Market Wise

Iris Barel, the CEO of Steimatzky, invited prize-winning author David Grossman to the company's Ramat Gan store.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
david grossman 88 298 (photo credit: )
david grossman 88 298
(photo credit: )
FOR BOOK lovers, it's a big deal to meet a famous author and get him to autograph one of his books. For book lovers who are also collectors, a book autographed by the author is like a winning ticket in the lottery. But some people are lucky and have the advantage of being the CEO of an enterprise that is both a publishing house and a chain of book stores, which puts them in the position of being able to invite any famous author to pen a signed dedication on any book that he's written. Case in point is Iris Barel, the CEO of Steimatzky. In taking advantage of Israel Book Week, which markets the joy and importance of reading, she invited best-selling, prize-winning author David Grossman to the company's Ramat Gan store to celebrate the sale of the 40,000th copy of one his books. IT'S HARD to tell who was promoting what. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who is running for another term in the upcoming elections, was photographed in Rabin Square with Elite Coffee CEO Gezi Kaplan when the two took time out to pose with take-away cups of Nescafe. The two had come to take a look at the book fair, and between one thing and another managed to discuss some of their favorite subjects, including politics, sports and literature. APROPOS HULDAI, he also dropped into the new public relations and advertising offices of brothers Ori and Gil Beilin, who, in addition to being the sons of Yossi Beilin and Helena Beilin, are also alumni of the Gymnasia Herzliya, of which Huldai used to be the principal. The question is whether he will now become a client of his former pupils. BRIGHTSOURCE ENERGY and its wholly-owned subsidiary Luz II, Ltd. will mark a significant step forward for both Israeli and global energy needs in the 21st century with the dedication on June 12 of a new state-of-the-art Solar Energy Development Center. This fully operational solar field, believed to be the first of its kind in Israel, will support the company's pursuit of technology improvement and cost reduction. BrightSource's proprietary technology is embedded in the new plant, which contains more than 1,600 full-size, computer-synchronized heliostats (reflectors) aiming at a 60-meter-tall power tower topped by a solar boiler. The heliostats concentrate the sun's natural energy onto the boiler, heating the water inside to 550 degrees (more than 1,000º F). Given the world's preoccupation with solar energy, this new development center will be in line with what President Shimon Peres term's Israel's capacity to act as a pilot plant for the rest of the world. CONCEPT MARKETING, which is the Israeli franchisee for Lee Cooper Jeans, plans to open a chain of concept stores throughout Eastern Europe with a target of 20 branches by the end of 2009. The first two branches are scheduled to open in Croatia and Slovenia, in partnership with local business people. Concept Marketing CEO Gidi Goldfinger anticipates that the popularity of Lee Cooper Jeans will spread very quickly throughout Eastern Europe, and may very easily exceed the company's goals.