Pioneering Greeks: Varvara Neofotistou, Managing Director of Greek Coffee Company ‘Nektar’
Welcome to “Pioneering Greeks”, the weekly column of GTP Headlines, which highlights the Greeks that stand out for their creative thinking in the business world. “Pioneering Greeks” is a collaboration between LoveGreece.com and Greek Travel Pages (GTP).
This week we introduce Varvara Neofotistou, the managing director of the Greek coffee company Nektar, a family-owned and operated business.
Having a passion for Greek coffee, in 1951 George Neofotistos founded the coffee company Nektar, a small unit for roasting, blending and packaging coffee, while in the center of Argos, he opened the first commercial point. One year before, in 1950, after traveling around the world and having gained extensive experience in coffee production, he began selecting superior Arabica and Robusta coffee beans cultivated in America, Asia and Africa.
Since 1980 and until now, his daughter, Varvara Neofotistou, is the Managing Director of the company. She continues the family business, which has already expanded to the production of other coffee types, such as espresso.
In 2008, a new and advanced plant was built in Mykines, in order to satisfy the increased demand for Nektar coffee products, not only in Greece but also in other countries. Today, Nektar has a presence all around Greece and has developed its export activities by forming alliances with food distributors. The company mainly focuses on Greek coffee but also develops new products, by paying constant attention to technological innovation.
Varvara has the dream to place Nektar coffee products in every Greek home. And she is very close to accomplishing this.
In 2012, Nectar won 1st prize at the “The 100 Best” Products of the Year 2012.
Inspired by the dynamism and creativity of the Greek entrepreneurial spirit, LoveGreece was founded in 2013 as an initiative to boost and promote the country’s image abroad by profiling talented and successful Greeks. With their ethos and vision, Greece’s entrepreneurs and professionals are an important aspect of the country worth highlighting to the world. LoveGreece is powered by Gina Mamidaki, the founder of the G & A Mamidakis Foundation.
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