OUR YEAR 2014! - Read all about it in our annual - S

 CountryDesk

The international network of the
Savings Banks Financial Group
Our Year 2013
www.countrydesk.de
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2013: Celebration.
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Preface
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends and Supporters of the S-CountryDesk idea,
Valued Partners at home and abroad,
10 Years of S-CountryDesk – How time flies. – Many of us still clearly remember how the S-CountryDesk GbR,
predecessor of the present GmbH, was founded in Krefeld on 25 September 2003. It was our aim to make
services provided by the major savings banks available to other interested institutions. Today, 10 years later,
S-CountryDesk has become firmly established as one of the most efficient shared institutions within the
Savings Banks Financial Group. In spite of partly differing and at times contrary interests in the business
policy of our member institutions, we have succeeded sustainably in bundling existing expert knowledge in
the group, developing it further and making it available to all parties. Cooperation with each other is characterised by a high degree of esteem and mutual respect.
At this juncture we would like to thank all our colleagues who provide highly qualified services for our network
with great reliability and on an honorary basis. The large amount of positive feedback from the grass roots is
living proof that we are increasingly successful in offering our customers attractive and useful solutions at
home and abroad. In this connection, our thanks also go out to our many long-standing network partners
abroad. Thank you for your true personal commitment, without which it would not always be possible to fulfil
our customers' wishes. A broadly-based, extensive presence in commercial banking, access to the respective
national funds transfer platforms with their specific advantages and widely available cash services at the local
level, make the service offerings of the Savings Banks Financial Group abroad truly unique. It is only thanks to
this that our network is able to maintain an advantage over the large German banks and their network of
international branches.
However we do not deny the criticism that even 10 years after the company's formation, our network is still
too little known, both by many of our account managers and our customers. We can really only do one thing to
change this: keep spreading the message every time we talk to our business customers: with commitment,
drive and passion. We can stimulate ideas and provide the framework; it is the activities at a local level that
every member institution has to develop for itself.
In the belief that in future no one will have any doubt in their mind to say:
Talk world business, think Sparkasse.
Our local communication could not deliver a clearer or more inviting message.
We now wish our readers pleasant reading of our Annual Report, which provides not only a retrospective look
at the past year, but also offers some attractive building blocks for future solutions.
With this in mind we wish you a successful year in 2014.
Christoph Holzem
Michael Nißl
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Contents
2013: What we have achieved.
 CountryDesk Experts online
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 CountryDesk at Sibos
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 CountryDesk out and about
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 CountryDesk's 10 year celebrations
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 CountryDesk on the move
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Croatia – Welcome to the EU!
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India – A huge country
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 CountryDesk Coordination Team gets a second office
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 CountryDesk: The international network
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 CountryDesk Experts online
"And…..Action!" – These were the most frequently
heard words during the filming of video statements
with our S-CountryDesk experts: Cooperation
partners from abroad, Relationship Managers and
customers.
S-CountryDesk has been using past events to make
video interviews, starting with the S-CountryDesk
Workshop 2012 at the International Specialists Convention, but also the DSGV's German "Mittelstand"
Forum for SMEs (see page 7).
Since Summer 2013, the video portal on the
S-CountryDesk website has been filled with over 50
clips. These were composed from over 5 hours of raw
material. Today, our homepage encourages visitors to
www.countrydesk.de to explore directly our expert
video portal and discover useful information on
different countries and services.
Here, for example, are to be found customers reporting on their investments in the USA or Asia, how they
were supported by their regional Sparkasse and our
international network enabling them to make a
successful start or expand abroad. Our international
partners explain in their clips what our customers
should bear in mind when coming to their particular
country or region and in what ways they can accompany German companies abroad. And in their videos,
our Relationship Managers give ideas and tips as to
what customers and their savings bank advisors
should take into consideration when taking companies abroad.
