Importer built trade not once but twice

HARD work, dedication to customer service and the changing Australian palate are all factors behind Hermes Importex founder George Stoinis’ success in building up his gourmet Mediterranean food importing company from scratch, not once but twice.

After years of working in bakeries and kitchens Mr Stoinis said he recognised that there was not much of a range of quality Mediterranean food available in Perth and set out to import food products from his country of origin, Greece. 

In his early thirties and with a young family, Mr Stoinis first established Hermes Importex in 1972 and began importing olives, cheeses, oils, pickles and gourmet tinned goods from Greece.

After eight years of hard work building the business up Mr Stoinis sold it, only to buy it back in 1982 when the business failed under the new owners. 

“I was working for ten months before I was drawing a wage,” he said.

Back then the company was importing a few hundred thousand dollars worth of gourmet foods. Today Hermes Importex imports $1.5 million worth of gourmet products from Greece and Macedonia and employs Mr Stoinis’ three children who are currently taking over the management reins.

Hermes Importex now supplies the major grocery chains of Coles, Action and Woolworths and smaller continental stores and groceries around Australia.

Three years ago the company expanded into a new warehouse in Malaga and expects to turn over $2.6 million worth of sales by the end of this financial year.

Mr Stoinis said Mediterranean foods were becoming more and more popular in Australia and the company was growing by 10 to 15 per cent a year.

With regards to increasing competition from other food import companies, Mr Stoinis said service was key to the business thriving.

“We try to have the right price, the right products, the right service, the right everything,” he said.

Recognised by the Commonwealth Bank as a successful family business Hermes Importex is in the running for an award in the 2003 Family Business Awards.