Kliafa Soft Drinks: They bow for a double-digit market share in three years

By Matina Harkoftaki

It was in February 2020 when the Greek Dairies (s.s. Olympus) proceeded with the acquisition of the soft drink company Kliafas, paying the price of 1.3 million euros, a move that in addition to its purely business background, also hid emotional reasons. as it gave breath to one of the most historic companies of Trikala with a history of over 100 years, which, however, before the entry of the Saranti brothers had fallen into decline.

Two years later, Kliafa soft drinks now have a modern factory in Trikala, which was inaugurated yesterday at an event, which was attended by, among others, the Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis and the Minister of Environment and Energy, Costas Skrekas . In the new production facilities, all the soft drinks of the industry are now produced and bottled in PET packaging, while the new unit is very close to the older production unit of Kliafa, which remains in operation as it continues to produce all glass packaging. . According to the president of Kliafa, Stelios M. Sarantis, the production capacity of the new factory reaches 28,000 bottles per hour, presenting significant potential in terms of production, with the president of Doumbia, Stelios D. Sarantis noting that the bar has been set high. , typically saying that “we are still only at the beginning”.

Kliafa soft drinks, now, have exceeded the narrow borders of Thessaly, where until recently they had a major presence, bowing to compete with the established brands in the industry in both the retail channel and HoReCa. In this effort, they have as a “supporter” the expanded distribution and sales network of the Hellenic Dairies group, which has been built during the long journey of Olympus. The goal is for Kliafa soft drinks to claim a double-digit market share from the low single-digit percentage they currently hold in retail. In this direction, the Hellenic Dairies have “thrown” in the Trikala company total funds of 18 million euros, which, among other things, were directed to the creation of new facilities, which include a modern bottling unit with aseptic specifications. “This is the only factory in Greece that produces soft drinks without the addition of preservatives”, notes to capital.gr the president of Kliafa, Stelios Sarantis and adds: “The conditions of production and bottling are similar to those of a surgery”.

Currently, Kliafa’s portfolio includes 14 codes, including orange juice, lemonade and sour cherry, while recently it also opened in the cola category, launching BiBi Cola in the Greek market a few days ago, the placement of which in various retail outlets has already begun. At the same time, the company is moving with its eyes on the markets abroad, having activated the foreign part with first markets in the Balkans and Germany, while the goal is for Kliafa soft drinks to gain access to all the countries that Olympus has subsidiaries with commercial activity. In terms of increasing the cost of raw materials, the industry is currently not heavily burdened as it has stocks for a year and a half in key ingredients such as sugar. However, this is not the case with energy, where costs have risen by as much as 30%.