Various studies come to the same conclusion: the
days when the written word characterised the internet are gone. Nowadays, internet users prefer videos,
because videos leave a more lasting impression and
are better able to explain complex concepts. In addition they also make products and services more
transparent and more tangible for a savings bank's
business customers, which in turn helps create trust
in our performance. Videos also bring clear
advantages for the results of a Google search, and
move S- CountryDesk to the top of the search list.
Through state-of-the-art presentation, our video
portal has enabled us to create a good and attractive
basis for informing visitors to our website. We will
continue extending our clip library with additional
videos in the years to come.
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 CountryDesk at Sibos
SIBOS (SWIFT International Banking Operations
Seminar) is the leading world trade fair for financial
services. It takes place each year on a different continent. On 16-19 September 2013 visitors, delegates
and exhibitors flocked to Dubai in their thousands to
discuss the latest trends, developments and demands
in the world of international banking.
Attending SIBOS is very important for banks and
near-bank services providers alike. Moreover, it is
only by knowing current trends and seeing things
from the point of view of foreign partners that it is
possible to maintain a long-term market position and
provide the right answers in changing circumstances.
This was why S-CountryDesk, together with representatives of the German Savings Banks & Giro Association, again shared a stand at SIBOS with Landesbank Baden-Württemberg.
S-CountryDesk invited partners for discussions at LBBW's stand
Having a joint presence and working in close cooperation with LBBW for three years now, we used the fair
as an important platform to promote our services,
using our presence to arouse customer awareness
and do some vital networking in order to position
S-CountryDesk in the international banking
environment.
It is not least thanks to this partnership that
S-CountryDesk is able to present the red
savings
banks logo abroad. In talks with foreign colleagues,
great interest was expressed in the "S-CountryDesk
principle" resulting in a good many new and
attractive cooperation opportunities.
The Dubai SIBOS attained the second-highest number of
delegates
SIBOS made one thing clear: it will be banks and
countries which are able to combine efficiently different cultures and business models which will gain in
significance. To their number we can already count
Indonesia and Turkey, on account of their favourable
geographic position and the United Arab Emirates,
where a favourable development is forecast as a
bridge between east and west. Through the
appropriate Relationship Managers at shareholder
institutions, German savings banks are already cooperating today with important partners and service
providers in these countries in particular.
Once again in 2014 S-CountryDesk is planning to
share a stand at SIBOS, which this time will be taking
place in Boston.
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LBBW and S-CountryDesk's shared stand
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 CountryDesk out and about
The Coface Country Risk Conference is a popular
information and network platform for matters concerning both international business and German
international trade as a whole.
S-CountryDesk was represented at this conference for
the first time in May 2013 with its own exhibitor
stand. Supported by colleagues from Frankfurter
Sparkasse, Nassauische Sparkasse in Wiesbaden and
Berliner Sparkasse, the team was well-equipped to
deal with the mass of visitors. Business customers
found helpful information for their planned international ventures and at the same time were able to
take on board valuable tips from practitioners.
Well frequented – S-CountryDesk's stand
The conference was also attended by a good many
colleagues from the Savings Banks Financial Group
which also facilitated a productive exchange of ideas.
The DSGV's traditional German SME Forum in Berlin
again welcomed over 500 visitors in 2013. These are
mostly managing directors and managers of mediumsized companies who are accompanied by board
members and sectional heads from their local savings
banks. Under the event's motto "Stabilising Europe –
Strengthening SMEs" delegates were able to hear
contributions from notable representatives from
business and politics.
From its exhibition stand, S-CountryDesk provided
information on the efficiency of its international network. At the Themed Forum No. 2, Steffen Nussbaum,
Managing Director of Otto Nussbaum GmbH in
Kehl/Rhein, together with the S-CountryDesk partners
involved, illustrated how it was possible to
finance and set up a new production location in the
USA. This was another authentic and real-life example
showing our group's competence, making the subject
matter easy to grasp for other customers and savings
banks looking to take the next steps forward in
international business.
