KEO plc is the largest beverage company on the island of Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

. It also represents the largest industrial employer on the island.

Reflecting its name it started off as a company producing wine in the Limassol district. In 1951 it ventured into beer production by importing expertise from Czechoslovakia. Its product range has since expanded to include dessert wines (e.g. Commandaria

Commandaria

Commandaria is an amber-coloured sweet dessert wine made in the Commandaria region of Cyprus on the foothills of the Troödos mountains. Commandaria is made from sun-dried grapes of the varieties Xynisteri and Mavro. While often a fortified wine, through its production method it often reaches high...

), bottled water, brandy

Cyprus brandy

The production of brandy on Cyprus began in the year 1871 by ETKO following their importation of a pot still from Cognac in 1868. Data coming from the English explorer Samuel Baker revealed that in 1875 the volume of native brandy production in the Limassol District alone amounted to 467,711 okes...

, spirits (including zivania

Zivania

Zivania or zivana is a Cypriot alcoholic beverage. Zivania is a distillate produced from the pomace of grapes that were pressed during the wine-making process mixed with local dry wines produced from local grape varieties of Cyprus such as Xynisteri and Mavro...

), juices and canned food.

Such is their presence on the island that they have become a household name both with locals and the millions of annual tourists. The company is an active participant at the annual Limassol wine festival.

Following Cyprus’ recent accession to the European Union, KEO has drawn up plans to expand its operations on continental Europe.

Its shares are listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange

Cyprus Stock Exchange

The Cyprus Stock Exchange or CSE is a stock exchange located in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was established under the Cyprus Securities and Stock Exchange Law which provides for the development of the securities market in Cyprus and for the establishment and operation of the Cyprus Stock Exchange, and was...

.