Spring 2011

Societe Moderne Libanaise pour le Commerce SMLC – Franchisee & Bottler of Pepsi Cola, Tropicana and Lipton Iced Tea products in Lebanon – won a global award as the best Bottler of the Year for 2010.

SMLC was founded by the late Toufic Assaf and his brothers in 1952, and enjoys the unique distinction of being the first Pepsi franchisee and bottler to operate in the Levant. In 1989 Toufic Assaf won the Hall of Fame award, PepsiCo’s highest recognition for franchise holders, which has been given only to a handful of bottlers around the world in PepsiCo’s history. In 2001, SMLC made a strategic joint venture alliance with PepsiCo, whereby Pepsico acquired 34.5% of SMLC’s shares and the balance of shares remained with the Assaf family.

SMLC’s mission over the years has been to sell and deliver world class profitable brands satisfying consumers’ refreshment beverage needs while pursuing innovation and efficiencies in the processes employed. SMLC has also won numerous quality awards for its products and customer service.

On March 24, 2011 Chairman/General Manager Walid Assaf received the Bottler of the Year trophy for 2010 from PepsiCo’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi and PepsiCo co-founder Don Kendall during a dinner ceremony held at the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Several senior members and managers of PepsiCo, Pepsi International and Pepsi bottlers throughout the world attended this function.

The assessment of Pepsi bottlers throughout the world was based on sales volume, market share, product quality, management efficiency and customer service. SMLC achieved the highest scores on these key performance indicators for the past 3 years, which merited SMLC to win the first rank in the world among all Pepsi Bottlers.

SMLC Chairman Walid Assaf is a founding member of AmCham Lebanon, and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer of the organization. On behalf of all AmCham members, we would like to say Alf Mabruk to Walid Assaf and his team at SMLC for winning such prestigious global recognition for a Lebanese company.

SMLC (Pepsi Cola Lebanon): Bottler of the Year for 2010

Inside This Issue

Member News

U.S Trade Fairs

New Members

General Assembly

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5

2

5

ABA Trip to Lebanon6

U.S. FDA News7

2Spring 2011

New MembersRobert KanaanGeneral ManagerProduits et Solutions Informatiques - PSI961 (1) 484848www. psi.com.lb

Director Paola ChakhtouraAddress 1153 Foch Street Beirut Central DistrictP.O. Box 175093 Beirut, LebanonPhone/ Fax +961 1 985330-1Web www.amcham.org.lbE-mail info@amcham.org.lb

Board of Directors and Officers

Salim J. Zeenni ChairmanMaher Y. Beydoun VP for Public RelationsArslan M. Sinno VP for MembershipRichard A. Haykel VP for International AffairsWalid T. Assaf TreasurerNadim Kassar Secretary GeneralJoe Asseily Board MemberCharles Nahhas Board MemberRabah Jaber Board MemberCarol Chammas Kareh Board MemberNadim Romanos Board MemberAntoine Maroun Board MemberFadi Moubarak Board MemberBarbara Batlouni Board MemberGaby Tamer Board MemberFady Khayat Board MemberPierre Debahy Board Member

American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce

PSI is an exclusive distributor in Lebanon of OKI printers and fax and an exclusive distributor of Kobra shredders and Sharp photocopiers.

PSI delivers full solutions and integration to the Lebanon market, mainly for corporate and large accounts. PSI is a market leader in document security, holographic designs and twofold holographic applicators, and queuing systems, in addition to JCM Dollar & Euro Checkers and money counters.

We sell and service professional products to professionals.

The team of Droguerie Tamer - represented by General Manager Tarek Skaff, Manager of Tamer Levant Diaa Khreish, Director of 3i Mena Carlos Abillama and Sales

Manager Wael Houry - visited the International Dental Show (IDS) held in Cologne. This international exhibition is the largest in the dental field and attracts over 120.000 visitors from around the globe and presents the latest technologies from leading international brands.For this occasion Droguerie Tamer was awarded a trophy by the American company A-Dec in appreciation of the support in sales and product services as well as to commemorate the 20 years of partnership. As a member of Tamer G. Tamer Holding, Droguerie Tamer represents many important brands like A-Dec, NSK, Septodont, Bego, Biomet 3i, and Discus Dental on the Lebanese and regional market.

Member NewsDroguerie Tamer Wins Trophy

Michel F. Ferneini is the Chairman and General Manager of Société Financière du Liban SAL since 1994, which is owned by 40 banks and operates on the interbank and the Treasury bills market between banks on a daily basis.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut, he began his professional career with Chase Manhattan Bank in Beirut in 1972, and then joined Merrill Lynch as a Financial Adviser in different offices worldwide.

He is presently a board member of several companies, including: Intra Investment Company, Casino du Liban, Jammal Trust Bank, Société Générale des Projets Touristiques, and Ameen, among others. He is married to Dolly Wehbe and has two children.

