How we started
Emparos is a village, part of the Municipality of Viannos in the Heraklion prefecture. It is located at an altitude of 430 metres in the southeast foothills of Mt Dikti. The residents’ main activity, agriculture and especially olive cultivation, led to the founding of the Agricultural Cooperative of Emparos (A.C.E.) in 1937 and to the creation of a model oil mill for pressing olives. At the same time as the oil mill, a flour mill was in use for the grinding of grains. Electricity was also provided by our own electrical lighting facilities then.
As years went by, the A.C.E. followed the rapid technological development and to this day, owns and runs a modern oil production unit recognised by the HACCP certification system. It should be noted that a visit from high-level Chinese representatives was paid to the facilities in January 2009.
Since 2009/2010 the common pressing of the olives method has been applied, and that was another important step in the 75-year path of the A.C.E. to maintain the quality of the extra virgin olive oil production.