Gruppo Cucine was founded in 2003 from a neighborhood in Piraeus, in a small apartment of 45 square meters where the Leventakis family lived.
Konstantinos Leventakis was already counting three decades full of effort, difficulties, and setbacks in the field of wooden constructions, without having any possibility to take risks, since behind him was a family with three young children that he had to support. And as if these challenges were not enough, the carcinogenic materials that were widely used for kitchen constructions were to create a severe respiratory problem that would temporarily stop him.
This event was a moment of inspiration for him, as it was then that he started looking for factories that use only ecological and environmentally friendly materials. The result; His first collaborations with branded factories from Italy ensured the desired aesthetic results but mainly the creation of an environment without health risks.
Thus, his vision was to protect the kitchen furniture industry as a whole, as several carpenters in Greece were facing similar diseases. The immediate goal was to innovate by introducing the appropriate raw materials, creating ecological products truly friendly to every Greek citizen's health.
His whole family immediately committed to his vision. Along with his children, Aris, Giorgos, and Sofia decided to start a difficult journey together as a "Team," hence the name: "Gruppo Cucine." And they did not start from an office or a store, but from their children's room, having as a compass a simple computer, a borrowed kitchen design program, and a suitcase of samples.
"Alternatives" ceased to exist as a possibility, while failure existed neither as an idea nor as a word. Without funds, without loans or any state aid, with only their driving force, the instinct of survival, their passion, and their vision to change the Status quo in the kitchen area, they started this beautiful but demanding and challenging journey.
The first job did not take long to come. The client was a neighbor who entrusted them with the implementation of 4 kitchens, and this was just the beginning as little by little, the need for a showroom began to arise. And with the paternal house of Konstantinos Leventakis being the only available property, a small alley of Piraeus was born the first Gruppo Cucine store in Greece.
With him in the leadership and the rest of the family covering all the posts from 06:00 a.m., the two sons, Aris and George, took over the loading, deliveries, and kitchen installations. At the same time, Sofia had undertaken the planning and costing, with Konstantinos's wife, Popi Leventaki, being responsible for the reception and customer service. The priority was to execute all orders flawlessly and deliver them consistently to customers, as there was no luxury for time-wasting or unnecessary expenses.
The ever-growing love of the world and the authentic and robust business relationships with great architects, designers, and construction companies gave Gruppo Cucine the power to invest in stores and warehouses throughout Greece and create a network of resellers in over 30 Greek counties.
In the meantime, on October 28, 2016, the founder of Gruppo Cucine will suddenly rest in peace by leaving behind a great legacy and a great responsibility to his family and GC co-founders. Now there was their job to continue, care, and develop his vision for a great company that would forever change the kitchen area map.
George Leventakis took over as CEO, who, based on the brand name they had already built, gave the impetus for rapid growth by investing in young people, graduates of Greek universities with studies in Business Administration and Marketing. He managed to convert GC into the largest retail company of kitchen furniture in Greece.
The wheel of financial management took Aris Leventakis. He was a graduate of the Economic University of Athens and, with his knowledge, contributed significantly to the healthy functioning and sound management of the organization's resources. Hence, today Gruppo Cucine grows with equity, without any debt to banks or other entities.
Sofia Leventaki is responsible for the design and the selection of products. With her inspiration and knowledge in interior design, she continues to represent her title worthily and offer this something more to the motto of GC: "Design Different"!
With their know-how, experience, and passion, the three children of Konstantinos Leventakis contribute to the industry's development by setting new standards of professionalism in the field. Simultaneously, in collaboration with Universities and other Talent Finding Organizations, they actively help in something missing from the market and kitchen furniture industry: to create real professionals with a future in this field to reduce the outflow of young and talented people abroad.
Our people remain for Gruppo Cucine its most important asset as they are the ones who always make the difference. And for Gruppo Cucine, these are more than beautiful words. It is a deep commitment that we honor by constantly investing in each member of our team's training and development. We simultaneously continue to attract the most talented and creative executives in the kitchen furniture market, so we have the joy and honor to work directly with over 100 people in total.
Konstantinos Leventakis' Vision for a different and more humane approach to our daily lives is what continues to inspire us. And we are very proud that our people at Gruppo Cucine give their best every day so that this vision never fades.