KEAN at 72

The chronicle of a successful story

The Cyprus Soft Drinks Company Ltd, known as KEAN, has successfully come through seven successful decades. It was launched in 1949 by an innovative Cypriot, ahead of his time, chemist Takis Christodoulou.

Returning to Cyprus in 1940 following his chemistry studies at the University of Athens, Takis Christodoulou did not take long in reaching a decision to create his own business. So he was quickly started experiments and soon achieves the first great step, producing squash and then carbonated drinks with juice from Cypriot oranges and lemons as the raw material. That set the foundation of a long and successful course.

KEAN, registered as KEAN Soft Drinks Ltd, since it was established during British rule, took its first steps with machinery designed by Takis Christodoulou himself. The company soon became a household name and the success of its products on the Cyprus market, transformed it to an industry with a bright history.

Christodoulou is fast in realising that needs demand a modern factory and achieves that most effectively, with a new building just seven years later in 1956. What follows is equally impressive, with a series of firsts and innovations for the sector, including the introduction of the aseptic packaging TetraPak in 1981.

KEAN is the first company in Cyprus utilising this revolutionary development, packaging natural juices in aseptic one litre and 250 milliliter containers, with one year of life.

72 years on from the first 1949 steps, with a massive portfolio of top quality products and beyond its leading position on the local market, KEAN has built a dynamic exports department, selling its products to more than 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa and the Americas.

In addition, over the past few years KEAN has added yet further to its range of new products, through Group companies Trading Division, KEAN Food Link Ltd and KFL Logistics Ltd.

It provides retail trade and the HORECA sector of the Cyprus market with various products of dry storage, preserves and freezing. KEAN offers a series of major brands products such as Heinz, Kraft, Amou, HP, Vitalia, Kri Kri ice creams and yoghurts, Kristis cured meat products, PRIMA juices, VICI fish products and a huge range of other goods.

Landmark moments and decisions

• • 1949 KEAN established. The inspiration and idea by Takis Christodoulou to utilise his knowledge on Cyprus aromatic plants and citrus fruit, was quite an innovation, but also tough to realise in the backdrop of the World War Two tragedy.

  But ingenious Christodoulou turned his disappointment to motive and managed along with a handful of associates and machinery that he designed, to create the first small scale factory to produce the squash and the first carbonated soft drinks, using juice.

  KEAN needed to increase capacity in response to increased demand, so the factory had to be relocated to larger facilities, now working on an industrial scale. The new factory was built in accordance with all the relevant standards and was an impressive structure or its time. Construction was completed in July 1956 and become operational. In the same year, KEAN began exporting products on a large scale to countries like Britain and Egypt.

  • 1959 An agreement for the bottling of Pepsi Cola. Takis Christodoulou and Loizos Louka established the ‘Loukas & Christodoulou’ company, which secured the license to bottle Pepsi Cola in Cyprus.
  • 1967 The company creates the first sugarless lemonade. KEAN’s Dietta, an innovative drink, was officially presented and marketed in 1967. It was the first lemon juice soft drink in Cyprus without added sugar and very few calories.
  • 1972 Canada Dry cooperation. Following the closure of the ‘Loukas and Christodoulou’ company, KEAN took over the bottling of Canada Dry soft drinks, such as Sport Cola and Hi Spot.
  • 1981 Tetra Pak packaging. KEAN signed an agreement with Tetra Pak for aseptic packaging technology and in 1982 marketed its first products in Tetra Pak packaging, including 100% natural juices and fruit drinks, marking a new road for the industry.
  • 1986 – 1989 New synergies.

  In 1986, KEAN signed a deal with J.N.Nichols Ltd for the introduction of VIMTO to the Cyprus market. Three years later, an agreement was reached with American company Royal Crown Cola, for the bottling of RC Cola.

