Rewards for shareholders 1．They will be able to try the compan

Woman: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to welcome you all tonight to our celebration of 100 years in a confectionary business. It’s a very proud occasion for us and we hope you enjoy the dinner.
    Naturally as shareholders in this particular sweet company, we’d like you to be the first to taste our latest chocolate product, so that will be coming around with coffee in a few minutes. If you haven’t got a sweet tooth, don’t worry. We are also celebrating our centenary with a bonus for every share held by you.
    I’d like to take this opportunity to bring you up to date with what’s happening in our company at the moment. I know some of you have been a little worried over the recent state of trade. And, well, it’s true that there has been a 3% decline in sales over the last two years, I can reassure you that the future looks bright. I can confidently say that with our present business strategy, we will enjoy a 10% net profit growth in earnings per share over the next few years.
    Of course, as I’m sure you are aware, all our major competitors are huge multinationals, and naturally they have very deep pockets, so to speak. And they also deal in diverse product ranges. However, we are still the only premium priced specialist to reach an international status as an independent company, which is a marvelous achievement and we are very proud of this.
    Some of you here tonight perhaps don’t know the background to our company. Well, we started out 100 years ago as a family business and our focus has always been on a high quality confectionary. Last year saw an exciting development when the company underwent a total restructuring and changed into an international corporation. This involved bringing in a new management team. And with their help, we’ve planned a three-pronged attack for the next decade.
    Firstly, we will be setting an ambitious sales target, which we are confident we can reach. Secondly, time may change, but our guarantee of high quality doesn’t. And so we will remain faithful to our premium pricing policy and resist all temptation to give discounts purely for short-term gains. That wouldn’t lead us anywhere. Thirdly, promotion is the key for the future. And we’re planning an increased investment in TV advertising. We are now looking outwards, towards the developing markets of Eastern Europe. And you can expect a good return for your investment with us.
    We mustn’t forget that close to home the tourist industry accounts for a high proportion of sales, and so we will also be concentrating on building up even more business in this sector of the market.
    And that’s all I have to say except thank you for your...