by Olive Oil Selections SA www.oliveoilselections.com

ABOUT US George and Ann’s venture into the olive oil business begun in 2003. Ann Turner, a Cordon Bleu chef and restaurant consultant, learned the fine points of olive oil qualities from Paul Vossen, at UC Davis. George Courmouzis, a sports and leisure industry entrepreneur, was challenged by the absence of top quality Greek EVOO in the USA. Their mission, then, became to discover the best of the ancient Greek olive varietals, become involved in their production and export their EVOO to selected markets. The couple, sharing homes in Beaufort, SC and Athens, Greece, took a stake in a Laconia olive Coop and an interest in other olive groves in Crete and Thessaly.

HISTORY They formed Olive Oil Selections SA and set out to produce extra virgin olive oils from the famous koroneiki varietal, harvested and pressed at the Cooperative. They branded them Moleon Premium and Moleon Early Harvest. The latter won a Gold Award at the LA International Competition on its first and only entry, in 2005. Moleon was selected by Zingermans as its first ever Greek olive oil and sold at the Deli and through Mail Order across the USA. Moleon was later featured as the top priced EVOO in The Fresh Market grocery chain. It was also sold in specialty groceries throughout the Southeastern USA.

CORVUS EVOO In 2012 they introduced a new brand called Corvus. Along with it they revived an old process: dispensing the EVOO from a fusti to an artisan 375ml bottle. Selecting a bottled EVOO from a forest of brands on display on store shelves and paying a good price for it, is a daunting process. Bad choices turn customers off. Ann tested the concept in various Farmers Markets in Beaufort County, SC. Children, parents and grandparents first tasted and then bought. They came back for refills. A 2nd fusti with a different varietal was added to offer comparative selection. The refill rate approached 60%. It was the quality that brought them back, not the $2 discount. A record of 52 bottles (23 new and 29 refills) was sold in 2 hours on May 9, 2015, at the Port Royal Farmers Market in South Carolina.

The Farmers Market success led to the Corvus placement in a number of small specialty groceries in the Carolinas. Some added a 2nd fusti varietal. The quality of the product brought customers back at a 50%+ refill rate. The stores enjoyed lateral purchases by the returning customers. It also enabled the stores to face up to the proliferating competition from franchises, offering dozens of infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars out of fustis. Stores must buy the fusti. The olive oil is delivered in 5 liter, easy to handle cans and poured into the fusti as needed. Bottles and tags come with each shipment.

Progressive Grocer’s Annual Report published in April 2015, speaks directly to the need for grocers, “to concentrate heavily on enhancing the in-store experience to stand apart from both traditional and upstart competitors”. Studies have show that, when consumers become engaged with a product (i.e., through tasting and re-filling), they develop stronger band loyalties as a result of their choice. To that end, “products that drive frequent visits to the same store, enables specialty groceries to capitalize on those visits to sell countless other items found in that store”. Corvus extra virgin olive oil in fustis fits that bill. The discount for the recycled bottle also speaks to the environmentally sensitive customers.

The display area of the Corvus fustis and bottles should be in the fresh produce, deli or bakery area of a grocery chain, where the experience can be supervised and enhanced. To avoid messiness from spillage, sealed bottles of the olive oil tasted can first be purchased. The clean, empty bottles brought back can be refilled behind a counter from another fusti and retagged for check out. The EVOO is delivered by the distributor in the same 5 liter containers it was poured and sealed at the Press, thus insuring optimal freshness. Bottles come in cases. Signage and tags are also provided. Some store staff assistance may be required. But the drawing power of refills is worth this minimal investment. A Manual guides staff how to handle the process and product.

PRODUCTS Koroneiki varietal EVOO and Organic EVOO from Laconia Coop Koroneiki varietal EVOO from Cretan Co-op Athenolia varietal EVOO from Laconia Co-op Amphissis varietal EVOO from private orchards on Mt. Pelion, Thessaly. Red Wine Vinegar from Aghiorgitiko grapes from Nemea, Peloponnese (Launch 7/’15). All of the above come directly from the orchards in Greece. They are packaged and exported by Olive Oil Selections. Total annual EVOO production averages 3,000 m. tons.