  • 2008 Group of companies. KEAN established subsidiary companies in order to expand its activity in the foodstuffs industry, as it invested in new sector with numerous fridge, frozen and ambient environmental temperature products. By creating three market service channels and three subsidiaries, KEAN succeeded in representing international brands such as Heinz products, Amoy, Mr. Fish, Vici, Lea and Perrins and Farley’s, KRI KRI yoghurts and ice creams and so on. It also services the HORECA market and catering professionals.

Historic personalities

Takis Christodoulou (1917-1998), was the first born of the Efthimios Christodoulou family. He married Chrystalla Charalambous Pattichi and had three children; Kikoula, Kaiti and Evi (1951-2019-President of Europa Donna Cyprus).

Distinguished scientist and acute businessman, Takis Christodoulou remains memorable as a happy, sociable, friendly and polite individual. A tireless scientist who put to practice all he learnt at university as well as through his professional and personal experiences. Two things he never failed to do, helped him along the way in creating an innovative industry in a highly competitive sector.

‘If you don’t know, find out, don’t let it go’, he used to say, that’s why he looked into every possible idea, wherever it came from.

His second approach was to the people working at KEAN.

‘These are not employees, but associates’, he would stress and knew everyone by their first name.

He served for 23 years as deputy mayor of Limassol and President of the Municipal children’s care stations. He was also a Rotarian for a great number of years.

KEAN 2nd and 3rd generation active KEAN officials

• Kikoula Kotsapa-President of the Group
• Kaiti Markidou-Executive Board Member
• Ariana Papadopoulou, daughter of Evi Papadopoulou-Executive Board Member and companies advisor
• Dimitris Papadopoulos-son of Evi Papadopoulou-Executive Board and Marketing team member
• Christodoulos Markides-son of Kaiti Markidou-Executive Board Member and sales director
• Roxani Kotsapa-daughter of Kikoula Kotsapa, Executive Board Member
• The Group’s General Manager is Marios Kassapis

Timeless vision

KEAN is one of the first purely Cypriot companies involved in the FMCGs sector, geared towards providing top quality products, responding to the needs of the time as well as contributing to the Cypriot economy and society as a whole. The fundamental elements ofthis vision focus on the integrity, innovation and quality approach and after no less than seven decades, they still play a leading role.

ΚΕΑΝ and historical events

The Turkish invasion dealt a massive blow to the Cyprus industry and had a severe effect on KEAN. In just 24 hours, sales dramatically dropped, with the company also relinquishing a significant part of its assets, such as distribution vehicles, large quantities of products and raw materials and most of all, the market in the occupied part of the country. The loss of Morphou and Famagusta, areas with a major production of citrus fruit, led to shortages of raw materials for the juice industry, that now had to be imported.

Prior to Cypriot independence, during the EOKA liberation struggle, people were patriotic about local products. KEAN was established in the Cypriot conscience as one of their own, a company they needed to support. And it wasn’t just a random decision. KEAN had taken over a large chunk of local agricultural production, providing employment and income for many families.

Numerous awards

KEAN has been honoured with many awards. They include:

• European Business Awards 2011.
• Business Leader Awards 2017. KEAN won the Business Leader Award in the Industry category.
• Marketing Excellence Awards 2010. KEAN took first prize in the Marketing Excellence Awards 2010 for ‘The KEAN World of Orange’, a campaign marking the company’s 60 year anniversary.
• It has also been awarded for it environmental policy by Green Dot and CYMEPA.

Social responsibility

KEAN has developed five fundamental pillars in the framework o its Corporate Social Responsibility programme:

Minimum waste of resources

1. Nothing goes to waste from the fresh citrus fruit used following the production of juices and essential oils. Anything remaining of the fruit is used as animal feed and fertiliser. It has also made the necessary alterations to equipment in order to claim all the steam concentration, thus reducing water consumption. The paper packaging materials from raw material suppliers are recycled, reducing the company’s waste.

