OUR STORY
1968
George Manopoulos’ daily habit was the reason why his son, Costas, realized that games are important in our everyday life. Looking at his father working hard every day and then relaxing by playing backgammon with his friends, he felt that the games would take all the stress away, making his father happy. From a very young age, he understood that games are not only for children… They can also bring joy to adults and improve their everyday life.
1970
At the age of 21, while he was studying at the Art University, he created his first chess figures from bronze. This first chess was a project for a young talents exhibition at the University of Athens. The impact the chess set had on him, was so strong that he decided to open a small shop in the center of Athens. He started selling a limited quantity of handcrafted chess and backgammon sets.
1975
Due to the high quality and unique design, more and more gift shop owners were interested in buying his creations. At that time, he decided to establish his own workshop and managed to serve shops that appreciated chess and backgammon of premium craftsmanship.
1985
After a decade of experience in the local gift & toy market, Costas Manopoulos was now ready to expand to new markets and seize new opportunities. By taking part in Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair in Germany, he introduced his company worldwide. Since 1985, Manopoulos Company successfully attends many international exhibitions every year and constantly serves customers in more than 25 countries in the world.
2000
The next chapter of our proud history was added in 2000. The new Manopoulos factory in Thebes, Viotia, is the completion of a long-term project of technological modernization. By implementing a program of dynamic investments, Manopoulos Company has introduced the most modern technological methods of production and standardization.
TODAY
Our company is ready to materialize the visions of the next generation of the family. Extensions and modernization investments are continuous, having as an aim to meet and expand the needs for new products.
Today, Manopoulos SA is a modern integrated manufacturing unit producing historical metal chess and traditional, handmade backgammon sets with a significant exporting activity worldwide.
