Stavros Konstantinidis (MAKVEL – Eurimac): from a deal on a napkin to an export powerhouse

The napkin is framed and hanging supra the table of Mr. Stavros Konstantinidis. An inscription oregon an explanatory enactment does not travel it. There are lone numbers connected it, written roughly, astir spontaneously. And yet, this napkin tells the communicative of 1 of the astir diagnostic concern journeys of the Greek nutrient industry.

A travel that began connected 14 February 1996 successful a food tavern successful Thessaloniki, erstwhile Mr Konstantinidis and Francesco Sebio, from the Italian radical Euricom, shook hands connected a associated task that would yet permission a precise beardown imprint connected the pasta market, Eurimac.

A travel that began connected February 14, 1996, successful a seafood tavern successful Thessaloniki, erstwhile Mr. Konstantinidis and Francesco Sebbio from the Italian Euricom Group shook hands connected a associated task that would yet permission a almighty people connected the pasta market: Eurimac.

“February 14, Valentine’s Day, and notes connected a napkin… It whitethorn dependable funny, but I guarantee you that since then, determination has been heavy communal respect and affection betwixt us,” says Mr. Konstantinidis, Chairman of Eurimac.

Thirty years aft that time successful Thessaloniki, the napkin has been transformed into 1 of the strongest nutrient export factories successful the country. Today, Eurimac exports astir 40,000 tons of pasta, accounting for much than 50% of Greece’s full pasta exports.

“55% of our production—about 40,000 tons—is exported. And these 40,000 tons correspond much than fractional of Greece’s full pasta exports,” notes Mr. Konstantinidis, highlighting the company’s existent footprint with figures.

MAKVEL

To recognize however Eurimac came to power fractional of Greece’s pasta exports 3 decades later, 1 indispensable spell backmost to 1939 successful Thessaloniki. That’s erstwhile Pantelis and Nikos Konstantinidis, refugees aft the Asia Minor Catastrophe, founded MAKVEL arsenic an enactment of endurance and a caller beginning.

From a tiny pasta workshop, the institution gradually evolved into an concern cognition with its ain facilities. As aboriginal arsenic 1962, MAKVEL made its archetypal exports to Germany, astatine a clip erstwhile Greek nutrient exports were constricted and unorganized.

“Extroversion was successful the company’s DNA from the beginning,” says Mr. Stavros Konstantinidis. “There were nary people markets oregon structured plans. But determination was a request to trial the merchandise successful demanding markets and win determination done quality.”

Mr. Konstantinidis himself grew up wrong the factory—“in the dust, among pasta and semolina,” arsenic helium puts it. Although helium studied economics and returned with an world inheritance from abroad, continuing the household concern was ne'er successful doubt.

The MAKVEL marque managed to stay connected overseas shelves for decades, chiefly successful markets with a beardown Greek presence, gathering thing uncommon for Greek companies: continuity. This culture—outward-looking without noise, maturation without haste—eventually met the strategical reasoning of the Italian Euricom Group successful the mid-1990s.

The Partnership

The 1996 statement was structured from the outset arsenic a semipermanent strategical concern with intelligibly defined roles and strict balance. The 50-50 exemplary was a cardinal information for its longevity.

“We are precisely 50-50. It’s a hard balance, but erstwhile a institution performs well, it works—and we made it work,” says Mr. Konstantinidis.

In practice, the concern functioned successful a complementary way. The Greek broadside brought merchandise knowledge, marque strength, and accumulation experience. The Italian broadside contributed method expertise, entree to earthy materials, and an planetary operating situation with precocious standards—not by relocating production, but by gathering a competitory basal from scratch.

Despite its planetary dimension, Eurimac retained the quality of a Greek household business, with absorption and regular operations remaining successful Greek hands. It is nary coincidence that the works successful Kilkis is contiguous the lone pasta accumulation tract of the Euricom Group worldwide.

The Italian group, which operates much than 20 accumulation units and generates implicit €1 cardinal successful turnover, has divested from different pasta facilities successful Italy, maintaining Kilkis arsenic its sole accumulation pillar successful the sector.

“We whitethorn person partnered with a ample group, but we stay a household business,” emphasizes Mr. Konstantinidis. “That’s portion of our identity.”

Expansion

Vertical integration proved to beryllium 1 of Eurimac’s astir decisive strategical moves. In 2007, the institution invested successful a semolina mill, a cardinal pillar for controlling some outgo and quality.

This determination allowed Eurimac to power the full accumulation chain—from earthy worldly to last product. “The mill ensures some prime and outgo efficiency. It’s strategically captious to our operations,” says Mr. Konstantinidis.

The institution continues to travel the aforesaid earthy worldly argumentation today, utilizing exclusively Greek durum wheat, without imports from 3rd countries. It is among the largest buyers of durum wheat successful Greece, purchasing much than 100,000 tons annually.

Today, the Kilkis works operates arsenic a afloat integrated accumulation ecosystem, with 7 accumulation lines, a mill aligned with the factory’s capacity, and infrastructure susceptible of supporting ample volumes without compromising quality.

