Melissa Kikizas Food Products, Larissa, Greece
Melissa Kikizas is a successful pasta manufacturer based in Athens. Established in 1947, this family-run business specialises in durum wheat and has grown to be one of the largest food companies in Greece. It now holds a 40% market share in the country’s pasta market, and exports to household names like Walmart, Delhaize, Lidl and Kaufland in more than 40 countries worldwide. In addition to its Athens headquarters, the company has a large plant in Larissa – the capital of Greece’s Thessaly region – that has become the center of the country’s durum wheat production.
The company is named after Melissa, the Greek name for honey bee, which is seen as a symbol of hard work and team spirit. Melissa Kikizas prides itself on delivering products of the highest possible quality, and building and maintaining long-lasting relationships with customers, suppliers and employees – it has been named one of the best places to work in Greece on more than one occasion. It is also fully committed to supporting local farmers, and has even established a durum wheat academy that now trains more than 20 people per year.
The company’s success, however, meant that the Larissa plant needed to double its storage capacity to 40,000 tons. It was also vital to be able to store the wheat in better climate-controlled conditions, and to substantially reduce the amount of waste generated.
Melissa Kikizas chose Bühler as its partner for this expansion project, a company it had enjoyed a trusted working relationship with for decades. Bühler’s local presence was a key factor, with its Greek-speaking staff well known to the Melissa Kikizas team. Bühler’s task was to expand the existing construction at Larissa by adding a third silo, while the client also wanted to reduce emissions and improve transparency. To this end, three quarters of the process chain is now controlled by WinCos, Bühler’s highly advanced automated plant monitoring system, which provides an instant and comprehensive overview of operations at any time and has helped to significantly boost the plant’s efficiency.
As a manufacturer of high-quality products, food safety is a crucial consideration for Melissa Kikizas, and Bühler was able to increase not just the quantity of the storage but the quality as well. Bühler’s TAS universal cleaner has cut the level of impurities in the product down to just 2%, while improved filtration means that the air discharged into the local environment is now completely free of dust – a vital consideration given the plant’s close proximity to an urban area.
Bühler has been our partner in milling for more than 50 years. Its vast grain handling experience from all over the world means they understand our needs and deliver the best possible equipment.
Alexandros Kikizas, CEO and Owner, Melissa Kikizas
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
