Mr. Thanos Angelakis, CEO of Aggelakis S.A., gave an interview to the website Reader.gr, where he spoke about the difficulties, challenges, and opportunities that the current health crisis has created for the business world.
Below is the full interview:
Although, after about a year and a half of the pandemic, we are gradually returning to normality, this entire period has truly tested all of us—both professionally and personally.
We changed the way we work, the way we communicate with those around us, and the way we consume.
In this context, we spoke with Thanos Aggelakis, CEO of Aggelakis S.A., one of the largest poultry businesses in Greece, about changes in consumer behavior, how the company coped with the difficulties or the opportunities that arose, and Aggelakis S.A.’s future plans.
Given your extensive experience as a supplier to major retail chains, have you observed any lasting changes in consumer behavior more than a year after the pandemic began?
E-commerce is now an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it’s shopping at the supermarket, buying durable consumer goods like clothes, shoes, or appliances, or ordering food from our favorite restaurant, online ordering has become second nature for most people. This trend was further accelerated, for obvious reasons, during the pandemic.
The truth is that developments in this direction moved forward rapidly, and new consumer behaviors emerged—behaviors that are certain to become permanent and even more specialized over time. Retail will undoubtedly adapt to this new landscape, whether through existing channels or by creating new ones.
At the same time, it’s worth noting that during the lockdown period, there was a clear shift toward packaged foods, reflecting the increased consumer trust in branded products.
These days, we are witnessing the reopening of the foodservice industry. As someone who knows this sector well, how did business owners handle this unprecedented situation, and what are your projections for the near future?
The past period was very challenging for foodservice professionals. Let’s not forget that the pandemic began affecting the sector in March 2020, at the start of a year that had very promising prospects, with significant investments either already completed or underway.
During this time, we saw, on one hand, business owners who didn’t see a way out and chose to remain closed with zero revenue, taking a wait-and-see approach. On the other hand, we saw entrepreneurs who adapted quickly and effectively, showing remarkable flexibility, turning the crisis into an opportunity, and building new foundations for the future.
The latter group, despite the fact that the reopening of the foodservice left significant wounds behind, is expected to reap the rewards of their efforts very soon.
To what extent did your company’s day-to-day operations change due to the pandemic? What measures did you take to protect your people and ensure your production process and product quality?
Our daily operations changed drastically, even though we didn’t stop production for a single day. As you can imagine, beyond the administrative and executive staff (where remote work was possible), remote work is simply not an option in primary production. Especially when it comes to a product like ours, that needs to be produced daily in order to keep the supply chain running smoothly.
We changed everything about how we operate, with our top priority being the safety of our employees. We extended the factory’s operating hours and introduced additional shifts to ensure proper distancing between workers and fewer people per shift. Most importantly, we tried to instill a sense of both individual and collective responsibility—not just within the workplace, where rules were mandatory, but also outside of it.
Since October, we have been systematically conducting weekly rapid tests for all personnel. This allowed us to immediately isolate any positive cases and their close contacts, effectively preventing further spread.
We often hear that “crisis breeds opportunity.” Has that been the case for your company? Do you see potential for growth and innovation in the current climate?
In situations like this, everything depends on perspective and composure. A crisis can absolutely create opportunities, and this has been clearly demonstrated by many companies during this difficult time. Results are significantly better when flexibility and innovation are embedded in a company’s culture. As far as we’re concerned, I believe we possess these qualities, so this challenging period didn’t hinder our plans.
We continued executing our investment plans, launched new products based on current consumer trends, and are already preparing a new five-year investment plan.
Coincidentally, during this period we were ready to launch our TV campaign for our multi-award-winning and one-of-a-kind product, OliVChicken®, Born and bred by Aggelakis. It’s a product developed with love, care, and deep technical and scientific expertise. It is fed with 100% plant-based nutrition based on pure olive oil and corn. AIt is a patented and—most importantly—delicious and juicy chicken, with multiple nutritional benefits for everyone, as it’s a rich source of vitamin E and selenium, both known for their beneficial properties.
How did your industry operate, and what challenges did it face during this difficult period? Was there any communication or coordination among companies?
Beyond our top priority—which was to continue operating uninterrupted on a daily basis, while implementing the strictest protection measures in our production facilities and completely overhauling our operational model regardless of cost—our industry faced a challenge that, in some cases, even threatened the viability of businesses.
You see, poultry companies do not have the luxury of “shutting down” from one day to the next: any sudden drop in demand leaves them exposed due to the live animal stock they maintain. This is exactly what happened last March when the entire foodservice sector was forced to cease operations. Several thousand tons of unsold chicken had to be frozen and stored, with no opportunity to turn that inventory into cash. This led to increased costs and significantly disrupted cash flow.
This challenge was addressed by our institutional body, the Greek Interprofessional Poultry Organization (EDOPt), which appealed to the State for support to safeguard a sector that represents a significant share of Greece’s primary production and employs thousands of workers across the country’s rural regions.
What are your company’s next steps?
We recently launched several new products: a gluten-free range that includes the Aggelakis Chicken Roll, as well as our fully differentiated OliVChicken Burger with oats, vegetables, olive oil, and turmeric. These products reflect our company’s philosophy of producing healthy, nutritious foods using pure ingredients, without preservatives.
We’ve also launched a new line of breaded products made with 100% chicken breast fillet, designed to bring back the joy and nostalgia of childhood.
Our next goal is to introduce new products and packaging, aiming to meet evolving consumer needs in the years ahead.
Our plan includes €8 million in investments, covering the full spectrum of our production operations—from new poultry farms, to the modernization of our feed factory, and expansion of our slaughtering and processing facilities.
