About

A Collective Mark for GReat Businesses from the region of Macedonia in Greece
An initiative by SEVE GREEK EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION

A Collective Mark for Great Macedonian Businesses

An initiative by SEVE GREEK EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION

About SEVE

SEVE Greek Exporters Association, established in 1975, is the national voice for Greek export companies, dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the Greek export community. SEVE’s members include manufacturers, distributors, and service providers of a broad spectrum of products and services.

SEVE represents more than 800 active and dynamic exporting companies and business groups throughout the Greek territory constituting a total of 40 billion euros turnover, with 70,000 employees and 25 billion euros export turnover, corresponding to more than 50% of the Greek exports.

SEVE works side-by-side with the Greek authorities as well as with numerous international organizations engaged in global commerce. In 1990, SEVE established the Institute of Export Research and Studies (IERS), which is SEVE’s official research department.

Become members of SEVE

The initiative
One of the most important initiatives of SEVE is the registration at the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of the Collective Mark of the European Union (in accordance with article 74 of EU Regulation 2017/1001), with the name “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” that can be used by all SEVE members businesses whose products or services come from the geographical region units of Macedonia (Regions of Western Macedonia, Central Mace- donia and the Regional Unities of Drama and Kavala) – Greece.

Registered by

Why do Macedonian businesses acquire their own identity?

The EU Collective Mark of SEVE “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” creates a single and distinct identity for SEVE’s members’ products and services, promoting their authenticity, while enhancing their competitiveness and commercial appeal internationally. The creation of this identity arose in part from the need to differentiate the products of the Greek Macedonian land, from competitive products, investing in values associated with the history and culture of Macedonia, while offering a common, location-oriented identity to all SEVE members’ products and services. Greek Macedonian businesses that are represented by SEVE find in the said Mark a strong ally in strengthening their image and increasing their competitiveness worldwide.

Vision

“MACEDONIA THE GREAT” products and services to conquer international markets.

By creating a strong and indisputable Collective Mark for Macedonia based members of SEVE, that in turn signs and communicates the authenticity of their products and services, a necessary “umbrella “ is created enhancing competitiveness in international markets, while offering a common point of reference and distinction for all SEVE’s members alike.

Why are they superior?
Goods and services labeled as “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” are interwoven with a series of values defined by the toponym, thus the culture and civilization of Macedonia. The word GREAT implies historical references to Alexander the Great and his personality. Greek Macedonian products and services are automatically enhanced with the qualities that accompany the above values, highlighting the strong business profile of Macedonia which, historically and traditionally, is a Greek region with great production and commercial potential, and a flair for extroversion that has been playing a crucial role in the country’s overall exporting activity.

Why choose them?
Those who choose “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” products and services are professionals, consumers and institutions, who are looking for authentic choices that have all those characteristics that justify their purchase decision. In this context, they select “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” brand because they feel confident with this choice. They decide to opt for that product or service, because even when they don’t know it, its identity “speaks” to them. It is therefore a decision based on trust. They choose products or services that come from the geographical region of Macedonia, from a land with a glorious past, dynamic present and bright future, because they offer prestige, quality and excellence.

Macedonia’s authentic flavors have managed to conquer the international markets, thanks to the purity of the raw materials, their unique taste and their unsurpassed quality, that comes with all the necessary certifications. Macedonian food, after all, is the basis of the Mediterranean diet, a diet famous for its multiple benefits, which is practiced by millions of consumers around the globe. The Collective Mark “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” gives these already established products an additional competitive advantage in international markets, allowing them to reach their full potential.

The agri-food industry is one of the most important sectors of both the Greek and Macedonian economy, with Macedonian products being found all over the world, despite the strong competition they face at an international level from countries with similar products. The use of the Collective Mark “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” is expected to make the most of the region’s great potential, accelerating the growth rate of the industry and further enhancing its extroversion.

Greek Macedonia’s wine-producing potential is well-known, as the region is home to a great number of wineries, fertile vineyards where international and local varieties are cultivated. The Collective Mark “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” – that can be used by companies that meet the specifications of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) underlines the superiority of Greek Macedonian wine industry products, differentiating them on the shelf from the wines of competitors and highlighting their unique personality and special profile.

In recent years, technology and innovation have been at the center of business activity in the city of Thessaloniki, as well as in the wider region of Macedonia. New and ambitious start-ups enter the business scenery, fueled by innovative ideas and creating the conditions for the development of an ecosystem of new products and services, which, starting from Macedonia Greece and using new technologies as a vehicle, conquer the international markets.

Macedonians have always been ambitious and skilled in construction. Building materials of Macedonian origin, in turn, are superior, both because of their superior characteristics, their durability and quality and because of their origin. Fully certified and meticulously tested, innovative and safe, they are already widely used in large-scale projects internationally, from 5-star hotels to shopping malls and public buildings. Building materials that are labeled as “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” have the specifications to become the number one choice of professionals who do not want to settle for anything less than the optimum.

Macedonia is a modern and constantly evolving geopolitical zone, whose businesses excel in every industry, from shipping and logistics, tourism and new technologies, to green entrepreneurship, sustainability and innovation. Inspired by the glorious past and envisioning a brighter future, Macedonian enterprises that are members of SEVE add value to every aspect of modern business, offering products and services that stand out, deservedly bearing the distinctive Collective Mark “MACEDONIA THE GREAT”