Group’s history dates back to the Ottoman era, with the first shipyard of Giannoulis and George Paleokrassas, son of Giannoulis at Stenies, isle of Andros. The shipyard eventually emerged as a merchant marine hub with ships built in Syros, such as “New Fortune” which was constructed in 1879 and the “Plumou”, which was built and registered in 1893. They moved on to steam shipping and they were eventually involved in the trade of steel vessels which they sold immediately after the Second World War and used the proceeds to purchase properties in Kolonaki, Kifissia and Patissia thus converting the shipping fortune into Real Estate. At the same time, Peter Paleocrassas’ daughter Irene was married to Nikiforos Th. Charagionis, founder of Charagionis Group, with whom he later became partner at “Acropole” pastry shop, located at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.Group’s founder, Nikiforos Th. Charagionis had moved to Athens from Karystos to work beside his aunt who owned the cinema High Life and the confectionery “Select” in the center of Piraeus. When he turned 18, he run himself both companies. Meanwhile, he and a friend of his created a transformer trading small business intended to enable operation of 110V-powered units which the Greek immigrants were sending to be used for our 220V powering systems.

At this prime phase, Nikiforos Charagionis left to fight on the Albanian front. Later he joined a resistance organization and his efforts to avoid being arrested, he fled to the Middle East where, after joining the Greek army, was awarded a prize by the commander of the allied forces for his contribution in the liberation of Europe.

Upon his return to Greece in 1945, he set up his own confectionery in Piraeus, the well-known at that time “Acropole”.The confectionery was subjected to continuous expansion, finally reaching 1,000 sq. m., but it closed down in 1988 when the family focused on other activities such as retail trade and especially real estate development.

Group’s founder, Nikiforos Th. Charagionis, was born in 1914 in Melissona, South Evia. He moved to Athens when he was 8 years old and settled in Piraeus. His professional activity started before the war (1932), from a small pastry shop in the center of Piraeus, and a small business of transformers.  After the Second World War, the patisserie grew into AKROPOLE, a facility comprising 1,000 sq. m. and employing 120 workers at the Square of the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus which for 43 years served the entire Attica area, enjoying a nationwide fame. In the early 60s and for five years, it had been a partner of INIOHOS SA, the exclusive representative of BRITISH LEYLAN (TRIUMPH and JAGUAR cars). In 1968 he founded N.CHARAGKIONIS SA, headquartered at the intersection of Kifissos and Kavala Streets, representing earthmoving and construction machinery firms (building cranes POTAIN, EDILMAC, excavators SENNEBOGEN, forklifts LINDE, compressors MACO) and the British cars BOND. Also, it had an office equipment department (calculators, typewriters, clocks). The then crisis in public works led to a redefinition of its objectives, focusing on real estate development, a sector in which it had been active since 1953.

Nikiforos Th. Charagionis, passed away full of years on 18.2.2011.

During the difficult prewar and postwar years, Nikiforos Th. Charagionis relied on the principles listed below which helped him take important decisions that marked his entire life:

• Anyone can succeed suffice it to want it.- There are always opportunities all around us; therefore, those who think they have been wronged by life, are simply lazy.
• Nobody has ever suffered any harm because of hard work. On the contrary, a person who is committed and passionate with any task, will no doubt succeed.
• We adhere to the letter to our obligations, either directly or through our partners.
• There is no greater pleasure than to see our works at full capacity, to the enjoyment of the public.
• Joy and prosperity are the fruit of work.
• Deprivation creates great men, while sufficiency creates bums.
• The lack of control creates the lawlessness while impunity breeds crime.