Michel Ferneine General ManagerSociété Financière du Liban SAL961 (1) 259710/1sofina@dm.net.lb

After the domination of technology throughout the business world, Crown House is proud to launch the next innovative product by Steelcase, media:scape.

A new and unique solution to answer the challenge companies face in making their workplaces work better, media:scape makes teamwork more productive and creative, optimizing collaborative space and providing seamless and instant access to technology.

media:scape democratizes meetings by allowing people to

3Spring 2011

Launching of media:scape

access and share their information quickly and easily. It is a unique combination of furniture and easy-to-use technology that creates an instant meeting zone by itself, without the need for huge space-taking conference rooms.

Moreover, it can be modified to serve the work force as a lounge, as a seated meeting or even as an information-sharing stand. This marks media:scape with three simple characteristics: it’s seamless, simple and smart.

With media:scape, c o m p a n i e s can provide an important tool for a successful workplace!

A 14 Screen Cinema Multiplex To Open In Erbil

The pioneering spirit of Empire Group has given impetus to various industry innovations, and a heads up approach has earned it a leading position among industry players. Having taken the movie concept beyond the limits of human imagination, now it is boldly taking a step beyond borders, into unchartered territory.

For the first time ever a cinema multiplex will open in the recently constructed Erbil Family Mall. “This is a one of a kind endeavor,” says Gino Haddad, CFO/Business Development Director for the Empire Group.

The cinema veteran’s multiplex will host 14 state-of-the-art screens, equipped with 3D digital projectors and DTS digital surround sound systems. Adorning movie-goers’ newest lifestyle are exceptionally spacious theaters with stadium-like architecture, boasting more than 2,500 choice seats. The large multiplex lobby will be furnished with comfortable lounge couches and a sizable concession area offering mouth-watering refreshments and snacks.

Empire Group will release Hollywood blockbuster movies concurrently with U.S and European launch dates, aiming to spread its exclusive movie-going experience throughout the Iraqi territory.

Librex held its fourth International Conference from February 21-24, 2011 at Le Royal Dbayeh. Distributors attended from more than 24 countries, including Brazil, Kazakhstan, Poland, Argentina, Spain and many others.

A welcome reception was organized under the theme “Oldies Night” to welcome guests in a special way. Distributors also

attended two educational business sessions where they shared their experiences.

Top distributors were recognized and received their awards during the gala dinner. Librex is currently present in 33 different countries all over the world and aims to reach 50 by the year 2011.

Librex Holds 4th International Conference

4Spring 2011

Teletrade Computer Systems Ranks 15 amongst the Top 25

The Lebanon 25 | Arabia 500 is a competition organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade by the Boston based AllWorld Network, in partnership with local and international organizations such as Quantum Communications, Bader Young Entrepreneurs Program, Berytech, Kafalat

and the American University of Beirut, as well as the Monitor Group, Siraj Capital, and Sukoon International. Partners also include the US-based Business Council for International Understanding and the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

A large number of companies representing diverse industries, such as Accommodation & Food Services, High Tech & Communications, PR, Media, Marketing, etc. competed for a place on the Lebanon 25 based on their sales growth between 2006 and 2008.

Teletrade Computer Systems came 15th across all industries and led the High Tech and Telecommunication industry by being the 1st. The top 25 companies’ representatives were invited to the residence of previous U.S. Ambassador H.E. Michele Sison, where the announcements were made. The winners were automatically qualified for the Arabia 500 list which will be announced during the spring of 2011 in Jordan. The 25 companies also became members of AllWorld Exchange, thus gaining international exposure and opportunities to access new markets.

Most Dynamic, Fastest Growing Companies in “Lebanon 25”

In line with the close working relationship between Fransabank and the American University of Beirut (AUB), Fransabank Group CEO Adel Kassar and AUB President Peter Dorman signed a cooperation agreement worth US$ 28.5 million during a reception held at Fransabank Group’s head office in the presence of representatives from both institutions.

The agreement provides AUB with an 11-year line of credit in Lebanese pounds at very competitive interest rates, subject to the terms of BDL circular 185, which encourages the provision of funds to a large number of crucial sectors in Lebanon, including education and health.

Kassar praised AUB and the AUB Medical Center for the major role that they play in Lebanon under the leadership of President

Dorman. He also stressed the importance of supporting the education and health sectors in Lebanon as important contributors to the country’s overall advancement and the development of its national economy.

President Dorman applauded Fransabank Group’s support for the educational and other vital sectors in Lebanon. He also praised their high quality banking services that benefit both the national economy and the society at large.

Fransabank and AUB Sign 11-year Cooperation Agreement Worth US$ 28.5 Million

in Lebanon – estimated at 25,000 – on their tax filing requirements in the U.S. PwC in Lebanon is the only Big 4 firm to provide this service.

