On November 14, the first conceptual Skoda auto center of the company "Promtekhservis" in the western region was opened in the city of Lutsk. This is the second such center opened in Ukraine after Kyiv. \n \nTo meet the needs of consumers of the regional market, a Skoda auto center was built in Lutsk that complies with the corporate standards of Skoda Auto a.s. The specialized Skoda auto center, which combines a car showroom with an area of 310 sq. m, a technical service station with a car wash with a total area of about 315 sq. m, and a spare parts warehouse with an area of 57 sq. m, will make it possible to sell 110 Skoda cars by the end of 2004. The throughput capacity of the auto center's service station is 30 cars per shift. On the basis of the auto center, the company "Promtekhservis" plans to create an additional approximately 30 jobs. \n \nAccording to the director of LLC "Promtekhservis," Oleh Mohyletskyi, at the Skoda auto center it will be possible to get acquainted with the model range of Skoda cars, new products, take a test drive, and purchase souvenir products from Skoda Auto a.s. In addition, the new conceptual auto center offers the fullest possible range of services related to purchasing a car: additional equipping and outfitting, placing an individual order with the manufacturer, financial services (credit and leasing, vehicle insurance), trade-in, full support of the client during the stage of operating the car, and the sale of original Skoda spare parts and accessories. \n \nIn addition to traditional service and scheduled technical maintenance services for cars, the service station of the auto center will offer such services as the possibility of subsequently purchasing a new car at a discount or on the terms of the auto center buying out the old car, and the service of renting a car to the client for the period of repair or servicing of his own. \n \nNext year, such auto centers are planned to be opened in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kharkiv. \n \nReference: Today, LLC "Promtekhservis" is an official dealer in Volyn Oblast of CJSC "Eurocar," the manufacturer and exclusive importer of Skoda brand cars in Ukraine. LLC "Promtekhservis" has been operating in the automobile market since 1995. During 1996-2000, the enterprise sold Russian automotive equipment. In 2000, "Promtekhservis" began cooperating with the importer of Skoda cars. \n \nCJSC "Eurocar" is the official distributor of Skoda brand cars in Ukraine. The "Eurocar" plant is located in the village of Solomonove, Zakarpattia Oblast. This is the territory of the special economic zone "Zakarpattia," which, in addition to its close geographical location to the Czech Republic and advantageous transport position, also has certain tax benefits, in particular the absence of taxes on foreign equipment. The plant was commissioned on December 19, 2001. The plant assembles 6-7 thousand Skoda cars per year. As the market grows, it is planned in 2005 to launch full-scale conveyor production of cars. \n \nCJSC "Eurocar" currently has a network of representatives across Ukraine consisting of 67 authorized dealers and partners. \n\nThe Skoda car is one of the most popular brands in Ukraine, demonstrating constant growth in demand. Thus, according to the results of 10 months of the current year, a total of 5,113 Skodas were sold in Ukraine, which constitutes an increase in sales volumes of 6% compared to the corresponding period of 2002. \n\nThe sales forecast for Skoda brand cars in Ukraine for 2003 is 6,100-6,200 units. Skoda currently occupies 4th position in sales of new cars in Ukraine, holding 5 percent of the entire market.