"P.E.S Union" Aeghion S.A.
History
The Agricultural Cooperatives’ Union – Aeghion (P.E.S.Union) was established in 1935 with its headquarters in the city of Aeghion (its medieval name is Vostizza), which is located at the beautiful coastal strip of the Corinthian gulf in the northwest of Peloponnese.
P.E.S. Union consists of 59 local Agricultural Cooperatives. The total membership reaches 6,000 farmers. P.E.S. Union exports its products around the world and is the main exporter of Corinthian currants of "VOSTIZZA" quality, which is distinguished as the best quality of black Corinthian currants. Therefore, "VOSTIZZA" is verified by the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) since 1993. Annually, P.E.S. Union handles more than 80% of Aeghion greater area total production.
Fields of activity
The main activities of P.E.S. Union are:
- Processing, packaging and export of "VOSTIZZA" currants
- Processing, bottling and export of "ELIKI" olive oil
- Sales of agricultural inputs
- Technical support for its growers
- Insurances for its growers
- Representation of its members in the European Union, in the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development meetings etc.
Facilities - Personnel
P.E.S. Union operates at its own 100,000 m² facilities in Aeghion. It is a new and modern complex that is built according to the highest standards of technology and hygiene rules.
The highly equipped state-accredited (EΛΟΤ-EN-ISO/IEC 17025:2005) laboratories in the R&D department verify the excellent product quality and conduct research for improving production methods.
P.E.S. Union employs 40 highly qualified people for the production and administration and approximately 150 workers for the various industrial activities in the production plants.
Quality Control & Certification
"VOSTIZZA" currants are verified by the European Union as “P.D.O.” (Protected Designation of Origin – EEC No 2081/92). Regarding the currants plant, the principles of HACCP are applied in all processing and storage steps. Full records of quality and processing parameters data may be found for both the raw material and the final-processed product, as part of the existing ISO 9001:2000 and BRC quality management systems. The laboratory is licensed with EN.17025. Moreover, the organic growers-members of the Union receive technical support all year around by competent agronomists in order to guarantee security in all stages of the production chain according to the Reg. (EU) 834/2007. All organic products are certified by DIO (GR-BIO-01), the second largest certification and inspection organisation for organic products in Greece. Since 2002 the Union is a member of the Organic Marketing & Export Network (O.M.E.N.).
Research and Development
The main objective of the Research and Development department is to ensure the highest possible quality and to develop new methods of cultivation. Thus, P.E.S. Union takes part in many research programs of the European Union as well as in programs of the Greek Secretariat for Research and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture in co-operation with Greek, British and German universities and research centers. It has been entrusted with the scientific supervision and management of a number of these programs.
Therefore, the Union’s ‘state-of-the-art’ laboratories are not only used for the quality control of the products but also for research, which is conducted by trainees, postgraduate students and PhD students of Greek and other E.U. Universities. Many new processes have already been adopted and scientific knowledge has been published in international scientific journals.
One of the most important research projects of the previous decades was the one of organic farming. As a result, in 1983 some of the members started with organic cultivation, initially certified by SCAL. In the middle of the ninety nineties, the number of organic growers increased rapidly. Since 2005 the Union cooperates with BNS Biocyclic Network Services Ltd. in order to implement a vertically integrated quality management system, which includes the production, pack-house organisation and logistics as well as future oriented organic farming techniques according to the “Biocyclic Guidelines in Organic Farming” elaborated by A. Hoops and Dr. agr. J. Eisenbach.
Nowadays, around 5% of the total production area is organic with many of the producers already complying with the stricter rules of the Biocyclic Standards.
Future Perspectives
The great experience of the past years together with the continuous implementation of new technological methods, the consecutive activity of the R&D department and the support of external service partners, guarantee the production of high quality products, in order to satisfy customers’ needs.
The huge investments in new facilities according to the strictest hygiene rules and the continuous effort for quality standards improvement enable P.E.S. Union to form the basis for keeping its market leading position in the sector of Corinthian currants and olive oil also in the future.
