-net-worth intelligence provider.^[3]

Alba Trade and Neptun

The beginnings of Mane's business activities started in 1993 in Vienna, where Mane founded Alba Trade. Having started with the trade of electronic devices, soon the Balfin Group, created by Mane managed to create the largest network of electronics stores in Albania, Neptun and then extending the network in the neighboring countries as well. Neptun's chain of stores was positioned from the beginning in 1993 as the main electronics player in the Albanian market supplying the demand with the best brands and latest technology. Today this business created by Mane counts 14 stores in Albania and more than 17 in Kosova, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia.^[4]

Mane TCI

Since 2002 Balfin Group is present in development and real estate management projects. Through the company Mane TCI it has realized industrial and residential facilities of the highest standards in Albania.

QTU, Euromax, Fashion Group

In 2005, it was inaugurated the first shopping center in Albania, Qendra Tregtare Univers (Universe Trade Center). This was a very ambitious project of Mane's for the time and revolutionized the purchasing way of the Albanian customers. Even today QTU is still the most popular and successful shopping center in Albania.

The year 2005 marked the establishment of the first Albanian chain of supermarkets, Euromax. In a very short time Euromax managed to turn into the largest network of supermarkets in Albania offering quality with the best prices.

Fashion Group was established in 2005 to bring in Albania the most popular brands of clothing, offering the latest collections for all Brands of Fashion Group are: Mango, Goldenpoint, Calliope, Geox, Parfois, Okaidi, Prenatal, Terranova, Springfield, Carpisa and Etam.

TEG

In 2011 Balfin Group completed another important project, Tirana East Gate. With an investment of €54 million, it was constructed the most modern and the largest shopping center in Albania with over 90'000 m2.

Skopje City Mall, Honorary Consul of Thailand, Tirana Logistic Park

In October 2012 Balfin Group concluded one of the most important investments of the group abroad, Skopje City Mall. This €68 million project was developed in cooperation with the participation of international partners.

In March 2012 he was named the honorary consul of Thailand at the opening ceremony of the new consulate.^[5]

Again during 2012 Mane with Balfin Group undertook a bold project yet again, building a logistic park, which is another groundbreaking innovation for the Albanian market. Tirana Logistic Park is designed to provide services not only to Albanian businesses, but also the foreign. This investment will be developed in phases and the first phase was finalized in October 2013. The total investment costs are planned to be about €44 million.

AlbChrome

In 2013 Balfin Group took a very important step to diversify the portfolio of activities in the mineral industry by acquiring 100% of the shares of ACR Holding, the largest company of extraction, enrichment and processing of chrome in Albania.

Mane has created the most successful Group in Albania with more than 3,000 employees.

References