Universal Market

B ack in 1924, Ilias G. Lyberopoulos Sr. (1893),  joined, as the third partner, a menswear retail shop company in Athens, already operating at that time under the name "Universal Market".  The range of products included tailor made shirts, trousers, suits, ties, hats, underwear aswell as related fabrics. 

Due to the financial crisis of mid 30´s  the operation of the shop turned to be very critical and under these circumstances, the third partner was forced by the other two to leave the company. Not having any other choice, I. G. Lyberopoulos Sr. left in order to start again from scratch.

Street trading

T he period between mid 30´s till about 1950 was really hard to earn for living for him and four members of his family, mainly due the 2nd world war which started few years later (1940-44) and to the civil war that started in Greece just after (1945-48). 

Ilias Lyberopoulos, assisted by his eldest son George, does door-to-door trading, selling men´s workwear, trousers, suits etc in city of Athens and villlages around. Having gained good experience on outdoor trading, they both succesfully worked afterwards as salesmen for retail shops in Athens.

I

 n 1952 George I. Lyberopoulos established a manufacturing and trading company for mens innerwear. Knitted fabric was bought from local producers and was commission cut and stitched. Beginning was succesfull and in 1958 the company gets the first licence from Ministry of Industry for inhouse production facility of circular knitting and stitching.

By 1967, product range was shifted to mens and ladies outwear made from knitted fabric. Six years later produced garments start to be exported to various countries in Europe among which Germany, France, UK, Sweden etc. Gradually sales to the local market were abandoned and the unit became 100% export oriented.Meantime,production equipment was renewed in order to stand against the strict quality requirements of the several European buying houses.

O

 ne step ahead,  the company corporate status was changed from sole propr/ship to S.A. (Society Anonyme) private shareholding in 1977.

There is a continuous growth of export volume and turnover through the years and new generation of family comes to join. Mr Ilias G. Lyberopoulos (Jr), son of George, after graduating his BSc Chem. Engineering and MSc Textile Technology, takes his place into production, whereas his sister, Mary G. Lyberopoulos, works for the accountant dept. 

End of 80´s it was realised that running a textile mill in Greece would not be profitable anymore, due to the high competition of low labor cost countries and that new ideas should be exploited. An attractive one was the field of real estate development.

T he final decision is taken in 1993, when textile manufacturing facility was eventually stopped, whereas in the meantime the new activities of our company were machinery trading and real estate development.