In May 2010, PwC launched the “Lebanese Tax Group (LTG),” an initiative that aims to create a discussion forum around taxation matters. Participating in this initiative are prominent members from the private and public sectors, and the group’s main objective is to raise awareness on the intrinsic correlation between efficient fiscal policies, the impact it has on private business overall output and how a partnership is essential to ensure increased voluntary compliance and reduced costs for both parties.

On March 15, 2011, PwC launched its U.S. tax return service for U.S. citizens and green card holders in Lebanon.

The event was marked by a workshop held at the Gefinor Rotana Hotel, and delivered by Dennis Allen, ME International Assignee Service leader from PwC Qatar and Mohamed Araji, manager at PwC Lebanon.

The attendees included business leaders, human resource department representatives from American universities in Lebanon, as well as the former U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, H.E. Vincent Battle. The workshop’s objective was to raise the awareness of U.S. citizens and green card holders living

PwC Launches U.S. Tax Service and Lebanese Tax Group

5 Spring 2011

NavLink, a provider of managed Information and C o m m u n i c a t i o n Technology services in the region, has signed an agreement with GlobeMed Ltd, a leading healthcare benefits management

company providing franchises to Third Party Administrators (TPA) throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Due to its high reliance on Information Technology, the agreement with NavLink will provide GlobeMed with a complete solution for the company’s Disaster Recovery Plan.

GlobeMed has currently implemented with NavLink a Disaster Recovery Site located in France, which encompasses its hardware, communication and software infrastructure. This set-up will ensure that if systems or the communication grid should fail in Lebanon due to uncontrollable circumstances, data is recoverable with minimal loss and normal operation can carry on. The continuous upgrade of its innovative systems and technologies is the foundation behind the success of GlobeMed, demonstrating once more its position as a leading TPA in the region.

NavLink brought to the project more than 15 years of expertise in the Managed Services arena during which it served and still serves several large enterprises across different industries, such as finance, media, oil & gas, construction and government.

NavLink & GlobeMed Ltd Ensure a Disaster Recovery Site

AmCham General Assemblyattendees. The floor was then opened for questions and suggestions.

A few ideas raised included offering consulting services to help Lebanese companies invest in the U.S. and vice versa, as well as organizing excursions for members to discover different parts of Lebanon while networking and getting to know each other better. Both suggestions would also provide some profit to AmCham to help generate funds for ongoing activities.

The American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce held its annual ordinary general assembly on March 2, 2011 at Le Vendome Hotel.

After a welcome word from AmCham Chairman Salim Zeenni, Arslan Sinno presented an overview of the 2010 activities on behalf of Secretary General Nadim Kassar.

Treasurer Walid Assaf then reviewed the financial status of AmCham, followed by Nazih Borghol from Ernst and Young, who presented the auditor’s report which was distributed to all

US Trade Fairs

Listing for International Buyer Program (IBP) 2010-2011http://www.export.gov/ibp/ibp.asp?ReportID=IBP

Event Sector Location From ToAmerican Water Works Association Annual Conference and Exhibition  Water Resources Eq./Services Washington 12/6/2011 16/6/2011National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo 2011 General Services Boston 12/6/2011 14/6/2011InfoComm 2011 Audio/Visual Eq. Orlando 15/6/2011 17/6/2011HBA Global Expo 2011 Cosmetics/Toiletries New York 28/06/2011 30/06/2011American Association for Clinical Chemistry 2011 Health Care Services Atlanta 24/07/2011 28/07/2011Unmanned Vehicle Systems International 2011 (AUVSI) Aviation Services Washington 16/08/2011 19/08/2011Graph Expo 2011 Computers/Peripherals Chicago 11/9/2011 14/9/2011RETECH (Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition)  Renewable Energy equipment Washington 20/09/2011 22/09/2011Natural Products Expo East 2011 Foods ‐ Processed Baltimore 21/09/2011 24/09/2011PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011 Packaging Equipment Las Vegas 26/09/2011 28/09/2011

Listing For International Buyer Program (IBP) 2011

http://www.export.gov/ibp/ibp.asp?ReportID=IBP

6 Spring 2011

American Bar Association’s International Legal Exchange Trip to Lebanon

trip focused on rule of law issues and the linkages b e t w e e n b u s i n e s s , cultural and legal issues in Lebanon and Jordan, and had three goals:

1. Gain a greater understanding of the legal and business environment in Jordan and Lebanon. Members of the delegation engaged in a dialogue with local government regulators, practitioners, business leaders, lawyers’ associations and jurists, and civil society organizations to better understand the legal and business framework in the host countries and to determine how to build bridges between diverse legal cultures in order to promote mutually beneficial business opportunities.