Green Business

2. KEAN strives to minimise its industrial imprint on the environment and within such a framework it has implemented various renewable energy sources works. One of the latest ones is installing photovoltaic panels of 200 Kwatt capacity, thus reducing electricity needs. In addition it has installed a parabolic park for steam and solar water pre-heater production, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. It has also implemented a tree planting programme in cooperate with the Agriculture Ministry, the Forestry Department and the Friends of the Forest Association, with the obligation of maintaining the trees for at least three years.

Social action

3. KEAN donates thousands of products every year to charity events. It also supports numerous organisations and people in need, a tradition running for 72 years. The company further promotes environmental awareness through special programmes and to this end it has created the Ecodrome at its factory, gteared for the younger generations. It’s an area that daily hosts schoolchildren for fun, educational tours, promoting the protection of the environment and life.

Supporting the local economy

4. Since its establishment in 1949, KEAN is considered an active element of the local economy and an integral part of Cypriot tradition. So it makes it a priority to cooperate with other Cypriot companies, local suppliers, artisans and professionals. Beyond making Cypriot products by Cypriots, supporting the agriculture and the citrus fruit producers of our country.

Healthy life

5. KEAN is a healthy lifestyle fanatic, always using natural raw materials. It aims at providing high quality products, rich in nutritional value and encourage an active, healthy way of life, promoting exercise.

Responsibility, wisdom, responsibility, quality

ΚΕΑΝ has successfully completed a 72 year run this year. It was established in 1949 by Takis Christodoulou, a chemistry graduate at the time, who managed to create sparkling soft drinks with orange and lemon juices.

Seven decades later, KEAN remains an innovative Cypriot industry and now having become a Group it exports to more than 50 countries. But it has never relinquished its standards and principles; quality, the right products, reliability and social sensitivity. Kikoula Kotsapa, daughter of Takis Christodoulou, today’s President of the Group, talked to us about past, present and future.

What does a 70 year old history bring to the fore?

There’s always meritocracy and equality at our company. It’s not just the fact that most of the owners are women, but we strive to work without discrimination to anyone. This is part of our history, inspired by our father Takis Christodoulou. Beyond a loving father, he was also an amazingly knowledgeable man who taught us many of the things that we still follow to this day. ‘If you don’t know it, look into it’, he always used to say. He always kept abreast of any global industrial trends and was always testing and experimenting on new products and particularly raw materials. That led him to new products and I have to say that most of them were successful.

The first experiments

Takis Christodoulou was ahead of his time. What does he represent for you?

He was one of the few people of his time with a university degree. He completed his studies at the University of Athens just before the 2^nd World War, graduating with a chemistry degree. He wanted to further his studies, but the outbreak of the war forced him to return to Cyprus, bringing along the knowledge he acquired, coupled with his thirst for work and most importantly, his vision. Initially he was involved in certain odd jobs, but soon settled in his dream; building his own company.

In the meantime, the outbreak of WW2 made everything so much the tougher, with funding almost non-existent. But my father knew how to design machinery and he created the first ones here in Cyprus. Quite simple ones of course; so he gradually went into the juices and soft drinks sector. He started experimenting with citrus fruit juices, lemonades and orangeades.

Settling in this vision, he also managed to import machinery, but most were made in Cyprus. Initially they were a bit ‘primitive’ if you will, not so technologically advanced. But they worked fine to started with, setting the foundations of today’s KEAN.

KEAN was established in 1949 and initially my father had two other partners, as finding capital at the time was quite the difficult task. But in time, our family bought their stocks. A small partner remained, his grandson today, with whom we share excellent, friendly relations.

Innovation

After 1949, what next?

In 1955, KEAN become a Ltd company. It was the first in Cyprus to make juice based sparkling drinks, as there were only a few on the market, imported from Britain, but a far cry from the KEAN products made from Cyprus juices and tastes.

My father used the juice from the orange and lemon juicing process at the factory-grapefruit came later-and the aroma was the essential oil from the fruits peel. The new drinks had a great reception, first in the Limassol area and then across Cyprus.

Things were going well, so a new modern factory had to be built. Initially KEAN was housed in various smaller facilities before settling in its own factory in 1956.

