Discover Opack’s origins — from the foothills of Greece's Mount Olympus, to Melbourne's thriving food and hospitality scene. We're a business that's built from a passion for food, community spirit and cultural experiences.
The early years
During the late 1960's, Con left his small village in Greece for a dream to live and work in the land of opportunity. Although he had no idea where that was at the time, Australia seemed t Australia as his new home. married. In the challenging years ahead, while raising a young family, he ran cafes at AMF Ten-Pin Bowling Alleys around Melbourne.
Learn moreThe cafes provided a family-friendly vibe, typical of the 70's and 80's, filled with the sounds of banter and the crash of pin strikes. It wasn’t just about bowling — these places were designed to be gathering spots where the local community could have a good meal, a milkshake, and share good times.
After many years of running cafes and takeaways, Con’s zest for a new adventure beckoned. As a customer of packaging suppliers, he saw an opportunity where, with his understanding of the food retail industry, knew he could do it better !
A man with a van
door to door, wanting to help people, building relationships and helping the food community. Getting suppliers onboard.,
Learn more*Frances adds government level expertise to the operation....frances had happily returned to secretarial work after several years of cafe work... while Kon started to build his new business .... however, although Nanny &
granddad had become involved in many ways with this new venture, (bookkeeping and local deliveries), it was becoming obvious that someone was needed to answer phones, take orders etc.. general office work. Kon had started renting a storeroom in Ringwood and had taken on a driver/salesman. The business was growing, and that's when Frances became a part of the new business... getting to know the customers, and their needs, for starters....
Now stocked up, “CON'S DISCOUNT PAPER BAGS & CUPS “ hit the ground running. Con was a natural salesman, door by door, his honest and caring touch, would win the trust of many customers who are still friends today. While delivering packaging supplies all over town, Frances would process the orders, reconcile the accounts, and manage the kids... back then, rubber stamping business cards was considered as a fun hobby for kids.
The Lilydale launchpad
Packaging is bulky, particularly foam coffee cups which was the staple for take-away coffee throughout the 80's & 90's. The business had grown beyond the cubic metreage of the home garage - it was time that they needed a legitimate space to expand. They rented out the first one in Ringwood, and it wasn't long before that became too small. Finally, at the edge of suburbia, a newly built Industrial Park complex in Lilydale became the new legitimate home away from home.
Learn moreIt was time for this small family business to register as a company - Olympus Packaging Pty Ltd - a reference to the small Greek farming village at the foot of Mount Olympus where Con was born. A proud name fit for the gods of packaging, a company Con & Frances built from the ground up... the climb was steep.
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A Growing Business
Good reputation and hard work brought steady growth, and so too, the growing kids were beginning to get involved in the project. Heidi would handle the phones and admin, while during school holidays, Paul would reluctantly jump in the truck with his father and head to Footscray Market at 5am to do the west delivery run. Paul soon found early morning motivation when they would supply the Jam Donut Van at Footscray station and always score a free bag of hot donuts.
More business created a team of staff, more vans and an evolving, ever-expanding product range.
Having a committed team of people, a fax machine, and a sales force armed with Nokia mobile connectivity, it allowed Con freedom to switch focus on the bigger picture. He learned quickly that the market was changing and manufacturing was moving abroad. Frequent trips to South East Asia, and a "Learn to speak Chinese" cassette, proved successful in establishing a trusted network of manufacturers. This proved crucial in keeping the business competitive and opened new opportunities.
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Opack is born
Time passed, packaging trends moved on and so did Con's zest and energy to keep knocking on doors. The internet was born, and with it came the younger generations with a different style of running business. It took him a while, but Con knew it was time to take a back seat and let the young ones run it... as long as he still gets to mentor with worldly advice. So, his son Paul, now with 20 years experience, and his new business partner George, a successful city cafe owner for over 15 years, joined forces to take Olympus Packaging to new heights.
Learn moreMoving with the times, Paul & George agreed that Olympus packaging needed a shorter, punchier approach. The O still represents everything great about Olympus, where it began and how it got to this point. A generational circle, in readiness for the next full rotation. A representation of the circular economy of packaging sustainability.
Welcome to OPACK !
A bright and brilliant future
Product quality, reliability and unwavering service has helped build a trustworthy reputation for Opack.
From the local fish & chip shop to large retail chains, this business has grown by word of mouth, and recommendations .
As we move with the times, technology, packaging trends, and environmental bans may change the shape of our business, however the fundamental elements will never ever change.
While we're on the topic of "change" ....
We do believe that we're only as good as our last delivery ... ok, mistakes happen, but through experience, understanding and communication we always try and do our best to make sure that your experience with Opack is a 5 Star Review !
Learn moreMarking our 10 year anniversary as OPACK, we're celebrating it with a fresh new look that better represents our business today.
We believe that packaging does not need to be bland and convoluted with jargon, but rather something that adds value to your business and contributes to creating memorable moments.
Opack. Friendly, hassle-free and brilliantly simple.
Here's our Opack "to-do" list:
Build a wider network of supply chains that provide a true circular economy.
Develop sustainable materials that deliver practicality and affordability.
Create new products to help our customers display their food better, and for longer.
Make it easier for customer to get what they need.
The O-team is here with expert packaging advice, ideas, and simply brilliant everyday service — drop us a line today.
