In 2016, Vasileios Tsipas from Kamari Korinthias, continuing his family tradition, founded Tsipas Green Investment Group™, which focuses on the production, sales and redistribution of agricultural products. In 2018, he proudly announced the first packaged and fully living bonsai-sized Olive Tree in the world, under the brand name PlantBox©. He answers all our queries in the following mini interview:
How did it all start? How did you get the idea of creating this unique packaged plant?
It all started in 2011, when after several deliberations, we realised that there is a group of people and entrepreneurs who are after unique products linked to values and history, and that if we could make use of the typical Greek olive tree and transform it into a tourist item, then we could appeal to a broader market. So the idea was to create a new type of living souvenir based on the olive tree.
How easy was it to implement?
In order to create this product we had to experiment for a long time, both in plant breeding techniques and technologies for mass production quantities, as well as for the safe preservation of the packaged plants with no water or sunlight, but also cater to the needs of transportation and exportation.
What does one receive when ordering a PlantBox?
When ordering an olive tree from our company PlantBox, the customer receives a pot with a living, fully developed Greek variety olive plant, no larger than 17cm in size, in recyclable packaging along with instructions for replanting and maintenance.
How durable is it and how much care does it require?
Olive trees are known for their durability. Of course they won’t survive outdoors for a long period of time, unless they are in temperate, tropical areas or areas with tropical conditions. They can, however, grow in pots and develop according to the customer’s wishes. They can be shaped and maintained with bonsai techniques and even grow naturally as trees. Just the basics are required for their care: no frepquent watering, access to the sun – even indirectly -, good ventilation if placed indoors, regular pruning and fertilization.
What does the olive tree mean to you?
The olive tree means everything to me. It is a plant used and exploited everyday, it is a symbol of the values we stand for, a part of our daily life and culture, but mainly, it has showed us the way to innovate and to create a global product of high added value, based on traditional principles.
Which are the Greek values that travel along with your small olive?
Hellenism formulated and stood for a plethora of values, most of which have spread worldwide and have been integrated into the values of other peoples. Ever since antiquity, many of these values have been associated with the most typical Greek land plant, the olive tree. We want our small olives to travel all over the world as ambassadors of peace, respect and solidarity for the mutual development of cultures and to promote a value system for people’s eating habits that will contribute to a healthier food production and consumption for the benefit of society.
Which are the most unusual places you have shipped your boxes to?
As far as we know, the most unusual places our plants have reached are Sri Lanka and the Togolese Republic.
Which is the most significant distinction you have received so far?
There have been many distinctions over the last couple of years, both in Greece and abroad. The most significant ones are from the E.U. and the department of Rural and Sustainable Development, but also from the Ministry of Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China.
Future goals/ideas to be implemented?
Our immediate goals are to find a strategic investor for the rapid growth of our production volume, allowing us to expand into large markets like America and China, to continue the development of plant maintenance technologies and to develop new products based on the culture of Greece, as well as the culture of other nations.
What makes you happy today?
I’m happy being able to work out in nature, seeing my plants grow every day as they prepare for a journey around the world. In addition, happiness is when you receive messages from all over the world, thanking us for giving them the opportunity to acquire a living global symbol.
