Summary

Discussions about a possible change of ownership at ETANAP, a food producer based in Stylos, have prompted a public response from the municipality of Apokoronas, which describes the company as deeply woven into the region's economic history. Founded 48 years ago, ETANAP employs local families and distributes products bearing the name of the area. The municipality says it will monitor all developments closely, with the protection of jobs, continued production in Stylos, and the company's ties to the local community as its stated priorities.

ETANAP ownership talks: what they could mean for workers and the community

Talks are under way about a possible change of ownership at ETANAP, a food producer that has been based in Stylos, in the Apokoronas area of Crete, for nearly half a century. No details about the terms or timeline of any potential deal have been made public, and the discussions remain ongoing.

A company rooted in local life

ETANAP was founded 48 years ago and has since become a fixture of the local economy. The company produces in Stylos and distributes its products widely, carrying what the municipality describes as the name and identity of the region with them. For a number of families in Apokoronas, the company represents direct employment and economic stability.

What the municipality says it wants protected

The municipality of Apokoronas has set out clearly what it considers non-negotiable in the event of any ownership change:

Jobs: all existing positions to be preserved

Production: continued manufacturing activity at the Stylos site

Local ties: the company's connection to the community to be maintained

Community contribution: the company's role in supporting local society to continue

The limits of the municipality's role

The municipality acknowledges that business decisions belong to the relevant commercial parties and that it has no authority to block or veto any transaction. Its stated role is to monitor developments and to advocate publicly for the interests of employees, residents, and future generations.

The statements published so far represent the municipality's own position. No response from other parties involved in the ownership discussions has been made public.

PRESS RELEASE – ETANAP, the legacy of Eirinäos Galanakis, and the responsibility towards the future of Apokoronas

June 8, 2026, 7:15 AM

prompted by the discussions developing around possible changes to the ownership structure of ETANAP, I feel the need — as Mayor of Apokoronas but also as a person of this place — to share a thought that speaks for many of our fellow citizens.

ETANAP is a successful business — it is a piece of the history of Apokoronas. It is its people, its employees, the families who have built their lives upon it. It is the pride of seeing a product born in Stylos travelling everywhere, carrying the name of our place.

Forty-eight years ago, the late Hierarch Eirinäos Galanakis did not simply found a company. He laid the foundations of a vision. The belief that our place can create, produce and progress by making use of its own wealth for the benefit of society.

Business decisions belong to the responsible parties, and the Municipality respects them absolutely. Yet Apokoronas has the right to take an interest in the future of a company that has been connected like few others to its development.

For us, the priority is the safeguarding of jobs, the continuation of productive activity in Stylos, the preservation of the company's strong bond with the place, and the continuation of its contribution to local society.

Companies may change hands. But values must not change.

History is not for sale. Memory cannot be transferred. Responsibility towards the place remains.

As the Municipality of Apokoronas, we will monitor every development with seriousness and responsibility, with the sole criterion being the interests of the employees, the local community, and future generations.

Because Apokoronas did not simply inherit this history from those who came before — it borrowed it from future generations, and we have a duty to hand it back to them intact.

The Mayor of Apokoronas

Charalampos Koukianakis