Unconsolidated subsidiaries Corporate activities
and affiliates
Ahold Allkauf Poland, a joint venture begun in 1995 is as yet
unconsolidated. The joint venture is establishing a chain of
supermarkets, cash carry stores and hypermarkets in Poland.
At the current time, the company operates twelve stores and has
a 51% interest in Mitex, a Polish supermarket organization. The
joint venture is active in southern Poland. Capital invested and
operating results were still relatively minor in 1995.
Ahold's share of the small start-up losses of this venture has been
charged against income from unconsolidated subsidiaries and
affiliates.
Luis Paez (50% Ahold-owned), the Spanish sherry bodega,
acquired 100% ownership of the Williams Humbert bodega
(producer of Dry Sack) in 1995, through purchase of the remaining
60% of the Williams Humbert shares it did not already own.
Due to this acquisition, market shares further increased.
Dividends from the cross-shareholdings in Argyll and
Casino amounted to NLG 6.9 million in 1995 (1994: NLG 7.7 mil
lion).
Virtually all subsidiaries improved the efficiency of their operations
over the past year. Continuing investment in technology and
revamping of organizational structures reduced employment at
Ahold. However, the opening of new stores, modernization, and
introduction of new services have created jobs.
The average number of Ahold employees in The
Netherlands, other European countries and the United States rose
to 132,450 in 1995 (1994: 125,207). Much of this gain stemmed
from acquisitions in the United States, the Czech Republic, and
Poland.
In 1995, a record number of employees participated in train
ing and education programs dealing with new job requirements.
Ahold and Albert Heijn have developed training programs where
the curriculum can be customized to suit individual employee
needs. The organization's growing flexibility in store operating
policy is placing new demands on employees. Ahold is acting
wherever it can to help employees adapt to the new requirements
and broaden their employment skills.
The company's internationalization will increasingly entail
international transfers of personnel. This is still the most effective
method for transferring skills and knowledge from one area to
another. Overseas postings will become an increasingly common
part of career development for a growing number of Ahold
managers. In 1995, Ahold worked to improve coordination of
training programs and management recruitment and development.
United States - The average number of US employees topped
69,175, a 9.2% rise, primarily due to the acquisition of the Mayfair
supermarket chain and the opening of new stores.
Tops, Finast, Giant and BI-LO all increased employment.
Tops went from 14,192 to 14,764; Finast grew from 6,963 to 7,095;
Averaqe number of employees
x 1,000
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
■i United Slates
Employment
18 Annual Report 1995 Royal Ahold
