Australia – Greek Diaspora History
Greek Made Products
Greek Made Products in Australia
Are you supporting Greek made products in Australia?
Many in the Greek diaspora are proud of their heritage, often seen throwing big Greek festivals, eating Greek style food, drinking Greek style beverages and dancing Greek style dances – however, few are as passionate about supporting the Greek economy as the gentleman I had the pleasure of speaking to for this article.
Who is Steven Tsouparidis?
Steven Tsouparidis is an individual who is deeply passionate about supporting Greek made and owned products and is the owner of the Facebook page Greek made products in Australia. Steve was born and raised in Australia to Pontian Greek parents and currently has relatives located in Kilkis and Thessaloniki. He works in the construction industry and conducts research and promotion of Greek made and owned products in his spare time. A true sign of his passion, Steve takes no commission or any other form of payment. His reward is the simple notion that he is doing his part to help his ancestral homeland – Greece.
What products are produced in Greece?
People are often surprised at all the products that are produced in Greece, because there are so many. Although most are familiar with most of the food produced in Greece such as feta cheese, yogurt, olives, olive oil, and honey – these are the products that Greece is known for. Most however, are surprised to hear that Greece produces machinery for a range of industries. Greece has over 60 machinery manufacturers that produce products such as food processing machinery, and construction machinery and tools e.g. wall sanding machines, aluminium window machinery, and glass machinery.
#FunFact Did you know that Greece manufactured their own computers in the 1980’s? Gigatronics was a 100% Greek owned and made computer manufacturer. Unfortunately, they were ahead of the time and did not last. Check out the video here showing what Gigatronic computers looked like.
Purchasing habits of the Greek diaspora
Steve’s aim is to educate Greeks in the diaspora, particularly in Australia, around the products that Greece produces. He also stresses the importance of supporting Greek made and Greek owned products, rather than just products made in Greece. Many multinationals often create brands with Greek names to pass off as Greek and claim to produce their products in Greece. This creates the false sense to people purchasing these products, that they are supporting Greece and its economy. However, in reality, these multinationals often use loopholes such as packaging in Greece to claim being “Greek made”. They also often hire only a small percentage of employees in Greece, transferring staff from other countries for senior roles, and they don’t pay taxes in Greece either.
Many Greeks, both in the diaspora and in Greece and Cyprus, appear content in purchasing inferior products made in countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, and China. However, Steve has seen a change in mentality in recent years, with a growing interest in people wanting to support Greek made and owned products. He notes the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), which greatly impacted Greece, as a trigger for many Greeks in the diaspora to change their purchasing habits. With COVID-19 providing another blow to Greece’s economy, as well as the global economy, the interest in supporting Greek made and owned products isn’t expected to end anytime soon.
“I get a lot of messages from Greeks in Greece who didn’t even know what Greece produces. I’ve had Greeks in Greece ask me where they can buy a particular product (that I’ve posted) and I tell them – I think you’ve misunderstood what’s going on here, these are products made in Greece and sold in Australia – you can buy them in Greece.” says Steve.
So, there’s a lot of work yet to be done educating people about Greek made and owned products; even in Greece.
Greek made products vs Greek made and owned products
As previously mentioned, there are many brands that appear to be Greek owned and made in Greece (at least partially); but are in fact owned by large multinational corporations. To help you make informed purchasing decisions on your next grocery shop, with the help of Steve, we’ve developed tables of Greek made vs Greek made and owned products below.
Greek made coffee vs Greek made and owned coffee
Greek made beer vs Greek made and owned beer
Greek made ouzo vs Greek made and owned ouzo
Greek made pasta vs Greek made and owned pasta
Greek made cheese vs Greek made and owned cheese
Greek made chocolate vs Greek made and owned chocolate
Greek made hair, body & skin care vs Greek made and owned hair, body & skin care
Why it’s important to buy Greek made products
“If you want Greece to exist, you buy Greek made and owned (products). It’s as simple as that. No industry, means no country.”
“You’re supporting their economy. If people have work, they stay in Greece, they have kids, and the country grows and prospers.” says Steve.
Greek made products in Australia Facebook page
Steve started his Facebook page Greek made products in Australia in 2012 and has seen interest rapidly grow over the years. The Facebook page has the following objectives:
- To promote Greek made and Greek owned products sold in Australia – educating Australian consumers.
- To support Greek businesses looking to launch a Greek made product in Australia, by connecting them to potential importers and distributers.
- To support and educate Australian importers, distributers and businesses on the Greek made and owned products available to them.
The Facebook page came about from a quintessential Greek desire “to prove people wrong” who say that “Greece doesn’t make anything”.
“A lot of people just don’t know and say – Greece doesn’t make anything – well I’m here to prove them wrong. It’s all about education and asking the question (about what Greece produces).” says Steve.
The first business that sparked Steve’s interest and passion to go out of his way and support Greek made products was ER-LAC. They’re a Greek family owned company, established in 1965 and currently based in Athens. ER-LAC manufacturers paints, resins, varnishes, and car refinishing products. Steve came across ER-LAC’s products at a workshop in Footscray (a suburb in Melbourne’s Inner West), he saw the Greek writing on the tin and he said to himself “there must be more Greek products like this available”. After conducting extensive research, Steve found hundreds more lesser known Greek made products already available in Australia, and hundreds more looking to enter the Australian market.
With a little under 10,000 people currently connected to the Greek made products in Australia
Facebook page, Steve has certainly been successful in accomplishing his ambition to “prove people wrong” and educate the Greek diaspora in Australia about the Greek made products, and more importantly – Greek owned products available.
Steve makes it simple and easy for people to not only learn about Greek made and owned products in Australia, but also where to purchase them, providing links and contact details.
A message from Steve to the Greek diaspora
“Be proud of your heritage, and if you want to be even more proud of your heritage, support Greek made and owned products.” says Steve.
See my complete discussion with Steven Tsouparidis in the video below.
Check out Steve’s Facebook page Greek made products in Australia here.
To join global Facebook groups promoting Greek made products, of which Steve is also a large contributor, click here:
Do you have a connection to the Greek Diaspora in Australia? Trace your ancestry to find out. There are a number of DNA tests available but the most common and most trusted of them all is Ancestry.com