Sfakianakis
Encyclopedia
The Sfakianakis group of companies is a Greek
conglomerate with a wide range of activities, employing over 2400 in five countries in 2008.
manufacture. Originally called Büssing Hellas (after the German
manufacturer whose engines it used) it was founded in 1961 succeeding earlier trading companies founded by the same family. Initially building bodies on imported chassis
, it soon developed its own chassis family (originally based on a German MAN model, the latter having acquired Büssing
). The company's SS500 chassis ('SS' standing for 'Stratis Sfakianakis') was subsequently further developed, and a great variety of bus types was designed and built over it in the following years in the company's factory near Elefsina, with limited exports to Eastern Europe
and the Middle East
. Other industrial activities included construction of truck bodies and Japanese Hino
chassis assembly. The company was renamed Sfakianakis S.A. in 1993 and among the last types it designed and produced were the SS400 and SS380 minibuses and a new series of SS500 inter-city
and coach variants.
and sales and the services sector.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
conglomerate with a wide range of activities, employing over 2400 in five countries in 2008.
History
The company's origins were based on vehicleVehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
manufacture. Originally called Büssing Hellas (after the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturer whose engines it used) it was founded in 1961 succeeding earlier trading companies founded by the same family. Initially building bodies on imported chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
, it soon developed its own chassis family (originally based on a German MAN model, the latter having acquired Büssing
Büssing
Büssing was a German bus and truck manufacturer established by Heinrich Büssing at Braunschweig in 1903. Büssing's first truck was a 2 ton payload machine powered by a 2-cylinder gasoline engine and featuring worm drive...
). The company's SS500 chassis ('SS' standing for 'Stratis Sfakianakis') was subsequently further developed, and a great variety of bus types was designed and built over it in the following years in the company's factory near Elefsina, with limited exports to Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Other industrial activities included construction of truck bodies and Japanese Hino
Hino
Hino can mean:A Place:*Hino, Shiga*Hino, Tokyo*Hino, Tottori*Hino District, Tottori*Lake Hino in EstoniaA Company:*Hino Motors, Ltd.A Person*Rei Hino, a character on Sailor Moon*Hikari Hino, a Japanese porn star...
chassis assembly. The company was renamed Sfakianakis S.A. in 1993 and among the last types it designed and produced were the SS400 and SS380 minibuses and a new series of SS500 inter-city
Intercity bus
An intercity bus is a bus that carries passengers significant distances between different cities, towns, or other populated areas. Unlike a municipal bus, which has frequent stops throughout a city or town, an intercity bus generally has a single stop at a centralized location within the city, and...
and coach variants.
Evolution of the Industrial Division
The Sfakianakis industrial division had managed to survive for decades without any state support, despite fierce competition from imports; a flood of cheaper imports, though, eventually made bus manufacture unprofitable. This division was greatly shrunk in 2006, after the group had very successfully diversified into other business areas including vehicle importImport
The term import is derived from the conceptual meaning as to bring in the goods and services into the port of a country. The buyer of such goods and services is referred to an "importer" who is based in the country of import whereas the overseas based seller is referred to as an "exporter". Thus...
and sales and the services sector.