S-CountryDesk was in demand from delegates to the
German SME Forum
In 2014 S-CountryDesk will again be represented with
its own stand a both events.
(from left to right) Steffen Nussbaum, Managing Director of
Otto Nussbaum GmbH with his brother, Wolfgang Huber,
Board Member at Sparkasse Hanauerland and Markus Ruppert, S-CountryDesk
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 CountryDesk celebrates 10 years
S-CountryDesk has been an important building block
in international business banking for 10 years. This
was demonstrated admirably at the anniversary event
on 26 September 2013.
Under the motto "Talk world business, think
Sparkasse" the international network invited its
guests to the DSGV's Sparkassenhaus in Berlin to
take a virtual flight together over the Savings Bank
Financial Group's international business world.
Among the well-wishers, alongside DSGV President,
Georg Fahrenschon, were also Ludger Goossens, a
member of DSGV's senior management, as well as the
Chairman of the S-CountryDesk Shareholders General
Assembly and Deputy Chairman of Kreissparkasse
Heilbronn's Board of Management, Matthias Peschke.
Georg Fahrenschon thanked S-CountryDesk Managing Directors, Christoph Holzem and Michael Nissl for
the network's continuing and committed activity
which makes a sustainable contribution towards
strengthening the Savings Banks Financial Group's
international business.
Steadily increasing globalisation requires savings
banks to remain capable in all fields and to offer their
business customers attractive solutions, he said. He
remarked that S-CountryDesk secures this capability
in Germany and abroad and is, into the bargain, a
successful example of functioning, overlapping cooperation between association partners within the
S-Financial Group.
S-CountryDesk Flight SCD10J "Around the world"!
Georg Fahrenschon thanked S-CountryDesk for its work
In his speech, Matthias Peschke gave special mention
to the historic significance of "international business". From international funds transfer through to
export financing, German savings banks are and have
always been the natural partners for regional
business customers, he said.
Peschke praised the S-CountryDesk company founded in 2003 for its commitment in making it possible
for its associated savings banks and landesbanks
nationwide to help customers on their way abroad
and at their destination with comprehensive and
personalised service offerings. In his opinion,
S-CountryDesk, just like "international business", is
an important element in promoting customer loyalty.
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Matthias Peschke stressed the importance of S-CountryDesk
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 CountryDesk celebrates 10 years
It was the turn of the two managing directors to take
the guests through the last item on the event's
agenda. Christoph Holzem, for many years one of
S-CountryDesk's initiators, illustrated the beginnings
and the development of the network. In Krefeld, on 25
September 2003, on the initiative of the major
German savings banks, the S-CountryDesk company
came into existence, at first as a GbR (a civil law company). This was the culmination of numerous meetings of the major German savings banks, working on
topics dealing with international cooperation.
Christoph Holzem showed our guests the development of
the S-CountryDesk network
Michael Nissl hosted the second part and together
with six partners in other countries, took the
audience on an interactive journey to show them
what savings banks can make possible through
S-CountryDesk and how our cooperation works in real
life.
Deutsche Leasing USA, Landesbank BadenWürttemberg in Singapore, Landesbank Berlin in
Moscow, the German Centres in Mexico and Singapore and the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China
joined as co-presenters via telephone and video
conferencing links.
The celebration guests were thus able to experience
through real life examples how medium-sized businesses can be supported by the S-CountryDesk
network on their way abroad. The event also showed
just how important it is to emphasise that savings
banks and reliable and efficient partners abroad
which vast knowledge and many different types of
contacts at their disposal.
Michael Nissl hosted the interactive part
It is therefore always worth putting on show this
image and self-confidence to local companies and
convincing them of our expertise. An important goal
for S-CountryDesk is thus to build up and maintain
the savings banks' perceived competence in international corporate business.
