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ION is a Greek chocolate and confectionery company established in 1930 and best known for its milk chocolate with almonds.

Last updated August 25, 2026

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Overview

ION is a Greek chocolate and confectionery company whose principal factory is located in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. The company’s roots reach back to 1927, when its first chocolate recipe was produced, although the business was formally incorporated in 1930 under the name Ion Co., Ltd. of Cocoa and Chocolate Industry and Trade. Its establishment was recorded in the Greek Government Gazette in September 1930. From its Piraeus base, ION developed into one of the better-known domestic chocolate producers in Greece and eventually expanded its range beyond traditional chocolate bars into wafers, croissants, chocolate spreads and other confectionery products. The brand’s defining product is ION Amygdalou, a milk-chocolate bar containing almond pieces. ION introduced this product to the Greek market in 1947, making it an important early milestone in the company’s consumer identity. The almond bar became the product most closely associated with the brand and remains the clearest expression of ION’s position in the Greek market: accessible, familiar chocolate with a distinctive nut-filled recipe rather than a narrowly premium or specialist positioning. ION’s portfolio has broadened over time. In addition to chocolate tablets and bars, the company has produced products such as Chocofretta wafer confectionery, Nucrema spreadable chocolate and croissants. These categories give the company exposure to several everyday snack occasions, including impulse confectionery, packaged wafers, breakfast or spreading products and sweet bakery-style snacks. The company is therefore more accurately described as a chocolate and confectionery manufacturer than as a single-product chocolate label. Corporate ownership has changed during ION’s history. In 1988, Kraft Jacobs Suchard acquired a 24.5% holding in the company. That minority stake was later bought back by ION’s principal shareholders in 1998. In 2023, Bespoke SGA Holdings SA, owned by entrepreneur Spiros Theodoropoulos, acquired a 60% stake in ION for an undisclosed amount. The transaction represented a significant change in control while leaving ION’s identity as a Greek confectionery company intact. ION has been described as one of Greece’s 50 largest companies. Reference material reports annual turnover exceeding €100 million and specifically cites turnover of more than €118.8 million; the available material does not identify the relevant reporting year, so these figures should be treated as undated rather than as a current financial statement. The company’s core production remains associated with Greece, especially the Neo Faliro factory, while its products are principally identified with the Greek market. Publicly available reference material does not establish a complete international distribution footprint, current executive roster, official website, or detailed manufacturing and export data.

History

ION’s documented origins precede its formal incorporation. The company’s first chocolate recipe was produced in 1927, establishing the beginning of the enterprise’s confectionery activity. The business was then formally incorporated in 1930 as Ion Co., Ltd. of Cocoa and Chocolate Industry and Trade. Its establishment was recorded in the Greek Government Gazette in September 1930. The company’s principal factory was located in Neo Faliro, Piraeus, an industrial area that became closely associated with ION’s production identity. During its early development, ION concentrated on chocolate manufacturing for the Greek market. A major product milestone came in 1947, when the company introduced milk chocolate containing almond pieces. Known as ION Amygdalou, the product became the company’s signature offering and helped distinguish ION from more generic chocolate producers. Its combination of milk chocolate and almonds established a recognizable national-market proposition that remained central to the brand’s reputation. ION later widened its range beyond chocolate tablets. Its product activities came to include wafer confectionery, croissants, chocolate spreads and other packaged sweets. Chocofretta and Nucrema became prominent names within the broader portfolio, while ION Amygdalou continued to represent the company’s best-known product. This diversification allowed the business to participate in multiple snack and confectionery segments rather than relying exclusively on one chocolate bar. The company also experienced changes in ownership and capital structure. In 1988, Kraft Jacobs Suchard acquired a 24.5% interest in ION. The minority investment did not become a permanent transfer of control: in 1998, ION’s principal shareholders bought the stake back. In 2023, Bespoke SGA Holdings SA, owned by entrepreneur Spiros Theodoropoulos, acquired 60% of ION for an undisclosed sum. This transaction made Bespoke the majority stakeholder and marked the latest ownership transition identified in the available reference material. ION grew into a substantial Greek food manufacturer. It has been described as one of Greece’s 50 largest companies, with annual turnover reported as above €100 million and elsewhere specified as more than €118.8 million. The cited material does not provide a reporting period for those figures, so they cannot be assigned to a particular fiscal year. The company remains associated with its Neo Faliro factory and with the Greek chocolate and confectionery market. Available reference material does not provide a sufficiently detailed account of export markets, production capacity, current management beyond the ownership change, or the company’s current financial performance.

  • 2023

    Bespoke SGA Holdings becomes majority stakeholder

    [1]

    Bespoke SGA Holdings SA acquired 60% of ION for an undisclosed amount.

  • 1998

    Minority stake repurchased

    [1]

    ION’s principal shareholders bought back the stake previously acquired by Kraft Jacobs Suchard.

