Background

Vasilis Hatzipanis has a passion for business, a passion that was nurtured and developed from a young age while living in Greece.

Born in Greece in 1946, he was 14 years old when he started his first business. By the age of 18 he had eight staff working for him in an administrative trucking and transport business. At 21 he had grown the business into a very successful large operation operating out of a 6,000 square foot warehouse with a staff of 12. (Mercedes Benz Spare Parts)

During 1987 at 41 years of age the business was sold and Vasilis, his New Zealand wife Dale and their family came to New Zealand.

"New Zealand always appealed to me as a nice place to bring up the family," he says.

"It's very relaxed. I like New Zealand, its people and its environment, there are some great business opportunities here."

After several small businesses were set up and run, Vadal.net was born ten years ago, with one computer and two telephone booths, aiming at servicing visitors to Christchurch and providing them with communication facilities. The idea was inspired by his then twelve-year-old daughter - Kelly, who is now in London working in HR for a boutique engineering firm. Prior to this, Kelly, ran the administrative side of the business as a complement to her Bachelor of Business Innovation and Enterprise Degree.

The company has evolved into servicing four successful business units, including the largest Internet Café in New Zealand (eBlahBlah), and several other exciting projects and joint venture opportunities presently being planned.

"I see an opportunity, make the calculations and then get on with it," he says.

"My attitude is to just do it."

Contact Details

Vasilis Hatzipanis
Managing Director
D & V Hatzipanis Ltd
Vadal Promotions Ltd
77 Cathedral Square
Christchurch
New Zealand

Phone: +64 3 377 2381
Fax: +64 3 366 1009
Email: vasilis@eblahblah.co.nz