THE BUSINESSMAN WHO MADE THE STONE ... GOLD

The mining from Paggeo Mountain as "additional work" only for a little pocket money, became for the Kavala’s businessman a lucrative activity for years - the businesses with Qatar and hotels in the Alps and Hawaii. Paggeo is well known from the mythological years, while Euripides tragedy of "Rhesus" refers to the "mountains with the gold tumors, whose land also hides silver." For centuries, the rich mines provided at great abundance of gold and silver and were an attraction for the many peoples and races in around Paggeo region. The historical records speak of gold that existed even in the time of Alexander the Great. For the entrepreneur Mr. George Chatzisavvas, although the mountain never dried up by gold. The owner of the largest Greek mining company of natural stones and raw materials, Akrolithos SA, still knows how to make money from nature. But not only that. The northern Greece businessman now knows how to extract the wealth of the country in the Arab world, in Europe or the US, competing big European companies. Businessman by accident The history of Akrolithos, as the leading greek business of natural stones, began by chance. Mr. Chatzisavvas after his studies, returned to Kavala for a short period, just to see what he will do. '' I had to decide where I will be active. I actually wanted to develop myself in an international company as executive and had done related studies. So, the activity in the quarries started more in a direction of type ... wait and see. As a sideline until I get my final decisions. But the sideline keeps 33 years and gave me prosperity, full employment and an emotional job, "says in « business stories »the creator and owner of the company. The "additional" work of Mr. Chatzisavvas, began in 1979, and proceeded to the first slate extraction from Paggeo Mountain. However, what the businessman started for his pocket- money, evolved into an unexpectedly success. "It was a period where construction activity pushed forward and also our work, as a result whatever we did to achieve. This is how I left the think of join in an international or other type of company and dedicated myself to my own business. Best also was and is to be your own boss than to work somewhere else, "says Mr. Chatzisavvas. Soon the northern greek businessman realized that the mere extraction of natural stones is not enough. For this reason then extended to the produre of raw materials and other natural stones from various regions of Greece and abroad. Already from the 1990 consolidated its presentation of the market and created the conditions for exports. Plus the Akrolithos SA is an integrated plant by contemporary processing facilities, showrooms and offices total area of 60,000 sq.m. This dynamical production and sustained investment led it to highlight the biggest company in the sector in Greece and one of the strongest in the European market even competing and sonorous Italian names. In Italy there is the great competition for Greek enterprises. The company from Kavala has currently managed to have three owned quarries in Paggeo region, an area of over 500,000 square meters, from which are mined the stone Kavala (Akrovounio). The quarries from which mined Kavalas slate and sandstone (swine). Meanwhile, Akrolithos SA is the exclusive distributor of the products of the quarry and a processing plant in Mandra Xanthi, where it is produced and processed a sandstone material under the name "Mandra stone." Besides, the company since 2009 expanded also to pebbles production by the establishment of a new modern plant, in an area of 13,000 sq.m. The production of pebbles gives the opportunity to the Macedonian company to get new, decorative objects and expand its commercial horizon. Quickly Mr. Chatzisavvas perceives the narrow horizon of Greek market and the problems which brought the decline of the construction and the general economic crisis, that’ s why it is dynamically searched in order to create the conditions to make exports. "We saw soon whither go thing in Greece and clouds in our market. In this way, in recent years the company undergoes aggressive export policy due to offset the losses which are recorded in domestic market, "says' the Greek businessman. Relations with Qatar We had to note that the Akrolithos Company is already exporting Kavala’s slate since the beginning of 1980, in an effort to boost sales. It was the first, fall period of the building, which the company from Kavala had faced successfully. Despite this, the last three years exports have more than doubled on behalf of the family company. Only in 2010 increased by 60%, reaching 30% of total sales. "Our goal in the coming period is our exports to reach to be half of total sales compared with Greece," says Mr. Chatzisavvas. Akrolithos currently has mainly targeted in markets such as Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Scandinavian countries and the USA and Qatar, which Mr. Chatzisavvas has developed important relationships. It is no coincidence that the Greek businessman maintains personal friendship with members of the emirate's government, which often hosts at his country house in Mykonos. It is the best business diplomacy, which our country should be developed. Indeed the businessman lately strengthens the effort of turning investment activity in the United Arab Emirates market. FIA therefore will soon visit and Dubai aiming to open the emerging Middle East market. What is certain is that Kavala slate seeking to claim more and more powerful not only in Greece but also in Europe and all over the world. In Hawaii and Seychelles How a Greek company through all the difficulties that our market has, and many financial difficulties, can face with the stifling conditions of competition? The advantage of natural stones, according to the businessman, are the competitive prices - and this mainly because of the inexhaustible raw material, the vertically integrated nature of the company and labor costs. The proximity of Akrolithos with the port of Kavala greatly helps the company in exports by ship, involving building materials for hotels to luxurious sides of Earth: from Dubai to Hawaii and the Seychelles or the Swiss Alps,in which the company is linked business. Young man and active in spite of 33 years of continuous action, Mr. Chatzisavvas is still at the first line, however, the potential of the company have joined the newest family members. Thus, John the son of Mr Chatzisavvas works the last recent years, while the youngest daughter, Euphrosyne, has taken the piece of decoration, as the company's raw materials are the No1 for art deco. "By efforts of many years’ races, we are proud for our company, which operates throughout the global market, is one of the largest units in the European space sector." The company from Northern Greece has started recently in fireplaces installation, a particularly lucrative activity. The decoration of fireplaces by marble and stone is dating from the Renaissance period, when the fireplace knew his real triumph by carved details, being really textured masterpiece. Since then famous architects and sculptors excelled as designers and manufacturers, using natural stones for their creations. At the same time, the company has passed in bricks production, paved construction etc.