We Interviewed Mr. Nikos Kordakis

Interview with Nikos Kordakis NIKO HELM HELLAS SA, which places great importance on innovation and R&D activities, has been developing products for the surface treatment industry for over 50 years. In our conversation, Nikos Kordakis, Chairman of the Board of NIKO HELM HELLAS SA, provided information about the products and services they offer.

Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself and your professional background?

In 2000, I obtained two bachelor's degrees in Manufacturing Engineering and Commerce from the University of Birmingham. Later, I continued my higher education in Production Management at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and completed my master's degree there. Becoming acquainted with our manufacturing company, a family business, at an early age—where I gained practical experience in all aspects of the production process—fueled my passion for this field. I remember myself at age 5, trying to assemble a small hand cart instead of putting together toy railway parts with my father's help... After completing my education, I started my career at NIKO, where I held various roles in the sales, marketing, and business development departments. Since 2020, I have served as CEO and Vice President of NIKO Group.

Could you provide information about NIKO HELM HELLAS SA's founding and areas of activity?

Founded in 1972, NIKO continues to exist as a family business focused on developing, producing, and marketing high-quality sliding door equipment, conveyor systems, power supply systems, and fall-prevention systems. The fact that our company began operations by exporting directly in Germany's challenging market environment enabled us to develop expertise and technical knowledge in such systems. Our company, which has existed for 50 years, has established a direct presence in 7 countries including Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, China, the United States, and Greece, and has expanded its distributor network to more than 70 countries.

Could you provide information about the products and services offered by NIKO HELM HELLAS SA? What sectors are among your target industries?

NIKO designs complete conveyor systems and produces more than 10,000 part numbers applied in sectors such as automotive, steel and construction, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, food processing, chemicals, wood, agriculture, logistics, defense industry, textiles, and entertainment. However, in recent years, we have focused on developing our overhead conveyor portfolio with specialized solutions that respond to customer needs, particularly in the surface treatment industry. By prioritizing the efficiency, high quality, and durability of our products, we work diligently every day to exceed our customers' expectations.

Could you provide information about NIKO HELM HELLAS SA's domestic and international operations?

NIKO provides manual or automatic conveyor solutions for the entire painting line process, starting from loading/unloading areas through cleaning/drying and finally painting and curing products. NIKO implements the most efficient conveyor design depending on each customer's requirements and constraints. Regarding manual systems, among our most common solutions are crane trolleys that enable simultaneous multi-product transportation between painting booths and curing ovens, as well as pneumatic and manual rotating tables that allow product rotation and change of movement direction between work stations. Automated solutions include electrical chain conveyor sections that pass through painting booths and curing ovens at low speed and enable each process to be performed without operator intervention. Finally, the necessity of raising/lowering products during loading/unloading and spray painting processes is facilitated by the use of Drop Lift Units.

Could you provide information about NIKO HELM HELLAS SA's environmental policy and sustainability approach?

Through the implementation of the ISO 9001 international quality standard, our company has developed the necessary philosophy and infrastructure for the implementation of an Environmental Management System in accordance with the ISO 14001 international standard. Our continuous environmental objectives include minimizing harmful gas emissions, liquid wastewater, and solid waste, minimizing the negative environmental impacts of our entire range of operations in compliance with European regulations, maximizing the reuse and recycling of materials and scrap, and promoting the rational use of energy and natural resources as well as improving occupational health and safety conditions.

Could we learn about the innovation and R&D work you conduct as NIKO HELM HELLAS SA?

Our R&D department, which employs highly qualified staff, comprises a team of experienced mechanical engineers who specialize in evaluating and designing custom solutions for customers' production needs. Many components of the systems we provide can be converted from manual to automatic operation, or in most cases can be completely redesigned to maximize system efficiency. Therefore, almost all of the projects we undertake involve innovation in existing standard systems. Since last year, we have been developing semi-automatic conveyor systems to expand our product portfolio.

What are among NIKO HELM HELLAS SA's future investment plans? Would you share your investment priorities with our readers?

As part of our strategy, while developing new products and markets, we continuously invest in people, industrial equipment, and services to improve our processes. Over the next two years, investment priorities include replacing equipment at various work stations in the factory and expanding production facilities at headquarters. With a primary focus on product quality and customer service, NIKO will continue to grow at a measured pace in the global market.