ACTIVE GREECE 2016 - EXPORT LEADERS
Pharmaceuticals Industrial
APIVITA S.A. Niki Koutsiana
Nikos Koutsianas
Contact Details Markopoloulo Industrial Area Markopoloulo, 190 03, Attiki. Tel.: +30 210 2856350 Fax: +30 210 2843580 Email: pr@apivita.com Website: http://www.apivita.com
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The Greek natural cosmetics favored around the world “It all started in a pharmacy” is the sentence that summarizes the establishment of Apivita, the Greek company that creates natural, effective and holistic products with the objective to promote health and beauty. Apivita’s history is tightly linked to Nikos and Niki Koutsiana. Both pharmacists, they first met in a drug store in Athens in 1972 and realized they shared a passion for nature. It was in this pharmacy that they later created the first natural cosmetics using honeybee products and Greek herbs. Nikos Koutsianas is the firm’s Vice-president and CEO, while Niki koytsiana is President of the Board of Directors. Apivita was established in 1979 as Greece’s first natural cosmetics company, inspired by the bee society and products, as well as the rich Greek flora and Hippocrates’ holistic approach to health. The name Apivita, meaning ‘life of bee,’ is derived from the Latin word apis (bee) and vita (life), while the firm’s logo was inspired by the Malia bees, a rare Minoan jewel of the 18th-17th century BC. However, the firm’s name is more than just a distinctive title. It reflects Apivita’s identity and philosophy for an organized, productive and sustainable growth, based on the bee society model. Today, Apivita products are sold in thousands of drug stores in Greece, while the company has a physical presence in 14 countries around the world, including Spain, Cyprus, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania, Ukraine, Japan, Hong Kong, etc. For 2016, the company has set a high priority to further expand into the markets of Spain, Japan and Hong Kong. Currently, exports account for 35% of the firm’s sales of approximately 33 million euros (2015), and according to Mr. Koutsianas, the goal is to double its exports to 70% of sales in the next two years. In 2013, the company opened a unique five-storey shop in Greece, “The Apivita Experience Store” in the upscale Athenian neighborhood of Kolonaki, inspired by - what else? – the honey bee society and Greek nature. In 2014, the firm celebrated its 35th anniversary, marked by the launching of its subsidiary Apivita Japan. A year earlier, the firm had relocated to a new ‘hive’, its modern bioclimatic facilities in Markopoulo, Attica. This new bioclimatic building is fully harmonized with Apivita’s philosophy and values, and an exemplar symbol of sustainability, innovation and pioneer association between working and natural environment. Apivita cosmetics combine active ingredients of natural origin, extracts from plants of the Greek flora, bee products of high biological value and organic essential oils. Product recipes contain natural ingredients by 85% to 100%. Ingredients used are at the cutting-edge of green cosmetics, completely free of substances harmful to human health or the environment, such as silicones, parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol, polycyclic musks, nitro-musks, phthalates, etc. In 2014, the firm saw its sales inch up to 30.94 million euros against 30.05 million euros a year earlier. Pre-tax income rose to 375,000 euros compared to 52,000 euros in 2013.