Olympia Electronics, founded in 1979 by a pair of Greek entrepreneurs, has grown into one of the country’s most successful makers of emergency lighting, gas detection and fire alarm systems. Working hand in hand with the Enterprise Europe Network, the electrical and electronics manufacturer is now exporting its products to the world’s largest market.

Our dogma is to think globally – act locally,” says Dimitrios Lakas, Olympia’s marketing manager. “We are now finally selling in the United States with small volumes, the first step towards further penetration.”

Based in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, the 130-employee firm – which also makes hotel door locks and electronic room thermostats – exports to more than 70 countries in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

But gaining a foothold in the United States, the world’s largest and most competitive market, posed a huge challenge for the company, a leader in the Greek market for emergency lighting and fire alarm systems.

For guidance it went to the Enterprise Europe Network, whose 3 000 experts in 50 countries help entrepreneurs tap into new markets. Along with 15 other companies from seven other sectors, Olympia signed up for a June 2008 trade mission to New York.
“There is no substitute for face-to-face contact in the business world,” says Vanessa Vlotides, international affairs director for Network partner, the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece. “This is something the Enterprise Europe Network proactively promotes, drawing on our wealth of resources and contacts.”

The Federation planned the mission with help from the New York-based European American Business Organization, which is also part of the Enterprise Europe Network, and the Greek general consulate.

A meeting between Olympia and a US firm arranged by the Network partners led to an agreement under which the two firms are now selling each other’s products in their respective markets.