And there’s actually a story behind the choice of area. As Cyprus was still a British colony, approval was needed from the colonial authorities and in our case, the Limassol commander. My father went to see him and stated his intention to build a new factory, needing a relevant license. So the commander advised him to consider Yermasoyia, east of Limassol, which was filled with citrus fruit orchards. Indeed, all this area back then, was a massive citrus fruit orchard, particularly lemons.

My father took his advice and picked that area, known to locals as the ‘Papa Solomontos orchard’. He was able to secure a loan, which he paid without fail, and built the factory. Rousou and Perikleous architects and civil engineers office was the one designing the Limassol factories back then. That’s why, if you notice, you’ll see that all of them look similar.

4th in Europe…

What was the next landmark after 1956?

That was 1981 when we made a massive investment for its time, an aseptic Tetrapak one litre and 250 ml packaging. It was the first time that juices in Cyprus were packed in a one year life aseptic packaging. KEAN was only the first industry in Europe to utilise this technology.

KEAN’s DNA

Your father’s character and vision defined KEAN’s DNA. What makes up this DNA?

Quite a few things, first and foremost freedom of speech, passed down by my father, who gave the right to everyone to suggest things, make remarks and express their complaints, going to him personally. From the worker to the scientist, he always looked into whatever was suggested. He always did that, investigating things. That’s why he said ‘if you don’t know it, look into it, don’t let it go’. He never rejected anything outright and was stayed informed about developments in the sector as well as experimenting on new products and raw materials. That’s what our Research and Development ( R&D ) scientific team do today.

«We don’t have workers, but associates»

What did you visit the factory? Did your father take you?’

From a really early age. I remember one employee, Antonis, who had a motorcycle with a metal case like a basket where the cartons were placed. He used to put me in there and we rode around the factory. Along with my sisters, we essentially grew up in the factory and we knew all the employees personally, as did our father. Everyone, each worker, scientists, salesperson, promoter, everyone. ‘We don’t have workers but associates here’, as my father said. And the workers wrote this motto on a plaque and made a place for it in the production area.

So I would say that the fundamental element of our DNA and culture is our close relation to the staff, the fact that we see them as associates, not employees.

Anything memorable from your father?

First and foremost, ‘if you don’t know, look into it, don’t let it go’. He also used to tell us that ‘you must study and work. It’s the only way to open up your spirit and contribute to society’.

From Switzerland to Cyprus

You studied in Switzerland and worked as a special associate for a while at the International Press Institute in Zurich. Did you plan on a different professional course?

Initially, as any other young person, we all have other dreams and I started out with something different. After my university classes I used to go to the UN headquarters in Geneva and followed what was happening there. But everything changed when I returned. Initially I was to stay in Cyprus for a month or two and then continue my studies. After about a week or ten days my father turned around and said: ‘You’re not going to sit at home are you? Come to the factory, follow things, do something’. So it did go to the factory. And never looked back since then.

First job at the factory?

My father’s office.

You’re the 2^nd generation. Is there a 3^rd?

Yes, four of our children. There’s my sister at the factory at the moment, as our youngest sister passed away; four out of our six children also work at the Group.

No accident

Your portfolio includes many companies and 76 products. Is it difficult to keep track of such a wide range?

Every company has its CEO and every department has their manager. We hold frequent meetings and discuss, exchange ideas, make proposals, look into the problems and make decisions. The sales data are monitored daily.

So it’s a decentralised administration model?

Yes, I would say that.

KEAN products are sold in more than 50 countries today. Your Group is an example that Cypriot countries can look outwards too, irrespective of the country’s size. Is it that we actually underestimate ourselves?

When we introduced the first Tetra Pak aseptic line, we realised its production capabilities and we needed to utilise that. The solution was exports. In due course, we introduced, a 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Tetra Pak line. We have a good and flexiblie exports department, that’s actually ‘off the charts’ today. Exports are quite a major part of our turnover and that’s no accident. We follow the market closely and expand our range of clients, but also work towards keeping existing ones.

