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George and Demosthenis Chronis started Olea Estates in St. Louis, MO in 2009. At the time the wholesale price of the olive oil in Greece was almost half of what it was costing our family to produce it. Most farmers were making a profit only out of selling the olives and would press the ones they could not sell as olives into olive oil and cut their losses. They would also tend to not pick the olives over multiple pickings at the right time to save on cost, not to mention the use of fertilizers and insecticides to boost production. Our family refused to apply any of these tactics, but the fields were no longer profitable and we were on the verge of selling. Our family, however, is emotionally connected to the fields and we do not only see them as a money maker. We have all worked in these fields to make a living and raise funds to study.
George and Demosthenis decided to try and sell the olive oil in the United States, since they live and work here since 1996. It seemed that middle men would take large profits every time the olive oil changed hands, because the price of organic olive oil the US was decent. Their efforts came to fruition and today we can offer our organically produced olive oil to you at a competitive price without compromising the quality, by eliminating most links between the producer and the consumer. Here are the people that make it happen:
George Chronis is one of the two brothers of the last generation of the Chronis family. He holds a PhD in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and owns two other companies in the Computer Science/Computer Engineering fields. He is based in St. Louis, MO and responsible for US distribution and sales.
Demosthenis is George’s younger brother and Olea’s certified Olive Oil Sommelier. He lives in Greece and holds a PhD in Agronomy and Plant Molecular Biology. A former molecular researcher for the USDA, he is the Olea Estates Coordinator in Greece. He takes care of the fields and oversees all the stages of production, from farm to table.
Nikos is the father of George and Demosthenis. He lives with his wife, Georgia, in Goritsa, Greece, about 10 minutes away from our fields. He is the grandson of Nikolas Chronis who purchased the fields in 1856. He is a retired MD, with a PhD in Cardiology. He has always been a farmer on the side mainly working with orange trees and our olive orchards.
Georgia Chronis is an accomplished mother and educational coordinator at Olea Estates. She holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Athens, a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester, and an Advanced Diploma in History of Art from the University of Cambridge. Georgia has authored books, published articles in professional journals, and specializes in modern Greek literature, Museology, and Museum Education. She has taught courses at the University of the Peloponnese and the Hellenic Open University, and collaborates with educational and cultural institutions worldwide. As a curator, she dedicated twenty years to the National Gallery of Greece, specifically its branch in Sparta, the Coumantaros Art Gallery, before retiring recently.
Jessica Chronis is George’s wife. She holds a Bachelor of Animal Science and a Masters degree in Marketing. Jessica creates promotions and forms customer relationships. She develops marketing strategies and assists with events and product distribution.
Chef Georgios Kastanias is Olea Estates’ Exuctive Chef in USA. His passion for cooking first started at the age of five, while watching his mother cook in the kitchen. Seventeen years ago, he was driven by an opportunity to pursue his career in the United States, becoming the executive chef at a distinguished ethnic Greek restaurant in North Carolina. From there, he continued on following his dream of opening his own restaurants in North Carolina and in Tennessee. He’s competed in cooking competitions and won gold medals while living in the U.S. In 2012, he moved to St. Louis and has already begun to take the culinary scene by storm. He’s had the title of executive chef consultant at several restaurants, he is also the founder/CEO of Alexander Foods LLC., a company that imports goods worldwide, and distributes all over the United States, specializing in authentic greek and meditterranean products.
Nikos Zavras is Olea Estates’ Exuctive Chef in Greece. He obtained his Head Chef diploma from Hospitality & Culinary Department of Wesminster Kingsway College in London UK. He has been the Head Chef for Carluccio’s for several years. Currently he is the owner and head chef of En Hatipi (gr. Εν Χατίπι), serving traditional Greek food for more than 20 years, with ingredients exclusively from the Spartan land. He creates plates exclusively for Olea Estates incorporating healthy and local ingredients.