For the celebrations S-CountryDesk designed a series
of exhibition elements which all member savings
banks can use for their own exhibitions. Amongst
other things, an over 2-metre high advertising or
"Litfass" column shows practical examples which
bring to life the motto: "Talk world business, think
Sparkasse". Read on for more about our exhibition
and the route it has taken on Page 10.
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(from left to right) Michael Nissl, Christoph Holzem, Georg
Fahrenschon, Matthias Peschke and Ludger Goossens in
front of the S-CountryDesk "Litfass" column
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 CountryDesk on the move
What can S-CountryDesk do for customers abroad? To
what regions of the world can we help them on their
way? How does the international network work in
practice?
Those are all typical questions which are often put to
S-CountryDesk. A small travelling exhibition was
designed to make our service spectrum more
tangible and easier to retain.
At the heart of the exhibition is a 2.3 metre high
advertising or "Litfass" column, developed by
S-CountryDesk's Marketing Working Group, to show
S-CountryDesk in action. Practical case studies,
intercultural country information and short
presentations from selected service providers are
attractively laid out on a large map of the world.
Anyone looking at the map, who has a smartphone
can directly access the corresponding expert videos
by scanning the appropriate QR code and experience
intuitively "the S-CountryDesk principle".
Start of the exhibition: The 10 year celebrations in Berlin
Alongside the advertising column are two large
displays showing S-CountryDesk and how it works as
well as the history of international business banking
at the German savings banks, the latter illustrated by
posters of old international business advertisements.
The guests at S-CountryDesk's 10 Year Celebrations
in Berlin were enthralled by the travelling exhibition
and it was not long before the first savings banks had
reserved these for their own use.
First port of call: The foyer at Stadtsparkasse München
Among them was Stadtsparkasse München, which
presented the exhibition, first for a private showing at
a customer event and then in its Head Office foyer for
all other customers to see.
Sparkasse Osnabrück took a similar path. In addition,
a staff newsletter was used to get colleagues
interested in the exhibition, to raise internal
awareness of S-CountryDesk and to stress the
importance of international business.
Further ports of call at other savings banks have
already been booked. Munich and Osnabrück's
experiences are the proof: S-CountryDesk's exhibition
is a hit with both customers and colleagues.
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Next stop, Sparkasse Osnabrück
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Croatia – Welcome to the EU!
On 1 July 2013 Croatia became the 28th member of
the EU.
After 2013 was registered as the fifth year in succession without growth, new structural aid and IMF loans
have been put in place to help the Croatian economy
get off the ground and develop more favourably.
Experts do not reckon on any more than 1% growth
at the most to start with in 2014.
After Italy, Germany, with a volume of over EUR 3 bn,
is Croatia's second largest trading partner and an
important partner in the field of foreign trade, FDI,
tourism, financial cooperation and technical development.
Henry Rehkuh, Relationship Manager for Albania, BosniaHercegovina, Greece, Kosovo, Croatia, FYR Macedonia,
Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia
The opening up of the tourism sector to foreign
investment and the extension of the energy,
transport and logistics sectors will offer new opportunities. Since joining the EU, Croatia also benefits
from a higher degree of legal peace and a more efficient fight against corruption. In spite of this, German
SMEs are still reluctant to enter the Croatian market.
For all that, Croatia has a good deal to offer: a
qualified labour force, widespread knowledge of
foreign languages, a good motorway network,
Mediterranean ports, great tourism potential.
At S-CountryDesk we received enquiries above all
from companies interested in investing in tourism.
Implementation normally takes months or even years,
as the companies making the enquiries are often only
at the early planning stage.
As well as offering tailor-made financing products,
our
partners,
Zagrebacka
Banka,
Erste & Steiermärkische Bank and Raiffeisenbank
International, provide our customers with the
complete range of banking products, from a current
account through to documentary business. They can
therefore be relied upon to be at our customers' side
from the moment they decide to enter the market.
