“Our company has developed a sales network all over Greece while it cooperates with big food chains” underlined to “In-On” magazine, the chairman of the dairy products company “MANOURAS FARMS S.A”, Mr. Ioannis Manouras.
Question: Tell us about the commercial spots not only in Crete but also out of Crete where the company’s products are sold.
Answer: Our business is activated in the market of Crete, however the bulk of transactions are realized in the prefectures of Herakleion and Lasithi.
There are also business transactions with companies in the Cycladic islands and the Dodecanese islands. Our dairy products are sold in selective stores in Attica and Thessaloniki, while there are collaborations with food chains (supermarkets) such as Carrefour-Marinopoulos, S/M Chalkiadakis-Veropoulos etc. At the time being, our company does not export its products.
Regarding the produced feed, an amount of 60-65% of the production goes to the livestock breeders that cooperate with the company while the rest is available in the free market.
Our enterprise is the largest that activates in the widest district of the municipality of Arkalochori, collaborating with over than 150 livestock breeders ensuring, therefore through this cooperation not only in the field of milk but also in the field of meat, a permanent average income that exceeds 9.000 Euros per year for each breeder.
Apart from the founders and shareholders, the company employs about 20 staff members, coming from the area of the municipality of Arkalochori, where the company is located.
Question: Tell us about the company’s progress so far
Answer: The Company in its present legal form was established in 2000, aiming in the production, processing and packaging agricultural, livestock and meat products.
The founders and shareholders of the company are the six out of the seven brothers, sons of George Manouras, namely: Ioannis Manouras, Chairman. & CEO with a shareholding of 20% in the share capital, Vassilios Manouras with a shareholding of 16%, Menelaos Manouras with a shareholding of 16%, Michael Manouras, vice-president in the Board of Directors with a shareholding of 16%, Aristeidis Manouras with a shareholding of 16%, Stephanos Manouras with a shareholding of 16% and member of the Board of Directors and also the seventh and youngest member of the family, Maria Manoura.
In 1996 the first four of the shareholders established a company with the brand name “MANOURAS BROS Co.”, aiming in the production, processing & trading dairy products. The development of this company is the existing Societe Anonyme. The shareholders of the company are perfectly aware of the field since they are actively involved for more than 15 years.
However, it has to be noted that the family’s involvement with livestock breeding dates back 1950s, when Georgios Manouras the shareholders’ father was systematically engaged in animal breeding, having more than 1000 sheep and goats.
Today the company’s assets are:
– A creamery with the potential to process 3000 tons of milk per year, used to produce Cretan PDO Gruyere, kefalotiri cheese, cream cheese, anthotyro light cheese, traditional yoghurt etc.
– A factory that produces raw feed, with the potential to produce annually 10.000 tons of complete mixtures that cater for the nutritional needs of all productive animals.
– A unit with half-stabled sheep and goats that can breed 3000 sheep, with an approximate annual production of 250 tons of sheep milk as well as meat.
The whole milk produce of the unit we referred before is available in the company’s creamery.
– A butcher shop in Arkalochori.
– A slaughterhouse in Neapoli.
– A store that sells dairy products in Kornaros square.
– A second store that sells dairy products in Pateles- Herakleion.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Ioannis Manouras the chairman of the company was born in 1973. He comes from Anogeia in Rethymnon. He was brought up in Kastelliana in the municipality of Arkalochori as a member of family with many children.
He has graduated from the British “University of Central Lancashire” having studied Business Administration and Marketing.
In 1991, in cooperation with his family, he modernized the family business of dairy products laying the foundations for further development. At the same time, he gets involved in the business field and creates the first store of Meat and Dairy products in Arkalochori.
His will to contribute to the development of an area exclusively dependable on the sensitive primary sector but most importantly his will to contribute to the promotion of the products of the primary sector, especially regarding sheep and goats in the Greek market have led him in the establishment of the best-known firm now Manouras Farms S.A.
Since 1993, he has been a member of the local organization of New Democracy political party in Arkalochori. In 2004, his willingness to offer urged him to get involved in politics and he was selected as a New Democracy political party candidate member of the Parliament in the prefecture of Herakleion. The citizens of the prefecture appreciating his honesty and dignity not only during his political campaign but also during his business career honored him with their confidence. He received 9.350 votes signposting a promising result for a new politician. In 2006, he established the association entitled “BLOOD BANK OF THE BUSSINESS GROUP MANOURAS FARMS S.A” where as the head of this attempt promotes voluntary blood donation in the whole area in order to help people at risk due to lack of blood.
In the summer of 2007, in collaboration with eminent scientists, businesspeople and personalities from Crete, he took the initiative to found an association in order to promote the idea of organ donation entitled “VOLUNTEER OF LIFE”. The main aim of the Association in focus was the cultivation of the idea of organ donation as well as the promotion of voluntary blood donation, not only in business but also in personal level.
From 2007 till 2009, he was engaged in the company “Manouras Farms S.A” and from 2010 till today he remains the chairman of this company.