Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1248303
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MAY 2020 13 COMMERCIAL Inspire Malta now equipped with 454 solar panels, compliments of Frank Salt Real Estate FRANK Salt Real Estate is pleased to announce that 454 PV solar panels have been installed on the roof of Inspire's premises in Marsascala and are now con- nected to the grid and generat- ing electricity. The project kicked-off in 2019, which saw considerable preparations carried out to fa- cilitate the installation of the panels. The existing pipework and air-conditioning infra- structure at roof level had to be removed and relayed so that a new membrane could be laid. Given that a substantial part of Inspire's roof consisted of a slope, a new steel structure to support the panels over the sloping area was commissioned from a German company. Fully funded by Frank Salt Re- al Estate, the €120,000 project is estimated to generate over 253,000 units of power, result- ing in an annual cost saving of €45,000 for the Inspire Foun- dation. The Inspire Foundation works with children and adults with disabilities, providing programs and services, to help these persons reach their full potential. The initiative forms part of several projects that Frank Salt Real Estate's 'Let's Go Environ- mental' drive has taken up over the last few years aimed at safe- guarding and contributing to- wards the wellbeing of Malta's environment. Other activities include a 1000-tree afforesta- tion project in the whereabouts of Fort Madliena, as well as the maintenance of four public gardens in Swieqi and Ibrag. The company has also in- stilled its corporate social re- sponsibility amongst its team members, with beach clean ups becoming a regular occurrence in Frank Salt Real Estate's cal- endar of events. It has also in- vested extensively to reduce its own carbon footprint, by reducing the quantity of paper and opting for recyclable mate- rials where possible through- out its head office and branch network. PREMIER Capital plc, the Mal- tese-owned Developmental Li- cencee for McDonald's in six European markets, has posted a pre-tax profit of €28 million for the year ended 31 December, 2019, up from €23 million in 2018. Last year, the group regis- tered a 16.2% increase in turn- over to realise revenue of €341 million. Thanks to its team of more than 8,800 people in 156 restaurants in Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania, Premier Capital served 131 million customers last year, 11 million more than in 2018, yet again setting a new guest count record for the group. All markets reported sig- nificant and even accelerated growth. With Greece registering the highest advancement on 2018 with 23.4%, followed by Ro- mania (18.7%), Latvia (12.2%), Lithuania (10.1%), Estonia (8.2%), and Malta (7.6%). Pre- mier Capital opened 12 new restaurants last year: seven in Romania, one in Lithuania, one in Latvia and three in Greece. Two restaurants were closed across the network. A further 32 restaurants were upgraded to accommodate McDonald's newest service and digital plat- forms allowing for the roll out of table service and self-order- ing kiosks, bringing the total of converted restaurants to 97. By the end of 2019, a total of 87 restaurants had deployed McDelivery. The outlook for 2020 has been impacted by the COV- ID-19 pandemic. Operations have been scaled back in compliance with meas- ures implemented by local health authorities over the past few weeks. Some restaurants have been closed but most others con- tinue to serve customers with an even greater focus on con- venience through take away, McDrive and McDeliver- Stringent cost containment measures are in place, there is constant re-budgeting and re- view, and capital expenditure has largely been put on hold. At the beginning of 2020, the group had originally projected to open 12 new restaurants in 2020. This for now has been re- vised to five. McDonald's licencee Premier Capital posts €28 million pre-tax profit in 2019 In 2019, Premier Capital plc registered a 16.2% increase in turnover to realise revenue of €341 million