Van Vlahakis
| Van Vlahakis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eftychios Vlahakis January 14, 1935 Chania, Crete, Greece |
| Died | April 6, 2014 (aged 79) Key Largo, Florida |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Nationality | American, Greek |
Eftychios Vlahakis (Greek: Ευτύχιος Βλαχάκης; January 14, 1935 – April 6, 2014), known as Van Vlahakis, was an American entrepreneur of Greek origin, regarded as a pioneer of environment-friendly cleaning products.[1]
Early life
Vlahakis was born in Chania, Crete but in fall 1953 at the age of eighteen, immigrated to Chicago in search of a better future. There he lived in homeless shelters and supported himself with jobs in bars and restaurants. In parallel, he studied chemistry at Roosevelt University and earned a Bachelors degree in 1958.[2]
Business career
After graduating, Vlahakis worked in the cleaning products industry. During this time, his exposure to harsh chemicals that made him suffer from headaches and other irritations, led him to decide to develop better cleaning products. In 1967, Vlahakis founded Venus Laboratories in his garage. Venus expanded quickly owing to his environmentally-friendly formulas and patents. In 1989, the company's name was changed to the current Earth Friendly Products. Today, Earth Friendly Products operates five plants in North America and its products are sold though major supermarket chains.
Vlahakis' life story was the basis for the 2013 film A Green Story.
