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Aspioti-ELKA (Template:Lang-el) was one of the largest publishing and printing enterprises of Greece. Founded in 1873 in Corfu by Gerasimos Aspiotis as a factory manufacturing playing cards under the name Elpis it eventually merged with the Etairia Lithographias kai Kytopoieias Athenon (ELKA) and finally became Aspioti-ELKA.

In business for over a century, Aspioti-ELKA was the oldest company of its kind in Greece when it folded in 1997. During the post-WWII period Aspioti-ELKA was one of the largest employers in the printing and publishing business in Greece up to 1985. In 1992 the company was sold by the National Bank of Greece to Jean Jack Lesouer and in October 1997 it was declared bankrupt.

History

In 1873, Gerasimos Aspiotis founded a playing-card factory in Corfu under the name Elpis (Hope). In 1884, Aspiotis secured a contract with the government of Charilaos Trikoupis as the sole manufacturer of playing cards for Greece. The cards were designed by Gerasimos Aspiotis' father Nikolaos Aspiotis who was a painter.

In 1902 Konstantinos Aspiotis, son of Gerasimos, became the director of the company. Under the directorship of Konstaninos Aspiotis the company product line expanded to include the printing of bonds, shares, advertisements, tckets and other similar products.

After the Balkan Wars and the subsequent expansion of Greek lands, the company increased its market share in an expanded internal market. Sales of its popular playing cards increased significantly and so did the company profits.

In 1935 Liakos Iliopoulos became the director of the company and presided over further expansion which lasted until 1940.

The National Bank of Greece keeps a large collection of the company products which were manufactured throughout its history. Samples include stamps, banknotes, advertisements, architectural drawings, financial and statistical tables, an extensive collection of old machinery and others.

References

1. ^ "Αρχείο Εταιρείας Γραφικών Τεχνών Ασπιώτη-ΕΛΚΑ Α.Ε. (1884-1987), Κωδ. Α23". National Bank of Greece. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
2. "Από τη λεηλασία στην πτώχευση". Rizospastis. 9-11-1997. Retrieved 13 April 2012. Η λεηλασία που υπέστη η εταιρία γραφικών τεχνών - η παλαιότερη του είδους στη χώρα (Google trans: The looting suffered by the graphic arts company - the oldest of its kind in the country) {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. University of Minnesota. Modern Greek Studies Program (1995). Modern Greek studies yearbook. University of Minnesota. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
4. "Συγκεντροποίηση και ανατροπές". Rizospastis. 29/1/1999. Retrieved 13 April 2012. Ο Γάλλος ιδιοκτήτης της, Ζαν Ζακ Λεσουέρ - την είχε πάρει χαριστικά το '92 από την Εθνική Τράπεζα - την οδήγησε σε πτώχευση τον Οκτώβρη του '97 {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. ^ Χατζίδης, Κώστας (31-12-2000). "Κερκυραϊκός εξελληνισμός". www.tovima.gr. Retrieved 13 April 2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. "ΟΙ ΑΣΠΙΩΤΗΔΕΣ: Mέρος 1ον ΓΕΡΑΣΙΜΟΣ ΑΣΠΙΩΤΗΣ". www.corfu-museum.gr. Retrieved 13 April 2012.

• Companies of Greece
• Corfu