We can only hope that Croatia's EU membership will
show the anticipated favourable effects and will help
German companies to also consider Croatia as an
attractive investment destination and thus be able to
enhance the Croatian economy with their expertise.
Text: Yvonne Knobel, Kreissparkasse Köln
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India – A huge country
In the past ten years, India, with average annual
growth rates of near on 8% in the real economy,
belonged to the countries with the highest growth
worldwide and can therefore look back on a
remarkable economic catching-up process.
However since the beginning of 2012, the economy
has lost much of its dynamism; after approx. 4%
growth last year, we are expecting growth of a mere
5%-6% for 2014 and 2015. Apart from the weakening
economic dynamics of late, the world's most populous democracy is suffering from reform stagnation
under the present government. Therefore there are
high hopes for the next elections in May 2014.
Franz Zörntlein, Relationship Manager India, China, Hong
Kong SAR and Bulgaria
The greatest single external problem for India is the
devaluation of the rupee. Alongside a creeping loss of
confidence on the part of investors, it is above all the
end of cheap money which has led to the withdrawal
of capital. To counter the fall of the currency and stop
higher foreign borrowing costs, the central bank has
been intervening in currency markets and has raised
base rates. Devaluation pressure could thus be eased,
but the increases in base rates work against any
strengthening of growth dynamics.
The greatest challenge to success is however the
improvement in the operating environment of India
as an international investment location. In particular,
the country will have to attract long-term foreign
direct investment and investment in the infrastructure, if the economic catching-up process is ever
going to re-gain momentum. If these investments fail
to materialise, the state will have to jump into the
breach. The public debt ratio of 67% p.a., high for a
newly industrialised country, would be driven even
higher.
Even if growth prospects are rather dismal in the
short term, the long-term perspectives are more
encouraging. Apart from access to a huge internal
market, foreign investors benefit above all from the
country's increasing integration into the world economy, a favourable population structure and low wage
costs. As far as the regulatory conditions for investment are concerned, the expectation is for slight
improvements rather than quantum leaps. Opportunities are offered above all in the announced liberalisation of the retail trade.
Text: Manuel Schimm, BayernLB
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 CountryDesk Coordination Team gets a second office
The S-CountryDesk Coordination Team is for all users
the first point of contact to respond to the whole
range of questions regarding the international
network. This includes ideas and service improvement suggestions as well as technical problems with
the website or questions regarding the product
spectrum in general. The Coordination Teams is also
responsible both for intra-network communication
and for centralised initiatives and activities.
Since the S-CountryDesk Coordination Team moved
into its office at Berliner Sparkasse in 2010, the
network has already been able to take a large step
forward in its development.
Berliner Sparkasse on Alexanderplatz and the Cooperation
Office's primary location
Since October 2013 there is a second S-CountryDesk
office at Deutsche Leasing's Head Office in Bad
Homburg. Markus Ruppert is in charge of the new
office. He is above all responsible for cooperation,
service provider management, business development
and strategy. He is also a point of contact for shareholders and members of S-CountryDesk for general
questions affecting the network.
Deutsche Leasing, with its 22 branches abroad, is an
important partner of the German savings banks in the
field of vendor and investment financing. Therefore in
2014 it is scheduled to become more integrated into
the S-CountryDesk network in order to tend to
savings bank customers abroad and to be able to
offer a wider product spectrum.
In Berlin, Carolin Zahn (Berliner Sparkasse), together
with her colleague Sabine Freundt, is in charge of
Marketing, PR, as well as Internet and is available as
contact person for questions and suggestions on
these topics. Berliner Sparkasse's relationship
management for Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and
UAE is also based here.
Deutsche Leasing Head Office, Bad Homburg, a second
location for the S-CountryDesk Cooperation Office
Naturally, both offices continue to be linked by
internet, central servers and the like and make sure
that calls are answered and all enquiries are dealt
with quickly. Your contacts look forward to receiving
your call!