2. Establish a dialogue between legal communities to explore the extent to which law reforms have supported or encouraged economic development, and the role of lawyers, bar associations and NGOs in the development of national economies.

3. Lay the groundwork for future cooperation between the ABA Section of International Law and the Bar Associations in Lebanon and Jordan to offer assistance where needed or requested via ABA Section of International Law support, committee assistance, task forces and technical legal assistance programs.

During the luncheon, AmCham Chairman Salim Zeenni gave opening remarks and welcomed the delegation to Lebanon. He shared his hopes for constructive future collaboration for the benefit of both Lebanon and the U.S., and he thanked the ABA for its continuous efforts and support.

H.E Ambassador Connelly also spoke, and she recognized AmCham’s continuous efforts to promote Lebanese-American trade relations, and stated that the Embassy is proud of its relationship with AmCham which has been a fruitful

The International Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA International) organized an International

Legal Exchange (ILEX) trip to Jordan and Lebanon in March 2011, which was headed by its Chair Salli Swartz.

On this occasion, AmCham Lebanon hosted the delegation for a lunch with its Board of Directors, members in the legal sector, and U.S. embassy representatives, in the presence of H.E. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly.

The American Bar Association, through the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, provides support for legal technical assistance in a variety of capacities, and its visit was intended to complement the ABA’s existing activities in the region. The delegation to Lebanon consisted of the leadership of ABA International, as well as several other distinguished members of the U.S. legal profession, including prominent private practitioners and legal academics.

The objective of ILEX is to promote the exchange of ideas affecting justice and legal issues worldwide. These trips provide delegation members with first-hand knowledge of the legal and judicial systems and the specific issues confronting other countries and regions. The trips also provide a unique opportunity for delegation members to interact with legal, business, and governmental leaders of the countries visited. Recent ILEX delegations have also visited London and Paris (2005), Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (2007), India, Peru and Brazil (2009) and Australia and New Zealand (2010). This ILEX

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Continued from p. 6

partnership, advocating for and encouraging increased commercial ties between the U.S. and Lebanon. She continued, by saying, “I would also like to thank AmCham for its generosity in hosting the visiting International Law Exchange delegation from the American Bar Association. Initiatives like the ILEX program are an essential part

of creating and sustaining professional connections between the United States and Lebanon. It is our hope that after your brief visit to the region you will be able to bring back with you to the U.S. a deeper understanding of the issues at play here, both within the judicial sphere and beyond. In Lebanon, as in few other countries, the rule of law and judicial process are pivotal issues as Lebanese society struggles with the difficult implications of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the aspiration that it will, once and for all, end the era of impunity for those who use assassination as a political tool.”

U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) News3. On April 27, FDA released the 4th edition of the “Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance.” It contains the latest recommendations to the seafood industry for reducing and eliminating food safety hazards in the fish and fishery products they process (http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/G u i d a n c e D o c u m e n t s / S e a f o o d /FishandFisheriesProductsHazardsandControlsGuide/default).

4. On May 5, an interim final rule was issued that requires anyone importing food (human or animal) into the United States to inform the U.S. FDA if any country has refused entry to the same product. This new requirement will provide FDA with more information about foods that are being imported and will improve its ability to target foods that may pose a significant risk to public health (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-05-05/pdf/2011-10955.pdf).

5. On May 5, an interim final rule was issued on administrative detention of food. This interim final rule allows the U.S. FDA administratively to detain food it believes has been produced under unsanitary or unsafe conditions. Previously, its ability to detain food products applied only when the agency had credible evidence that a food product was contaminated or mislabeled in a way that presented a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-05-05/html/2011-10953.htm). If you have questions, please forward them to FSMA@fda.hhs.gov.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will work in the coming months to write regulations that allow it to implement this law to move toward a prevention-based system to protect public health. These web sites will be updated as appropriate and you can sign up for emails to alert you when there is updated information.

President Barack Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law on January 4, 2011. FSMA mandates significant changes that should markedly improve the safety of America’s food supply.

The Act is focused on prevention of those problems that can make people sick. This, however, requires that everyone in today’s global food chain be a responsible and accountable partner, at each step, for controlling hazards that can cause illness. This is a historic Act that will: 1. Involve the creation of a new food safety system;2. Broaden prevention mandate and accountability;3. Create a new system of import oversight; 4. Emphasize partnerships; 5. Emphasize farm-to-table responsibility.

For information about FSMA, access the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm237758.htm.

Information about FSMA in Arabic is available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm242834.htm.

Progress in implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): 1. On April 4, FDA unveiled its new “consumer-friendly” recall search engine. This site will help you search for recalls, not only for food, but also for other FDA-regulated products. (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm).

2. FDA completed its first FSMA-required report to Congress: “Annual Report to Congress on Food Facilities, Food Imports, and FDA Foreign Offices Provisions of the FDA Food Safety and Modernization Act” (http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm250569.htm).