The company Alpha (later known as Alpha Grissin) was founded in the 1980s in Greece and has been engaged in the import and distribution of equipment since its inception. It specializes in supplying uninterruptible power systems (UPS), air conditioners, stabilizers, rectifiers, batteries, diesel generators, inverters, and building management systems. Since the 2000s, Alpha Grissin has expanded beyond Greece to countries such as Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Cyprus, becoming a significant player in these markets.

In the past five years, Alpha Grissin has also broadened its business into the Central Asia region by opening offices in Tashkent and Almaty.

It was in Uzbekistan that the partnership between Alpha Grissin and the Uzbek office of the Moldovan company DAAC System Integrator began, which prompted this interview with Aliossa Grissin, owner of Alpha Grissin.

It is also worth noting the strategic cooperation between Alpha Grissin and the world-leading manufacturer of critical digital infrastructure, the corporation Vertiv.

Aliossa, good afternoon. Has anyone mentioned that your name sounds similar to the Russian name “Alyosha”?

Some people do call me that. I was born and raised in Greece, where I still live. We have a tradition of naming our children after our ancestors. My grandfather was called Alyosha; he was born in Kharkov – Ukraine. Unfortunately, we never met because he died during the war in 1942. So, although I was named in his honor, no one in our family speaks Russian.

You are the owner of Alpha Grissin, but the company’s history dates back to the 1980s. Clearly, you couldn’t have been its founder…

Alpha Grissin, then known simply as Alpha, was established by my father. He came from a very poor family and achieved everything on his own. He started by selling cars, then moved into retail air conditioning, and later we ventured into uninterruptible power systems.

And when did you join the company?

I studied abroad, in London and Boston. Then I returned to Greece, served a year in the military, and afterwards began reforming the family business. Thanks to my international education, I was more aware of market trends. It was then that I established Alpha Grissin as a group of companies. We discontinued some areas—like air conditioning—and focused on what I call “infra-technologies,” a term derived from “infrastructure” and “technology.” So in 2004, Alpha Grissin was formed, though its product, team, clients, and network date back to 1980.

How would you describe the specialization of Alpha Grissin today?

We believe that by working with our primary vendor—Vertiv—we provide critical digital infrastructure. Essentially, we integrate equipment, software, and analytics to enable our customers to operate essential services optimally and continuously every day. With our portfolio of energy and IT infrastructure products, we address a wide range of challenges and issues at modern, complex commercial and industrial facilities.

I understand that you have long transformed into an international company?

My first business venture outside of Greece was in Bulgaria. The geographic proximity, along with many Greeks investing in Bulgaria at the time, encouraged us to take a new step. This expansion began in 2004. In 2008, we entered the Ukrainian market. I still remember that period with strong emotions—I regarded the project in Ukraine as my own child. Ukraine is a large market, and although we faced many challenges over the years, we not only maintained our position but also continued to grow even during very difficult times.

Did your success in Ukraine lead you to expand into other CIS countries? Into Central Asia?

Yes. The support from our supplier Vertiv makes it possible to find competitive offerings in any market. I analyzed several potential markets for expansion and decided on the Central Asia region. In 2023, we started from Uzbekistan. By the way, it was in Tashkent that we began our cooperation with your Moldovan company, which is part of the DAAC Digital group. It has been a very interesting collaboration, marked by excellent business ethics. So, we began our journey in Central Asia together. I believe this market—Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan—has enormous potential. We are also keeping an eye on the markets of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, which are also part of our focus. I think we have come at the right time. I would rather describe the market as having great potential for our business than say it was underdeveloped.

Speaking of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, we are talking about a combined population of approximately 60 million people. Kazakhstan has a GDP of about 250 billion, and Uzbekistan around 100-110 billion. That is certainly huge potential for growth, and you are ready to invest in this market. What is your primary task now?

Our main priority is to educate our customers so they can use our products and services more effectively.

What is the main strength and competitive advantage of Alpha Grissin?

There are several factors. Our partnership with Vertiv provides very strong and professional support. Our client portfolio is a testament to our successful work. A key condition is my personal expertise—I know our business from A to Z. But the main secret of our success is the Alpha Grissin team. I firmly believe that a company is its people. It’s not about the shareholder or the CEO—it’s about the people who make the company.

How many people currently work at Alpha Grissin?

Across the group, we have between 160 and 180 people in all the countries where we operate. In Central Asia, as we discussed, we have about 12-15 people, but we are growing rapidly. We are investing because the market for our products and services is growing exponentially, and we need to adapt very quickly. Flexibility is the key to success. We invest in people at the right time to keep up with market growth.

You mention exponential growth. Is artificial intelligence (AI) one of the reasons?

Yes. AI has entered our lives and is here to stay. I believe that we have not yet fully explored the potential of artificial intelligence, but I can say that the demand for AI is growing exponentially. The need for data storage is enormous. That is why we made the strategic decision at Alpha Grissin to focus on the infrastructure for hyperscale data centers, colocation, and telecommunications. I think that in the next 10 years, we will see data processing grow by orders of magnitude compared to today, which will drive rapid growth in computing power and the supporting infrastructure.

What new markets are you exploring?

We will continue to expand our presence in Central Asia, and Armenia is likely to become a new target market.

I must ask you about your experience working with my compatriots at DAAC System…

We were introduced through our Ukrainian office, and now we are expanding our cooperation in the Central Asia region. I appreciate the business ethics of our Moldovan friends. We have fantastic cooperation and smooth communication, which is a fundamental value for success. Teamwork, quality work, and transparency are our principles of cooperation. I really enjoy brainstorming and implementing innovations with my Moldovan friends. The diversity of perspectives enriches our joint projects.

Aren’t you planning to visit Moldova?

I have already been there. I was very warmly received. I visited your famous Cricova winery, enjoyed your delicious cuisine, and most importantly, met open and friendly people.

Will you come again?

Certainly. I love to travel and discover new places, but above all, I love networking and meeting new people. There is no better way to broaden one’s horizons and better understand the world around us.

For more than 30 years, the international group of IT companies DAAC digital has been creating and implementing innovative solutions for the digital support of the informational development of society, state and business. Company offices are represented in Moldova, Uzbekistan and Romania.

The resources, experience and potential of the IT group of companies enable the realisation of complex and large-scale technological solutions for different sectors of the economy. The product portfolio includes consulting, software development, engineering and information security services, as well as proprietary hardware and software platforms from over 50 international vendors.