Gelatec: Landing in Miami Beach

With two new production units with a total surface area of 4,000 sq.m. in the Industrial Area of Thessaloniki, an important project in Miami Beach, and new export openings, Gelatec, a Thessaloniki-based company manufacturing ice cream and confectionery cabinets and professional food refrigerators, continues its growth, breaking the made-in-Italy establishment in its sector.

Specifically, the company completed in 2024 a new production unit of 2,000 sq.m. of covered area, with an investment of 1 million euros, next to its existing production facilities, covering an area of 2,500 sq.m. The need for further product diversification dictated its creation, as the company manufactures upright ice cream and confectionery displays in this second unit. In contrast, the object of its first unit is horizontal displays and mixed projects.

However, another factory is in the works, again with a surface area of 2,000 sqm and an investment of more than €1.5 million. This new factory is a significant step for Gelatec as it will allow the company to diversify its product range further. It is expected to be completed in 2025. In this plant, the company will manufacture laboratory refrigerators, a new product line that will cater to a different segment of the market.

In fact, at the beginning of 2025, it closed its first major project for the year, the complete equipping of a Gelateria in Miami Beach, the famous beach resort in Florida in the United States. After all, extroversion has been a characteristic of Gelatec since its foundation. Today, its exports account for 55%-60% of its turnover, operating in more than 40 countries. It has recently opened up the American market, launched exports to Cambodia, left its footprint in Ireland, and continues to add countries to its export portfolio, which stretches from Singapore, China and Tunisia to Israel and India.

Demand and turnover on the rise

Demand for its products is growing, which keeps its investment planning constantly active to meet market demands. It is indicative that in the last four years, its production turnover has increased by 50% per annum.

In 2024, Gelatec also secured four more industrial design registrations in the design segment. It should be noted that two years ago, the company obtained a patent for an ice cream display that never needs defrosting—saving time, costs, and energy for its professional customers—which was successfully launched on international markets.

"The aim through all these investments and new projects is to make Gelatec identical to the preservation of food and confectionery for professional use, but with a design focus. This small Greek company that started in 2015 has begun to break the made-in-Italy establishment," says Voria. The 38-year-old founder of Gelatec, Alexandros Hartomattsidis, explaining that large traditional foreign companies with ice cream raw materials prefer its refrigerators, which was evident during its recent participation in the SIGEP WORLD 2025 exhibition in Rimini. Gelatec's products not only excel in functionality but also in their aesthetic appeal, a unique selling point that sets them apart in the market.