Alkioni Fish Farms Ltd

Description:

Alkioni Fish Farms (AFF) lies on the south coast of Cyprus some 15 km east of Limassol. This coastline will be very familiar to many vacation visitors to this popular holiday Island: it has developed as a tourist area since the coastline was foreshortened by the still unresolved political problems of 1974. Alkioni Fish Farms Ltd was founded in 1992 and began operation in 1993, since when it has expanded steadily. From an initial 50-tonne per annum farm, producing bream and bass for the Cyprus market, it has expanded to a capacity of 650-tonnes per annum. 300 tonnes is destined for the local market and the balance is for export in particular to the European, Middle East and US markets. The expansion has included the establishment of a sister company, Alkioni Ichthiogennitiki Limited (hatchery), which was founded in late 1996. This was the first of a new generation of ‘mini-hatcheries’ built to operate very efficiently and to utilise simplified technology to produce bream and bass juveniles. The marine hatchery was almost entirely built and equipped by AFF staff, on land over-looking the cages. This self-dependence and high degree of integration is another theme of Alkioni’s approach. In the case of Alkioni, full integration includes everything from building the equipment to the retailing of the product. The company has a vision. It is to grow using commercial operations to innovate and encourage technological change. The company’s priorities are to make its fish farming operations a training ground for prospective fish farmers; to spread the accumulated skills and technology to other areas (especially the nearby Middle Eastern countries of north Africa and the Arabian Gulf) and to develop overseas business opportunity through technology transfer, joint venture and investment. Alkioni is an extraordinarily diverse and open company, although still relatively small as compared with the burgeoning giants of Greece, their 50 staff already includes six nationalities. Following a public floatation of the company each of these personnel became a shareholder in the company. Alkioni believes that secrecy does not work and that free exchange of know-how and technology is the way forward. Visiting students and staff exchanges are seen as a way forward by which Alkioni can develop its own personnel and a group of ambassadors around the world. AFF encourages co-operation and technical exchanges with commercial, technical and scientific developers. A Board of Directors encompassing a number of non-executives with a wide range of skills and disciplines also promotes the open approach to the outside world. These include such luminaries as Mr Christos Mavrellis, now an international lawyer and previously Minister of Finance, Communications and Public Works; Prof Paris Andreou, an expert on business management; Prof Randolph Richards, the Director of Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture and Mr Ian McFarlane a well known figure in the aquacultural industry. Thereafter the growth and diversification of the company is assured through innovative strategy of technological development, diversification and development. As Nicos Lophitis, Managing Director of the Alkioni Group, says "Our success will be achieved through vision, mission, technology and the dedication of our people."