On one hand, the great international economic crisis, which inherently complicates entrepreneurship and undermines achievements and successes accumulated over many years. On the other hand—at a close corporate level—the recognition at the highest level, since Dromeas in the coming years will be the exclusive supplier of furniture and office equipment to the services of the European Union. A project with a budget of 30.4 million euros over the next two years, which, moreover, came at the right moment, as in 2008 and the first months of 2009, sales declined due to the economic crisis in international markets.
Thirty years ago…
Dromeas began as a manufacturer of caravans. Mr. Papapanagiotou was very passionate about the field and invested in it, but after a few years he realized that, on the one hand, the seasonality of the market—the company manufactured caravans all year round but had to sell them within three months—and on the other hand, the decline in demand, would lead to… closure. Therefore, in 1987, he shifted the factory’s focus to the production of office furniture, partition walls, and filing systems. The idea was pioneering, and the response was immediate. To this day, Mr. Papapanagiotou considers this business decision the most important of his life. From that point on, things went well, and growth was rapid. The company’s sales network includes 32 branded stores, while exports, which in recent years have accounted for 20% of total sales, are directed—among others—to the United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia, and the Balkans. Furthermore, Dromeas has established a very serious commercial infrastructure in Germany, with similar moves also taking place in Bulgaria. Recently, Dromeas proceeded to sign an agreement with Daimler Chrysler for the production of the furniture of the new corporate identity for the Mercedes Benz exhibition spaces in Germany and other European Union countries.
Full vertical integration, the ability to provide long-term warranties, and the speed of order delivery, combined with adaptability to developments, constitute Dromeas’s “shield” against the crisis. Dromeas was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in the Industrial Area of Serres, 80 km northeast of Thessaloniki. It possesses production and building facilities covering 55,000 sq.m., developed on a plot of 115 hectares. It employs over 250 workers, and its sales network includes 32 branded stores in major cities across Greece and the Balkans.
Dromeas manufactures all its products entirely, as its production is fully vertically integrated with state-of-the-art equipment in the fields of wood processing and painting, steel processing and painting, aluminum casting, plastic and polyurethane molding, metal parts production, and upholstery processing. It offers a five-year warranty on the proper functioning of all its products from the date of receipt, under normal use, while order deliveries do not exceed 20 days. Product support with spare parts extends to at least 10 years.
Related News & Publications