Experts in the nuts and dried fruit business since 1862

Our family has been leading the industry since Cardassilaris Bros was established on the Greek island of Chios in 1862.

CHios, GReece.

“A green sea with myriads of chandeliers”

 
 

From Citrus Orchards and Dried Fruit to World Class Nuts: 160 Years of the Cardassilaris Family

The island of Chios in Greece is home to great wealth and even greater beauty. Before the modernization of the island, fragrant citrus orchards spread wide into the Aegean Sea. 

 Described as a "green sea with myriads of chandeliers with golden and yellow lamps," Chios was regarded as an unknown island paradise.

 Its claim to fame comes from its citrus orchards. The citrus fruits, also called sour trees or simply sours, were an integral part of the island's economy. 

 Though the trees themselves were not native to Chios, originating centuries ago from South East Asia, India, Indonesia and South China, they helped establish trade and export in the island.

 In an era where Greek nobility was entering its dark ages, Chios maintained the image of European royalty by offering its dwellers great wealth through the citrus trade alone.

 This trade gave way to opportunities for trade in other crops. But their impact had a lasting impression on Chios and its future. Even decades after the citrus obsession had subsided, we see reference to the island's history with the tangy fruit.

Connection to the Citrus Orchards

As time went on, the demand for citrus fruit rose in Europe. Chios alone was able to provide these. At this point, Europe still brought citrus fruit from the east. However, when it became evident that citrus orchards could grow in the Mediterranean climate, Europe turned to Chios.

The delicious tangy fruit had a limited shelf life. On the journey from Asia to Europe, tangerines and other citrus fruit would rot. 

This problem was addressed by Chios' close proximity to the continent. There was no difference in the taste; in fact, the citrus fruit was reported to be tastier and more fragrant.

As a result, export companies began to spread across Chios. There was an opportunity to create lasting impressions in the market, and this is something most export companies based in Chios did. 

Since tangerines and other citrus fruit were the reason behind their very existence, we see reference to the fruit in their logos. One such company was the Cardassilaris Bros, founded in 1862.

The Cardassilaris Family’s Ties to Chios

In the early days of the golden age of Kambos, trade boomed for companies in Chios, ensuring that many were able to come out as industry leaders in their respective fields.

The Cardassilaris Bros established dominion as an accepted market leader in the nut and dried fruit industry. With deep ties to the international nuts and dried fruit market around the globe, there is a historic relationship between the company and the industry. 

Throughout the company’s history, the Cardassilaris Family has had different names. It was founded in 1862 under the name Cardassilaris Bros by Nikos Cardassilaris and his brother. In its early days, the Company traded in citrus fruit and almonds. 

At one point, there were factories and warehouses spread across Chios belonging to P. Cardassilaris, another reincarnation of the company. 

birth of the logo

Through the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the Cardassilaris Bros continued to serve the local community in Chios while expanding and modernizing their business.

From logos to the introduction of printing paper to standardized wood for warehouse construction and other business processes, the Cardassilaris Bros continued to lead the way in developing export trade in Chios.

The archives of Cardassilaris Bros are used as a reference to understand the day-to-day proceedings of the Golden Age of Kambos. 

Letters and documentation found in the archives have been used as source material to establish historic significance to the development of standardization in Greece's import and export industry.

The name Cardassilaris is synonymous with trust and a sense of community.

When the Germans occupied Chios during World War II, the Cardassilaris Brothers were the representatives responsible for communication between the German army and local farmers.

Influences and References in Other Industries

In addition to the trade industry, the influence of the Cardassilaris Bros can be seen across many major industries in Chios and other parts of Greece as well.

For instance, packaging became a more national affair for Greece when the Cardassilaris Bros found that they had to turn to foreign paper printers to ensure that they had the right packaging for their products. 

A special kind of packaging paper had to be used for various foreign markets. During World War II, due to a shortage of labor, the Cardassilaris Bros led an initiative to employ outside Chios. 

Other parts of Greece, like Athens, were widely affected too. The Ministry of Agriculture approved these papers, and so began the tradition of using special printing paper for the packaging of exports.

Before this, most printing papers used in Chios were Italian and often made use of Italian logos instead of Greek ones.  When printing came home to Greece, the Cardassilaris Bros could freely use their distinctive logo.

INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

Cardassilaris Family marks the next stage of the Cardassilaris family’s immersion in the dried fruit and nuts industry, bringing family tradition, expertise, experience and know-how to the brokerage market.
With our innate traditional values and principles, in-depth market knowledge, operational excellence, dedication and hard work, we provide you with exceptional services. Every time. 

 
 

View the Cardassilaris Family Tree

 
 
 

Over the years

 
“Constantinos Cardassilaris’s great grandfather, Nikos, starts Cardassilaris Bros with his brothers in Chios. They deal in mastic and export oranges, tangerines and soft-shelled almonds.

