Our Company ΠΑΠΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ Α.Β.Ε.Ε.

OUR CHEESE FACTORY

The PAPATHANASIOU cheese factory produced its first cheese in 1987. It has been 30 years since then, but our passion, love and dedication to the history and tradition of the products we make have remained unchanged.

Throughout the years, PAPATHANASIOU has maintained its family-run character and has made a series of important investments, the most important being the creation of new, modern facilities on the 8-kilometre mark on the Agrinio-Karpenisi road.

The driving force behind all of the PAPATHANASIOU family’s decisions is its goal to achieve a balance between traditional cheesemaking and contemporary demands and facilities.
The new complex is fully equipped with state-of-the-art mechanical equipment and covers all the needs of the contemporary market for providing safe, top-quality products that steadily maintain the tasty tradition created by the company.

The company’s methodical work system, passion, know-how and sense of responsibility has earned it the approval of consumers and has created a relationship of love and trust with the public, which has lasted and continues to grow stronger.
The company currently employs more than 30 people and maintains personal and professional relationships with the livestock farmers in the area, who often pass from generation to generation.

Having the capacity to process over 15 tons of milk per day, the PAPATHANASIOU cheese factory successfully sells its products on the Greek market and abroad, in countries such as Australia, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and many others.

Our Philosophy

Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of our area, the historical and sociological nature of our local Gastronomy and the high-quality milk produced in the region, we create singular cheese products that meet the demands of our customers in Greece and abroad, while at the same time reflecting our personal passion for and dedication to Gastronomy.

Organisation

In order to succeed, we all work together as a family. We work closely with our permanent and stable seasonal staff in order to make the right decisions that will contribute to the growth of the company and the advancement of its employees.
We research the market so that we can provide the best quality products that follow our tradition while at the same time satisfying contemporary taste demands.

We place special emphasis on staff training and work with experts in order to:
-keep abreast of new systems and technologies combining tradition and innovation
-constantly improve our products by respecting the opinion and demands of consumers
-achieve the highest possible quality, as well as the most consistent flavour and texture in all our products
-provide the best possible service to our customers.
We also try to maintain steady and long-term relationships with our associates-suppliers, and ensure that they are for the most part Greek companies with high professional standards when it comes to quality and service.

Livestock Farmers. A special factor for us

We are well aware that our success has from the very beginning been based on on the long-standing livestock farming tradition in our region and on the exceptional quality of the milk it provides us.

This is why our relationship with the livestock farmers in the area is such an important factor. We have been with most of them from day one. We do not see them as suppliers, but as associates. We support them and they us. We form the parts of a common growth.

We place great emphasis on the quality of the milk we receive by performing strict controls on a daily basis. Above all, we provide suitable consulting services to livestock farmers and ensure the right financial conditions so that they can produce milk on a proper and qualitative basis.

In the same spirit, we are happy to provide consulting services to the new generation of livestock farmers, in collaboration with animal husbandry experts and veterinarians, with the aim of achieving innovation and good practices in all stages of milk production.

Quality certification

The quality of our products has, throughout our operation, built a relationship of trust between us and our customers. Our business has therefore implemented and applied the ISO 22000 system in order to achieve the strict control of the quality of the milk and its products in all stages of production.

Environment – Corporate Social Responsibility

In the sensitive field of cheesemaking, we – having a deep sense of responsibility and respect for the unparalleled natural environment of the region that gives us our raw materials – would not proceed with any investment without having established the necessary environmental conditions.
In this framework we have funded a relevant study by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management of the University of Western Greece based in Agrinio. Based on this study, we have installed a biological liquid waste treatment system, which renders treated waste with quality characteristics superior to the requirements of European legislation.

Furthermore, in the framework of its Corporate Social Responsibility, the company supports relevant actions by supporting vulnerable groups with the collaboration of organised agencies in the region, such as e.g. the Municipality of Agrinio.

Vision – Purpose

By making the right investments in the modernisation of the factory in the areas of production and packaging, we aim at increasing our exports. To this end, we systematically research international markets and their demands, and we adjust the image and packaging of our products accordingly with the aim of achieving the best possible value for money.
We would like to contribute to placing Greek cheese, with all the quality characteristics it gets from Greek land, in the prominent position it deserves on the international market.