We provide a range of quality products, always in accordance with the clients order and striving to be on time, being reliable with our clients. That’s our export motto. Quality products and fulfilling our obligations. This is the way we have expanded to 50 countries, from the Arab world, to Asia, the Americas, Australia, Africa, American islands, the Virgin Islands and so on.

KEAN juice in the Maldives

Any incident connected with your exports?

Yes, there is one that an associate conveyed. He was holidaying in the Maldives, laying down at the beach outside the hotel. The waiter asked him if he wanted a drink and so he ordered juice. When the waiter returned, he was pleasantly surprised to see that he was being served KEAN juice!

Pandemic, the next day

How do you see things post pandemic?

It definitely affected us. If your clients are closed, where can you sell your products? 2020 was a really tough year. For example, one of our Horeca companies was hard hit, as 80% of its sector was closed, including hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, kiosks, bakeries and so on. Other companies were also affected. But we survived. Let’s cross over 2020 and move on.

We started on a better footing in 2021, having stable growth by made year. There was room to breathe for people, no lockdowns, people started going out to cafes and restaurants, the tourism situation improved, with sponsored stays in hotels contributing significantly. The end of the summer seasons finds us near normal and we hope for better things to come in the next year.

A multidimensional social action

KEAN has been contributing to society since its establishment through a variety of actions.
This is what Mr.Kotsapas had to say.

What does corporate social responsibility mean for KEAN?

It means great responsibility. But first, I want to mention the children, which we love dearly, as everyone does. We’re open all winter, as schools are and get daily visits by children who are bused to are factory and take a tour of the facilities.

What’s particularly good to watch is the processing of citrus fruit into juices, which we maintain as long as the season holds. Unfortunately however, their quantities keep dropping for various reasons.

The children are left speechless when they actually see the silos filled with oranges and lemons, or white and red grapefruit that we process into fruit. As I mentioned earlier, besides the juice, the processing of the fruit’s peel produces an essential oil, a natural perfume that is issued in foodstuffs, drinks, cosmetics, pastry making, to name just a few of its uses.

ΚΕΑΝΙΤΑKidds Club

We have founded KEANITA Kids Club, with children of certain ages eligible to become members. We always send them a birthday card, as well as Christmas and Easter gifts with educational material, in the form of a paper board game or something of that kind. We organise on a biannual basis, a massive party for KEANITA’s birthday. Members of the Kids Club and beyond, thousands of children, come over to the factory for a fun afternoon of games, singing, dancing and lots of activities. More than 8 thousand people participated in the last party before the covid outbreak.

We have also created a small children’s museum, an educational area, where we teach them how to follow a healthy lifestyle, also trying to forge environmental awareness through various activities.

We show them what every individual can do to actually help nature and what their role is, how they can protect nature-land, sea, flora and fauna, the animal kingdom as a whole. Ιts all specially designed on a small scale, so they can witness wind energy and hydropower.

 

An environmentally responsible company

We’ve join Forestry Department tree planting programmes and have organised tree planting days in two areas, Spilia and Lympia, spending 20 thousand euro on trees endemic to Cyprus that the company will care for until they grow. This action has been introduced in the past few years.

Also a part of an environmental effort is to provide the peels from the juicing process to stockbreeders who use them to feed their animals. When dried up, the fruit peel can also be used as fertiliser for crops.

We believe ourselves to be an environmentally responsible company and our goal is to minimise the effect of our industrial presence through various activities.

We also make what we consider to be a significant effort in reducing our imprint on the environment through various programmes. For example, we have installed photovoltaic frameworks to produce 200 kwh electricity capacity from solar energy. We have installed photovoltaic elements on all the factory roofs, producing steam for our needs.

In addition, based on European Union directives, we now used sustainable Tetra Pak packaging made up of 70% plant material paper. We only use paper straws.

In the framework of our social contribution and in cooperation with the blood bank, we annually organise a blood donation at our factory. Our company has thirty long term donors.