  • 1988

    Kraft Jacobs Suchard takes a minority stake

    [1]

    Kraft Jacobs Suchard acquired 24.5% of ION’s holdings.

  • 1947

    Launch of ION Amygdalou

    [1]

    ION introduced milk chocolate with almond pieces to the Greek market, creating the product most closely associated with the brand.

  • 1930

    Formal incorporation of ION

    [1]

    ION was formally incorporated as Ion Co., Ltd. of Cocoa and Chocolate Industry and Trade, with its establishment recorded in the Greek Government Gazette.

  • 1927

    First chocolate recipe produced

    [1]

    The company’s historical account identifies 1927 as the year when its first chocolate recipe was manufactured.

Products and positioning

A familiar Greek chocolate and confectionery brand centered on accessible everyday treats, with its almond-piece milk chocolate serving as its signature product.

  • Milk chocolate bar with almonds · 1947

    ION Amygdalou

    ION Amygdalou is the brand’s signature product: milk chocolate containing almond pieces. Introduced to the Greek market in 1947, it became the product most strongly associated with ION and remains the clearest expression of the company’s traditional chocolate identity.

  • Wafer confectionery

    Chocofretta

    Chocofretta is one of ION’s best-known products outside its traditional chocolate tablets. It represents the company’s expansion into wafer-based confectionery and packaged snack formats.

  • Chocolate spread

    Nucrema

    Nucrema is ION’s spreadable chocolate offering. Its inclusion in the portfolio extends the brand from handheld confectionery into household chocolate spreads and broader everyday consumption occasions.

  • Packaged sweet bakery and confectionery

    ION Croissants

    ION has produced croissants as part of its wider confectionery range. The category reflects the company’s move beyond chocolate bars into filled or chocolate-oriented packaged snack products.

Brand decisions

  • 2023

    Sell a 60% stake to Bespoke SGA HoldingsM&A

    Background

    ION remained a substantial Greek chocolate and confectionery company and entered a new ownership phase.

    Action taken

    Bespoke SGA Holdings SA, owned by entrepreneur Spiros Theodoropoulos, acquired a 60% stake in ION.

    Aftermath

    Bespoke SGA Holdings became the majority stakeholder. The acquisition price was not disclosed in the available source.

  • 1998

    Repurchase the Kraft Jacobs Suchard holdingM&A

    Background

    ION’s principal shareholders reassessed the company’s ownership structure after Kraft Jacobs Suchard had held a 24.5% interest.

    Action taken

    The principal shareholders bought back the minority stake.

    Aftermath

    The transaction returned the holding to ION’s main shareholders; the available reference does not provide further details about the terms.

  • 1988

    Accept a minority investment from Kraft Jacobs SuchardM&A

    Background

    ION entered an ownership arrangement with Kraft Jacobs Suchard during a period of corporate involvement by a major international confectionery company.

    Action taken

    Kraft Jacobs Suchard acquired 24.5% of ION’s holdings.

    Aftermath

    The stake was subsequently repurchased by ION’s principal shareholders in 1998.

  • 1947

    Introduce milk chocolate with almondsProduct launch

    Background

    ION was developing its Greek chocolate business and sought to establish a distinctive product in the domestic market.

    Action taken

    The company introduced milk chocolate containing almond pieces under the ION Amygdalou name.

    Aftermath

    The product became ION’s best-known offering and a defining element of its brand identity.

Recent events

  • Reported

    TradAir and BlockQuake announce liquidity integration partnership[2]

    ION announced that its group company TradAir had partnered with BlockQuake to improve liquidity integration. The partnership is intended to give customers deeper liquidity and better pricing through the alignment of market makers and liquidity providers.

  • ION launches two Marlin SmartPort modules[3]

    ION launched two new Marlin SmartPort modules: Agent Portal, which enables agents and vessels to access information and book port calls, and Billing Management, which records billable port activities and can integrate with financial systems to generate invoices.

  • Reported

    Facebook partners with D-Vois to deploy Express Wi-Fi in Bangalore[4]

    Facebook announced a partnership with D-Vois to use Facebook Connectivity’s Express Wi-Fi platform to launch public Wi-Fi hotspots in Bangalore. D-Vois operates its broadband services under the ION brand.

  • Reported

    ION Group completes acquisition of DASH Financial Technologies[5]

    ION acquired DASH Financial Technologies from its previous owner, Flexpoint Ford, and the acquisition closed following regulatory approvals. DASH became part of ION Markets.

  • Reported

    ION wins 2021 Stevie Award for customer service[6]

    ION announced that it won a 2021 Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year.

  • Reported

    Scripps completes sale of 23 ION-affiliated TV stations[7]

    Scripps completed the sale of 23 ION-affiliated television stations to INYO Broadcast Holdings.

  • Reported

    ION RightAngle named top commodity trading system[8]

    ION announced that its RightAngle solution was named the top commodity trading system in the 2020 Risk Markets Technology Awards by Risk.net.

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