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CountryDesk: The international network
In 2013 the German savings banks, together with
S-CountryDesk, again accompanied many small and
medium-sized companies on their way into foreign
markets and beyond. Through S-CountryDesk the
German savings banks can present a package of
information, combining customer care and financing
at home with contacts and bank service offerings
abroad – for up to near on 100 different countries.
The first contact point for interested companies is the
savings bank in their home town. They in turn
approach S-CountryDesk with their international
questions and in so doing activate a dense network of
partners from the banking and non-banking sectors.
Through the international network the customer's
familiar account manager in his home town is able to
combine classic banking products with case-specific
counselling and service offerings.
Services referred by S-CountryDesk include:
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International financing offerings
Account opening worldwide
Regularly updated country information
Leasing products for vendor and investment
financing
Ready-to-use office space for simple market
entry in emerging markets
Customised research for international trade
information / Cooperation partner searches
Location counselling and site selection assistance
Cross-cultural advice
Customer care at the foreign destination by
selected (banking) partners
 Assistance also outside of the main cities in
many important destination countries
Entrepreneurs meet people worldwide who are either
part of the Savings Banks Financial Group or who are
close cooperation partners – in the world's most
important target markets. This group consists of
branches and representative offices of the Landesbanks, as well as Deutsche Leasing, the Deutsche
Factoring Bank and selected foreign banks and service providers.
They permit the savings banks and their clients to
access infrastructure, products and local expertise
abroad. Further network partners are the Savings
Banks Financial Group's EuropaService, the Landesbanks' German Centres, the savings banks' GermanPolish Cooperation Office, Tevea International and
the Savings Banks Foundation for International
Cooperation.
The savings banks are thus able to offer all German
companies a significant advantage in opening up new
markets. Once again UK, USA, Poland and China were
most in demand, together with the other European
countries. Of particular note was the fact that
Germany's neighbour, Poland, entered the Top 3 for
the first time.
The bank account abroad remained in 2013 a core
product and a stepping stone for entering a foreign
market. Additionally, targeted enquiries and
customised information packages as well as the
preparation and referrals of financing solutions
belong to the most sought after services from
S-CountryDesk.
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Legal Notice
Publisher
S-CountryDesk GmbH
Coordination Office Berlin
c/o Berliner Sparkasse
Alexanderplatz 2
10178 Berlin
Tel. +49 30 869 828-96
Fax: +49 30 869 694 1609
e-mail: presse@countrydesk.de
Website: www.countrydesk.de
May 2014
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Shareholders Sparkasse Aachen, Berliner Sparkasse, Sparkasse Bielefeld, Sparkasse Bochum, Die Sparkasse Bremen AG, Sparkasse Dortmund, Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden, Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf, Sparkasse Essen, Kreissparkasse Esslingen-Nürtingen, Frankfurter Sparkasse, Sparkasse Freiburg-Nördlicher Breisgau, Hamburger Sparkasse AG, Sparkasse Hannover, Kreissparkasse Heilbronn, Sparkasse Hanauerland (Kehl/Rh.), Kreissparkasse Köln, Sparkasse KölnBonn, Sparkasse Krefeld, Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Leipzig, Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg, Kreissparkasse München
Starnberg Ebersberg, Stadtsparkasse München, Sparkasse Münsterland Ost, Sparkasse Nürnberg, Landessparkasse zu Oldenburg, Sparkasse Osnabrück, Sparkasse Pforzheim Calw, Mittelbrandenburgische Sparkasse in Potsdam, Kreissparkasse Waiblingen, Nassauische Sparkasse, Sparkasse Mainfranken Würzburg
Nord LB, Bayern LB, SaarLB, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, Deutsche Factoring Bank, Deutsche Leasing
S-CountryDesk GmbH
Management Board: Christoph Holzem, Michael Nißl
Handelsregister: HRB 59365 AG Köln, St.-Nr.: 214/5821/0407, Ust-ID-Nr.: DE 253287970
www.countrydesk.de
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