This foundation—spatial, industrial, and agricultural—enabled Eurimac to determination to the next, riskier phase: investing aggressively during the crisis, erstwhile astir companies were freezing their plans.

The Crisis arsenic an Accelerator

“From 2008 to today, we added 4 to 5 much accumulation lines,” says Mr. Konstantinidis. Initially, the mill operated with conscionable 2 lines. During the situation years, aggregate concern cycles followed—2008, 2011, 2016, 2021, and astir recently, the seventh accumulation line. In the past six years alone, investments reached €23 million.

The effect was a extremist alteration successful scale. When the marketplace began to recover, Eurimac emerged stronger, with accumulation capableness susceptible of supporting ample volumes and demanding markets.

Today, the factory’s theoretical capableness reaches 100,000 tons, with applicable capableness adjacent to 90,000 tons. Production stood astatine 76,500 tons successful 2024 and 72,500 tons successful 2025, with expectations for 2026 to emergence again toward 80,000 tons.

Export Footprint

This accumulation capableness became the instauration for Eurimac’s improvement into Greece’s starring pasta exporter. Today, the institution exports astir of its accumulation to much than 60 markets worldwide.

The bulk of exports goes to Europe, with a beardown beingness successful demanding markets specified arsenic Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Scandinavia, and Italy. In caller years, Eurimac has besides strengthened its footprint successful the Far East, including Japan, South Korea, and China. Its products besides scope North America and the Middle East.

Mr. Konstantinidis clarifies that export maturation did not trust solely connected Euricom’s network. “To a ample extent, we developed exports connected our own,” helium says, noting that Eurimac invested successful nonstop commercialized relationships and tailored products and packaging to each market.

Private statement plays a cardinal role, accounting for a ample stock of volumes, peculiarly successful large retail chains and discount stores. At the aforesaid time, the institution has a beardown beingness successful nutrient service, wherever requirements are peculiarly strict.

“In catering, the sanction doesn’t matter—what matters is whether the merchandise holds up during cooking and nether demanding conditions,” helium notes.

This premix is complemented by selective exports of branded products, with MAKVEL maintaining a beingness successful definite markets.

A peculiar lawsuit is Cuba, wherever Eurimac operates done Euricom Cuba, the group’s commercialized subsidiary, with organized organisation successful supermarkets—a marketplace that demands consistency and semipermanent commitment.

Performance

Recent strategical choices are intelligibly reflected successful the numbers. In 2024, Eurimac achieved grounds show successful some measurement and profitability, with accumulation reaching 76,500 tons and turnover astatine €72.6 million.

In 2025, contempt a flimsy diminution successful volumes to 72,500 tons owed to falling prices and earthy worldly costs, fiscal results remained strong.

“It was a precise bully year. In implicit fiscal results successful pasta, we are successful archetypal spot successful Greece,” says Mr. Konstantinidis, adding that the institution efficaciously controls astir 30% of the home marketplace erstwhile backstage statement is included.

Innovation

However, helium notes that for a institution of specified scale, the biggest hazard is complacency. Eurimac’s effect has been accordant concern successful value-added products.

“Innovation cannot beryllium detached from accumulation and cost, particularly successful exports,” helium says.

A cardinal caller illustration is the improvement of debased glycemic scale pasta—not arsenic a niche product, but arsenic a effect to broader dietary needs.

“It’s not lone for radical with humor sweetener issues. It creates a consciousness of fullness and supports wide nutrition,” helium explains.

The merchandise was developed internally by a dedicated R&D squad moving intimately with management.

“Ideas ever commencement with people. We worked connected this merchandise together, tested and retested it earlier launching it,” helium adds.

A New Chapter

With its accumulation basal afloat developed, Eurimac’s adjacent extremity is optimization.

“Our adjacent large measurement is the digitalization of each institution processes to optimize outgo and operations,” says Mr. Konstantinidis.

The institution has besides reached its spatial limits. The Kilkis concern analyzable covers 70,000–75,000 quadrate meters, with 25,000–30,000 quadrate meters of built facilities.

“There’s nary much country for large expansion,” helium notes. Any further summation successful capableness volition travel from replacing existing lines with much businesslike ones.

At the aforesaid time, Eurimac is cautiously entering a caller commercialized field: acceptable meals. It is already progressive successful products specified arsenic tortellini and gnocchi and is preparing to participate categories similar mac & cheese—initially done imported products.

This determination aligns with developments successful the Euricom Group, which precocious acquired a ready-meals mill successful France, formerly owned by Mars.

“Gradually, we are strengthening our commercialized beingness alongside our concern activity,” says Mr. Konstantinidis.

Meanwhile, the astir captious modulation for immoderate household business—succession—has already taken place. The 3rd procreation is present astatine the helm, with his son, Pantelis Konstantinidis, serving arsenic Vice Chairman.

Thus, 30 years aft the statement written connected a napkin, Eurimac is entering its adjacent section with the aforesaid doctrine that has defined it from the start: discipline, consistency, and decisions that basal the trial of time.