Menexes, a family-run business operating in the furniture industry for over 40 years, is an outstanding example of successful growth. Founded on the vision and initiative of the family’s father, the company is now led by his three sons, who continue the legacy with the same passion and dedication. “Everything started with our father, and as children, we were always by his side at work. We essentially grew up within the company—it became an integral part of our lives,” says Panagiotis, one of the Menexes brothers now leading the firm, highlighting the importance of family commitment and continuity.
The traditional business founded by Mr Kostas Menexes has successfully modernized and expanded beyond local boundaries. “We made a concerted effort to modernize our company, entered new markets, and launched new products,” state the proud owners Thodoris, Stavros, and Panagiotis, describing the challenges they faced and their determination to succeed, despite the financial and health crises of the past 15 years.
Menexes’s success is not due to luck or market conditions, but rather to business effort and the company’s longstanding principles. The familial atmosphere between owners and staff is a cornerstone for stability and longevity, while their unwavering commitment to quality is fundamental to the company’s philosophy. “We don’t compromise on quality—our furniture is always made to the highest standards,” Mr Menexes shares.
One of the company’s major achievements to date, according to them, was completing three NSRF (ESPA) programs, which allowed them to continue expanding even in difficult times. “We successfully implemented those initiatives and are moving forward with more,” say the owners, emphasizing the critical role of funding programs in SME development in Greece.
Specifically, with support from the ena Development Consultants’ SME Competitiveness team, Menexes carried out the EU-funded actions “Upgrading Micro & Small Enterprises for New Market Development” and “Competitiveness Toolkit for Small and Micro Enterprises” under ESPA 2014–2020.
Thanks to these programs, the company acquired modern machinery and production software. It also invested in product certification and packaging, secure raw-material transport, and reduced its environmental footprint by installing biomass boilers and a photovoltaic system to cover its energy needs.
Although its location in Eastern Macedonia & Thrace poses challenges, Menexes’s active leadership has responded with innovation, eco-consciousness, and energy efficiency: “We aim to create products that stand out in the Greek market… we are moving toward implementing energy solutions,” they explain, reflecting their environmental responsibility and pioneering spirit.
Recently, the company joined its first research project with ena: DigInTraCe under Horizon Europe. This initiative introduces innovative tracking, detection, and classification methods. The goal is to develop a decentralized traceability platform for products such as engineered wood, furniture, timber, paper, plastic IT/auto parts, polymers, and textiles. Menexes collaborates with 22 organizations across six EU countries—both businesses and research institutions.
Partnering with universities and research centers has injected new vitality into the firm. “We engage with universities, other companies, labs—and it’s inspiring,” they note, underlining the significance of research and innovation in developing new products and technologies.
Their cooperation with ena Development Consultants has also been decisive. “We couldn’t be more satisfied with ena’s support,” says Panagiotis Menexes. He adds that since 2008, the ena team has become part of the company’s extended family, advising and guiding them to successfully join funding initiatives and see them through to completion.
Panagiotis asserts: “The most valuable advice we got from ena, and still apply today, is that everything must follow a sequence that cannot be violated when implementing a program. If you don’t follow the proper steps, the whole process fails. That principle has been essential for organizing and effectively managing our projects.”
Looking ahead, the company has ambitious growth plans. “We have many ideas—new machinery, new products, new markets,” they reveal, showing determination to continue developing and innovating.
To realize their business dreams, the Menexes brothers have already joined the “Green Transformation for SMEs” action under the ESPA 2021–2027 “Competitiveness” program and are awaiting approval for another proposal submitted with ena.
Menexes remains a model of success and progress—steadfast in its values and open to future challenges and opportunities. We thank the company owners and staff for their warm welcome and engaging conversation.
The #30 Business Story was created by Evi Voivatopoulou (SME Competitiveness Services), Stella Bazdani (Public Sector & European Programs Services), and Maria Kariofilaki from ena’s Marketing team.
