* THREE COMPANY STORIES *

Halldis offers corporate apartments

Businessmen working for multinational companies who find themselves working in different cities for short or long periods now have an alternative to traditional hotel or residence accommodations. This new service is offered by Halldis, a company based in Milan dealing with the “outsourcing of corporate apartments”, explains Pietro Martani, born in 1973, founder and president of the company: “We manage a portfolio of apartments located in central areas of the most important Italian and European cities, offering a home to top managers who travel to the different branches of their companies”.

Today Halldis has nearly 400 apartments located in 6 Italian cities (Milan, Rome, Bologna, Florence, Turin, Venice) and in Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, and soon also in London. It is a constantly growing business: from a 2 million Euros turnover in 2005, to 5 million Euros in 2006 and a forecasted 7 million this year.

“All the activities are managed through the Internet- says Martani-: clients can see apartments and choose their favorite one on our web site, call the call center with operators speaking six different languages, and finalize their contract, easily done via long distance too, especially for clients coming from outside Italy, which represent 65% of the whole client base”.

If in Milan apartments are mostly booked by managers away on business (98% of them work for consultancies, finance companies, ICT, media and fashion companies), in Rome there are even a number of freelancers choosing this formula for tourism too. Halldis does not own the apartments it manages and rents, but operates following the model of corporate apartment rentals.

The company was set up in 2002 with an initial investment of 500.000 € and is now participated by Martani with 44%, by an Italian business angel with 30%, and by an American private equity working with Italian funds with 26%.

“All profits - Martani says - are reinvested and it’s possible that within the first semester of the year a new member joins the company: a famous industrial who will allow to reinforce our business and operate even managing whole buildings”.

- IL SOLE 24 ORE - Monday January 29th, 2007