The Agricultural Cooperatives’ Union – Aeghion (P.E.S.Union) was established in 1935 with its headquarters in the city of Aeghion (its medieval name is Vostizza), which is located at the beautiful coastal strip of the Corinthian gulf in the northwest of Peloponnese.
P.E.S. Union consists of 59 local Agricultural Cooperatives. The total membership reaches 6,000 farmers. P.E.S. Union exports its products around the world and is the main exporter of Corinthian currants of "VOSTIZZA" quality, which is distinguished as the best quality of black Corinthian currants. Therefore, "VOSTIZZA" is verified by the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) since 1993. Annually, P.E.S. Union handles more than 80% of Aeghion greater area total production.
Fields of activity
The main activities of P.E.S. Union are:
- Processing, packaging and export of "VOSTIZZA" currants
- Processing, bottling and export of "ELIKI" olive oil
- Sales of agricultural inputs
- Technical support for its growers
- Insurances for its growers
- Representation of its members in the European Union, in the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development meetings etc.
Facilities - Personnel
P.E.S. Union operates at its own 100,000 m² facilities in Aeghion. It is a new and modern complex that is built according to the highest standards of technology and hygiene rules.
The highly equipped state-accredited (EΛΟΤ-EN-ISO/IEC 17025:2005) laboratories in the R&D department verify the excellent product quality and conduct research for improving production methods.
P.E.S. Union employs 40 highly qualified people for the production and administration and approximately 150 workers for the various industrial activities in the production plants.
Quality Control & Certification
"VOSTIZZA" currants are verified by the European Union as “P.D.O.” (Protected Designation of Origin – EEC No 2081/92). Regarding the currants plant, the principles of HACCP are applied in all processing and storage steps. Full records of quality and processing parameters data may be found for both the raw material and the final-processed product, as part of the existing ISO 9001:2000 and BRC quality management systems. The laboratory is licensed with EN.17025. Moreover, the organic growers-members of the Union receive technical support all year around by competent agronomists in order to guarantee security in all stages of the production chain according to the Reg. (EU) 834/2007. All organic products are certified by DIO (GR-BIO-01), the second largest certification and inspection organisation for organic products in Greece. Since 2002 the Union is a member of the Organic Marketing & Export Network (O.M.E.N.).
Research and Development
The main objective of the Research and Development department is to ensure the highest possible quality and to develop new methods of cultivation. Thus, P.E.S. Union takes part in many research programs of the European Union as well as in programs of the Greek Secretariat for Research and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture in co-operation with Greek, British and German universities and research centers. It has been entrusted with the scientific supervision and management of a number of these programs.
Therefore, the Union’s ‘state-of-the-art’ laboratories are not only used for the quality control of the products but also for research, which is conducted by trainees, postgraduate students and PhD students of Greek and other E.U. Universities. Many new processes have already been adopted and scientific knowledge has been published in international scientific journals.
One of the most important research projects of the previous decades was the one of organic farming. As a result, in 1983 some of the members started with organic cultivation, initially certified by SCAL. In the middle of the ninety nineties, the number of organic growers increased rapidly. Since 2005 the Union cooperates with BNS Biocyclic Network Services Ltd. in order to implement a vertically integrated quality management system, which includes the production, pack-house organisation and logistics as well as future oriented organic farming techniques according to the “Biocyclic Guidelines in Organic Farming” elaborated by A. Hoops and Dr. agr. J. Eisenbach.
Nowadays, around 5% of the total production area is organic with many of the producers already complying with the stricter rules of the Biocyclic Standards.
Future Perspectives
The great experience of the past years together with the continuous implementation of new technological methods, the consecutive activity of the R&D department and the support of external service partners, guarantee the production of high quality products, in order to satisfy customers’ needs.
The huge investments in new facilities according to the strictest hygiene rules and the continuous effort for quality standards improvement enable P.E.S. Union to form the basis for keeping its market leading position in the sector of Corinthian currants and olive oil also in the future.
