Greece

BSH's overwhelming local market share and extensive export activities are showing the true potential of Greece as a manufacturing platform for the world.

Greece has not always been at the top of the world's largest companies' shopping list for hosting their manufacturing facilities and supply centres. Indeed, the country has been struggling in recent years to attract productive investment capital, while local manufacturers have closed down in significant numbers.

The extraordinary alliance of German giant Bosch-Siemens and local leader Pitsos, however, has been walking the road to success in Greece since 1977.

Pitsos itself was founded in 1865 and began with the production of small household appliances and oil stoves. Collaboration with Bosch-Siemens started in 1970, and culminated seven years later with the takeover of Pitsos and the opening of the German group's first subsidiary outside its home country.

Since then, production has jumped to over 300,000 units each year, in four ranges: cooling equipment (refrigerators and freezers), dishwashers, washing machines and driers, and cookers.
Arthur Carski, managing director of BSH

The newly renamed BSH today holds the leading position in the Greek appliance market, with over 40 percent market share. In fact, three of the five brand names that it markets in the country rank, respectively first (Pitsos), second (Bosch) and third (Siemens).

The Greek operations of BSH have taken on an important role in the multinational group's supply chain around the world, and have been fully integrated in Bosch-Siemens' global research and development network. Seventy percent of the total production of refrigerators is exported, as is 50 percent of cookers.

BSH's facility in Athens - the same Pitsos factory founded in 1959 and modernised extensively since - is one of only four such production centres for refrigerators in the group worldwide. Exports accounted for as much as $90 million last year - approximately one third of total turnover - making BSH one of Greece's top 10 exporters.

This success, and the group's strong commitment to social responsibility, has made BSH one of Greece's preferred employers. "We are a business company but we feel responsible for all our employees and the communities they live in," says managing director Arthur Carski.

Of the company's 1,200 local employees, less than 10 are foreigners. BSH supports a variety of charitable events and organizations from schools and orphanages to art galleries.

Last year, the group inaugurated its brand new office building in the northern Athens suburb of Kyfissia. Arthur Carski's message is clear: "As we have shown, Greece has the potential of being a successful manufacturer of quality products for the rest of the world."

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