From Valimitika to entrepreneurial vision
Nick Thyssen’s, (Nikolaos Theodossiadis), journey from the small village of Valimitika in Greece as a 16-year-old to Australia in 1951 is inspirational. Born in the village of Valimitika in Greece, as a boy he developed a keen eye for business, observing the merchants and dealmakers at the kafeneion when he would tag along with his father, George. Nick absorbed the entrepreneurial spirit borne out of necessity.
In a land where opportunity was scarce, the ability to spot gaps in the market and find solutions was not just a skill—it was essential for survival. This formative experience in Greece instilled in him a resourceful and creative mindset that would guide him throughout his life.
As a teenager he embarked on a journey that would forever change his life. Alone, and without the safety net of family, Nick set sail aboard the Corinthia in 1951, across the vast oceans to a land he had never seen, a place he only knew from stories of hope and prosperity. In Australia his work ethic, and optimism quickly set him apart. A spirit of curiosity and his “solutionist” mindset would be the foundation upon which he built his remarkable career.
Two years after arriving, Nikolaos decided to change his name to Nick Thyssen. The decision was not one he took lightly. He was advised that an ‘Australian’ name would help him integrate and secure a better future. This was a strategic move in a larger plan of self-improvement, growth, and opportunity.
Nick understood the importance of embracing the new, of learning from those around him, and of adapting to the Australian way of life. His initial mentors, Mr., and Mrs. Elwood played a pivotal role in helping him integrate into Australian society. They taught him not just the customs and culture of his new homeland, but also instilled in him a deep love for Australia and its people.
Nick’s commitment to learning and his curiosity shaped his approach to commerce and business. From a young he had an interest in how things worked, how businesses operated, and how people interacted in the world of commerce. This innate drive to learn and innovate, coupled with his resourcefulness, allowed him to not only succeed in business but to thrive.
Innovation in the fresh juice and food industries
In the 1960s, an unsealed and muddy road that prevented customers from accessing his fruit shop became the spark for a chain of events that revolutionised the industry. Nick’s idea changed the landscape of the fresh produce and food service industry.
A simple yet sophisticated solution led to the creation of Melbourne’s first-ever produce delivery service. Nick employed local children on pushbikes to deliver and collect orders, turning what could have been a logistical problem into a thriving service.
Leftover fruit became the foundation of another new idea—delivering fresh fruit salad to local restaurants. This humble beginning soon grew. Nick and his wife, Maureen, transformed their small operation into their first profitable commercial manufacturing business based in a city baths shed in Carlton.
In a market that was accustomed to canned concentrates and sugary cordials, Nick saw a gap—a demand for fresh, natural juice. In the early 1960s, when the idea of bottled fresh juice was unheard of, Nick broke the mould by introducing fresh juice to the Australian market. An introduction to freshly squeezed juice to his customer at the Victoria Hotel in Melbourne changed his business trajectory in ways even he could not have imagined.
Nick hand-squeezed the first fifty gallons of juice using a domestic fruit juice extractor, demonstrating his willingness to put in the hard work and lead by example. The juice he offered to the market was the first marketable fresh orange juice in the world.
Despite scepticism, he remained resolute. His mantra was simple but powerful: “Be daring and insist on contesting the challenge.” And contest it he did, and Patra Foods was born—one of the first fresh juice manufacturing companies in Australia.
By 1964, Nick had already employed a dozen full-time staff, and his vision continued to expand. He introduced the concept of driver-owned trucks, operated on a commission basis, to distribute juice. These drivers were tasked with dropping off free samples of juice in letterboxes, inviting people to taste the product and promising to return to collect orders. A bold marketing move that worked.
Family, hard work, and giving back are pillars success
A key factor in his success was his relentless pursuit of knowledge and his willingness to consult with experts. He met a young chemist who offered advice on how to protect the integrity of fresh juice—this led to the establishment of Patra Foods’ first in-house chemist and laboratory. Nick continued to innovate and in 1967, he introduced juice in plastic bottles, inspired by the dairy industry – a novel idea at the time that helped cement Patra Foods’ position as an industry leader.
In 1970 Patra began its expansion to the south-eastern states of Australia. Patra outranked existing fruit cordial industrialists, nationally and internationally. Nick’s methodology for sales and business was genius in its simplicity. Nick’s forward-thinking approach continued as the business expanded. In 1969, he hired Graham Jennings, the former CEO of Pepsi-Cola in Southeast Asia, as General Manager of Patra Foods. Graham’s expertise and Nick’s vision ensured the company took the next step in its evolution, becoming the Patra Orange Juice Company. By the late 1960s, Nick’s vision had come to life in a way that few could have predicted.
The Patra Orange Juice Company was now producing and distributing millions of litres of juice per year. They were leading the way not only in Australia but in the Southeast Asian region, resurrecting the citrus industry in Victoria’s hinterland and setting the standard for fresh juice production.
Patra Foods grew to a point where it was delivering over 50 million litres of juice annually. This growth was driven by Nick’s commitment to quality, his innovative marketing techniques, and his ability to inspire and motivate those around him.
His success was built on the idea that business was about people—whether it was his employees, customers, or suppliers. Patra Juice company was sold in 1971 to US giant Beatrice Foods. His leadership and humanity touch the lives of everyone in the supply chain, particularly his impact on individuals and cooperatives that benefited from his generosity and sense of equity in regional Victoria and NSW. Nick was motivated to ensure that everybody succeeded, he gave drivers responsibilities and opportunities to thrive financially.
The success of Patra led to international travel, property development investments and eventually the launch of other successful venturers including Ready Cut Company (1980 – 1987), which was the first to industrially produce and package ready-made fresh salads and fruit in the Australian food market. It also made quality soups and his production of salad soon exceeded 100 tons per week once he started selling in the big supermarkets. His tenacity led him to pioneer the packaging of fresh soups and sensitive foods without preservatives in Tetra pack cartons, creating another revolutionary initiative, a world first. He sold the rights to his unique invention to contain and preserve fresh food for weeks to the British commercial giant Unilever.
The establishment of the Original Juice Company from 1988-2003, was encouraged by his eldest daughter Laney to show the world the way, knowing he had created the world’s first natural juice industry with Patra. With the strong support of Laney in administration of the business and his younger daughter Becky in marketing and sales, the family persevered and succeeded together. Deploying the successful tactics of the past, the family business became another great national success story.
In July 2003 Procal was established by Nick and Maureen, to secure the future for their son, Adam George, who was instrumental of the family’s business success over the course of 25 years. Influenced by his admiration of his father’s business acumen, it was Adam who perfected Greek style yoghurts and dairy products in Australia. Management of Procal was entrusted to their daughter Laney after Adam George’s unexpected passing and continues to be an award-winning leader of its industry, and a great environmental champion, having introduced Australia’s first back to base recycling program.
Nick’s story is a story of a man who never lost sight of his roots and who remained true to the values instilled in him by his family. A man who celebrated the women who stood by him as his key pillar of support from the very beginning, his wife Maureen, his ‘Cinderella’ and partner in life and business, and then championed by his daughters Laney and Becky and his late son, Adam.
“Wealth gives you the opportunity to put your ideas to good use, take the next step, leave the good and be the best otherwise riches are meaningless,” Nick always said.
Nick Thyssen’s shows that success is built upon the values of hard work, 130-hour weeks, sleeping on chairs next to the production line and significant family sacrifices. Also on continuous learning, adaptability, and the courage to face the unknown. He had said, “progress only has a beginning, never an end.
*Fotini Kypraios is Board Chair of the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Vic), the Chair of the HACCI National Federation of Chambers of Commerce, and Chair of the B Council for B Lab, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
