A WORD FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dr Alan and Almie Louis

It is always a privilege to write to our existing and future clients and family to present our perspective on the socio-political and economic currents shaping our world today. My advantage is that my family has seen and weathered the ebb and flow of economic tides over the past nine decades that we have been in business. This has included two World Wars, the Great Depression and the many other curved balls that time and circumstance have thrown at us. Throughout these fluctuations, we have learned to apply consistently the principles upon which we have successfully built our business – and which are as valid today as they were when my grandfather and his brother opened their business in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1914.

• We are relationship-minded and always consider the interests of our clients to be of paramount importance. We know that if we can win and keep our clients’ hearts by providing them with service excellence and good value, they in turn will be happy to continue to invest and work with us to our mutual benefit.
• We are solution-driven and there is an entrepreneurial DNA resonating throughout the culture and operations of all the divisions of Louis Group. We are always thinking about how to take strategic advantage of every new opportunity that presents itself and to tailor these to the benefit of our clients.
• We have a multi-generational approach to wealth creation and we encourage our clients to consider the preservation and growth of their wealth beyond this present generation. This perspective has also informed our view that property – and in particular, commercial property – is the “asset class of choice” and one that has performed consistently well for generation after generation. We have long held the view that “an empty share certificate is worth substantially less than an empty building”!

Today, Louis Group also enjoys a unique advantage inasmuch as we have recently opened Banque Louis, the first family-owned Swiss private bank with South African origins, which is also the holding company for many of our European interests. The privilege of owning a Swiss private bank represents the fulfilment of a long-held and cherished dream and we give God all the glory, for without him it would truly not have been possible.

Banque Louis allows us to provide our clients with a full range of banking and financial services within the prestigious Swiss jurisdiction and opens up a new dimension of investment opportunities. Significantly, Switzerland now leads the rankings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report (2009-2010), which is a further recognition of the advantages of operating from this jurisdiction.

Let me conclude by saying we are fully committed to position ourselves and the interests of our clients strategically and we look forward to the privilege of working together with you.

Dr Alan Louis
Chairman