EURIMAC S.A. operates a leading durum wheat processing and pasta production facility at its state-of-the-art base in Greece. Here, CEO Odyssefs Papadopoulos sets out his unwavering commitment to quality and sustainable growth.

Q: What are your plans for enabling Eurimac growth and development?
Since 2022, we have made extroversion, sustainability and innovation the three pillars of our strategy, with the goal of increasing sales and profitability. To achieve this, we had to create the conditions to support our goals in terms of CapEx investments and organisational structure – structure is crucial because people need time to adjust to growth. We came up with investment plans for product lines, infrastructure, machinery, warehouses, silos, energy efficiency and biomass units, improving our competitiveness. The spirit of exporting, caring for the environment and attempting to find opportunities was already embedded in the company; we made these a core part of the business and gave it a more structured, corporate framework.

Q: How do you aim to be perceived by investors, partners and clients?
We want to be perceived as a trusted and agile partner. We have professionals who share their knowledge in their respective fields. We started in 1939, and everyone in the business knows how it works – everyone from the top down knows how to make pasta! We offer value-for-money pasta, and we are a sincere organisation. Our brands aim to reflect authenticity, and we try to adapt to evolving consumer needs.

Q: How do you remain competitive in the current retail climate?
We have a strong foothold in both branded products and private label segments. We operate across B2B, retail and food service channels, and we offer excellent quality durum pasta. We also operate our own mill, making us vertically integrated and giving us advantages in cost, raw materials expertise and purchasing timing. Our scale is significant, allowing us to compete effectively with international players. We grow in a way that allows us to scale up while remaining flexible as we enter new sectors. However, we are also consistent and committed to tailor-made solutions for our customers, making us the preferred partner for retailers, food service operators and distributors.

Q: How important is Germany as an export market and as a partner?
Germany is an important partner as it is one of our best markets in terms of volume. It is also a strategic market, as well as one of the countries that sets trends in sustainability, product quality, general standards and how customers view the economy and the companies they choose to engage with. We have been working with Germany since the 1970s, and we understand the German philosophy and market through our work with retailers and food service providers.

Q: How are you using innovation to drive progress?
Innovation is embedded in the company’s DNA – both technologically and nutritionally. We offer a new innovative pasta range that helps people manage blood sugar levels while maintaining the classic pasta taste. Prior to this, we introduced five-cereal pasta, wholewheat pasta with oats and wholewheat pasta with 60% more fibre. We are also open to supplying premium markets as it strengthens our competitiveness and creates value for clients and investors.

Q: How do you ensure you balance progress with Eurimac’s ESG commitments?
We have been using our own thermal energy, biomass, since 2013, well before sustainability and zero-carbon footprint goals became widespread. In 2020, we also started using artificial intelligence in our sensors’ application to protect the quality of the grain within our silos for durum wheat. We worked with neurobiologists to understand the brand’s MAKVEL DNA and apply those insights to marketing and innovation. At Eurimac, we also ensure that there is diversity in the workplace because we want to give everyone the same opportunity at work and in life.

Q: How have your experiences shaped your leadership style?
I have worked in a wide range of functions and different industries, and my experiences have given me a balance between scientific rigour and financial prudence. I know how to be technical because of my background in chemical engineering, but I have learned a lot about business and strategies following my time in sales and marketing. I try to make sustainable decisions so my successors can follow them in the future.  I believe in a hands-on attitude, fairness, sustainability and sharing. All these things are brought together to create a culture in Eurimac where there is creativity, expertise, innovation and solid argumentation bound together with collective work and team spirit.

Q: Why should investors look to Greece, and Eurimac, for opportunities?
Greece is a stable, outward-looking society with a growth momentum higher than the rest of Europe. It has clear government support in green energy and digital transformation. A market that offers a skilled workforce, full of MScs, MBAs and PhDs, people who can speak three languages, easily. Greece has a dynamic environment, with a strong, clear European framework that brings together EU and Mediterranean markets. It is time to tap into Greece’s reality, which is that it has energy, resilience and openness to the international market and partnerships.