Strauss Group, IsraelÕs second-largest food and beverage company, has become, over the past few years, an international corporation with a steadily growing part of its business conducted outside of Israel. The Group employs 11,600 people and operates nineteen production sites in sixteen countries. In the last six years the Group has consistently achieved growth that more than doubled the volume of its business during that period, generating NIS 6,245.9 million (around $1.7 billion) in turnover at the end of 2008, of which 47% came from international activities. The Group is built around three core businesses: Strauss Israel, which focuses on two major consumption trends: Health & Wellness and Fun & Indulgence; Strauss Coffee, which incorporates the coffee activity of the Group and is fast becoming a significant global company; and Strauss North America, which incorporates the Mediterranean dips and spreads company Sabra, with product lines that target the health and wellness trend, and the Chocolate Bar chain Max Brenner that targets the fun & indulgence trend. In addition to these businesses, Strauss is engaged in the start-up H2Q water project, which has recently completed its technological development phase. The Group also collaborates with a number of leading multinationals Ð Danone, PepsiCo and Lavazza, and is traded on the Tel Aviv 25 Index, which includes the largest public companies in Israel.