He died at the age of 80 on Friday (17/4) by Nikos Karageorgiou, its founder «3alpha», the largest and longest-lived company in surnames legumes in Greece. In parallel with his successful business activity he has been a particularly active and distinguished member of the country's business and sports community.
In particular, he was the longest-lived president (p. 16 consecutive years) in the Association of Brands Industries (ESVEP), the first vice-president of the Association of Industries of Attica and Piraeus (SBAP), Vice-Chairman of the Association of Commercial Food Enterprises of Greece (SETE) and representative of the SBAP in the General Council of BSE and the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEP).
Since his youth he has been one of the leading Greek athletes in the sport of sailing taking part in sailing games both in Greece and abroad with significant distinctions. The sport is also served by positions of responsibility including that of the President of the Piraeus Sailing Group.
The first steps
The «3alpha» started in 1968 by the brothers Evangelos and Nikolaos Karageorgiou (ed. the company's full name even today is «3alpha – Karageorgiou AEOBE») in Nice. Tens of other similar businesses competing in bags of legumes and rice were competing with the grocery stores of Athens and Piraeus to be sold after the saddle to housewives.
It was the time when something changed in the food retail and next to the grocery stores made their appearance the first self service stores and supermarkets. The Karageorgiou brothers realized that the new trend would dominate and slowly, alongside bulk, they bought standardisation machines and began packing in their -then - crafts in Egaleo their legumes and rice so that they could stand on the shelves of supermarkets. For this choice they were justified as from that day remain the No.1 player in the surname legumes in Greece.
The over 300 lawsuits
The initial success was not overlooked by competitors who saw how «3alpha» was at least one step ahead began to move court against her. As he said in 2008 Nikos Karageorgiou in an interview with journalist Dimitris Harodakis, «They started a lawsuit industry against us because they thought the company title and our brand were misleading consumers. We have received more than 300 lawsuits, in some of them we have not been able to convince the judges, so we have been condemned. But we didn't give up. We passed through fire and iron and managed to survive.».
Along with his brother they were pioneers and marketing as they were among the first to make television advertising in the '80s at a time when few Greek producers dared this step, how much more in a cheap product such as legumes and rice. The ‘80s were the decade that really stood out from competition as through a new investment with the purchase of a new 6,000 sq.m. factory in the Ruf region they could now print ten varieties of rice and about 20 varieties of legumes.
Intense charity work
Over time, but mainly during the last decade of the crisis, 3alpha and Nikos Karageorgiou had to show intense charity by supporting with their products soup kitchens as well as institutions, such as orphanages, hospitals and hostels of seniors.
In the late last decade the reins of the 3alpha passed to the second generation, to the cousins Agis and Kostas Karageorgiou. The sons of the founders have already shown successful writing samples with innovative products such as prepared legume meals and snacks and products that can stand, next to the traditional ones, and meet modern needs in both the Greek and international markets.
– As it became known by SVAP the funeral of Nikos Karageorgiou will take place on Tuesday, April 21st, at 15.45 p.m. at the Ritsona incineratorium.