”1862-cardassilaris”
— 1862
CARDASSILARIS BROS
“Brothers Constantinos and Matthew Cardassilaris expand from Chios to Piraeus, founding Cardassilaris Bros S.A. They trade and export Greek citrus fruits, raisins, dried figs and almonds across the globe.

”
— 1930
CARDASSILARIS BROS S.A
“In 1967, Cardassilaris Bros were able to move business operations from Chios to Athens. The first factory of the Company was located in Athens on 248 Piraeus Street, at 75 square feet but it tells the tale of the Company’s quick progress.
”
— 1967
ATHENS BOUND
“58 years later, the company was once again reincorporated as Cardassilaris & Son.

”
— 1968
CONSTANTINOS CARDASSILARIS & SON.
“In 1971, Constantinos’s younger sons, John and George, joined their father and moved to a bigger place at 1000 square meters in Marathonos Street in Kaminia, Piraeus.

”
— 1971
Moving onto Bigger Pastures
“In 1978, due to the rapid expansion of the business, the Company once again relocated to Orfeos Street in Votanikos, Athens, at a 6000 square meter, fully-functioning factory with modern equipment for better business processes.

”
— 1978
Towards Greater Things
“The company becomes Société Anonyme and renamed as Con. Cardassilaris & Sons S.A.

”
— 1980
CON. CARDASSILARIS & SONS S.A.
“Due to the historic ties between the Cardassilaris Family and Greece, Nico Cardassilaris was honored to chair at the INC Congress in Athens.

He was also a member of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council board of directors from 1991 to 2003 and a Greek ambassador to the INC from 1994 until 2005.


”
— 1993
Recognition of the Cardassilaris Contribution
“In 1993, disaster struck as a big fire ruined the building complex of the Cardassilaris Brothers, destroying everything in its path. The complex was home to the tanneries, the citrus packing plant, a warehouse, as well as the entire business archive.

Nothing but a very small section of the archives could be retrieved. Today, the recovered archive files can be found in the G.A.K. Prefecture of Chios in “Korais” Library, open to the public for viewing.

”
— 1993
Disaster Strikes at the Chios Factory
“Con. Cardassilaris & Sons S.A. is renamed Cardico S.A.
”
— 1994
CARDICO S.A
“Cardico S.A. becomes publicly listed on the Athens Stock Exchange Market

”
— 1996
ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE MARKET
“Once again, the expanded Cardassilaris empire suffered a loss in January 2003 when a factory owned by the Con. Cardassilaris & Sons SA caught fire in Votanikos, Athens and was completely destroyed. The plant was the dried fruit and nuts processing hub.
”
— January 2003
Fire at the factory in Votanikos
“Surviving equipment was transferred to a neighbouring building. This was a big loss, so soon after what happened previously.

But this wasn’t the end; this was the motivation needed to help propel Cardassilaris Brothers into the twenty-first century.

Instead of giving up, the Cardassilaris Family immediately bought land in Schimatari, Voiotias, to begin the construction of a state-of-the-art factory to further enhance and authenticate the Cardassilaris commitment to high quality goods.

”
— Jan 2003-June 2004
Stronger than ever
“Cardico S.A. grows to become a market-leading importer and processor of nuts and dried fruit from its state-of-the-art factory in Greece. Its blue-chip clients include major European supermarket chains and confectionery distributors.

”
— June 2004
FACTORY REVAMP
“In 2007, Cardico was awarded the Export Activities Award for its contribution to Greek exports. This prestigious award is given to companies operating at different levels of success, including exports, percentage of total sales, and the promotion of new products.

”
— 2007
Award Ceremony
“In recognition of his outstanding service to the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, John Cardassilaris, Nico’s son, was awarded a certificate of achievement.

He was also a member of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council board of directors from 2003 until 2007 and a Greek ambassador to the INC from 2005 until 2012.

”
— 2007
INC Award
“Building on great success, the company continued to grow. In 2014, brothers Constantinos and Stamatis Cardassilaris, sons of John Cardassilaris, established SalesReps, a brokerage service for dried fruit and nuts, and sales services, representing Greek food producers and exporters in the EU market.

”
— 2014
SALESREPS
“2020, the Cardassilaris Family was established. This represented a new chapter in the history of the Cardassilaris empire, and a business projected to bring together everything that helped the original Cardassilaris Bros stand out and blossom into the colossal organization it is today.

”
— 2020
A NEW CHAPTER
“We are enormously proud to have reached this seminal milestone in our history as a business run by multiple generations of our lineage. 2022 comes at a unique time of global affairs as a result of the covid pandemic. It has affected everyone in the way we work, how we communicate and how we come together, and for many that has been an emphasis on being closer to family, therefore made even more poignant, our gratitude to our kin and brethren who have got us to where we are today.
”
— 2022
WE CELEBRATE 160 YEARS
 

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