Kyriakos Mamidakis, Award-Winning Olive Oil Producer, Dies
Mamidakis ran a large oil and gas company and produced an award-winning olive oil on his family's Estate on Crete.
Kyriakos MamidakisA Greek businessman who ran a large oil and gas shipping company and produced an award-winning olive oil on his family’s farm on Crete has died, his death ruled a suicide, according to reports.
Kyriakos Mamidakis, 84, was chairman of Mamidoil-Jetoil, a fuel transporter that operates around 600 gas stations in Greece, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The Mamidakis family produces Anoskeli olive oil, a Silver Award winner at the 2013 New York International Olive Oil Competition.
Mamidakis founded the Anoskeli Agricultural Company in 1983, named after his birthplace, a small village near Chania, Crete where his family produces Anoskeli olive oil and wine under the name “Ano Playa.”
According to the company’s website, the estate includes its own “state of the art olive oil plant and a boutique winery as well as privately-owned olive groves of 122,333 square meters with 2,888 olive trees and 17,000 square meters of vineyards.”
Mamidoil-Jetoil filed for bankruptcy on June 9, the AP reported, having owed creditors €314 million ($350 million) at the end of 2015, with cash reserves of 600,000 ($668,000).
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