Turbocharger success with know-how and quality

The company has been around since 1985—using MAHLE engine components from the start—and is a nationwide service partner for Greece. Andreadis has included turbochargers in its range for the last seven years and operates this business very successfully with impressive expertise and unparalleled service quality. We asked Dimitris to talk about his experiences—find out what he said in our interview.

MAHLE: How did the cooperation with MAHLE come about?

Dimitris: The story goes back a long way. After the Second World War, BMW motorcycles were really popular in Greece. At that time, my boss’s father was a distributor of MAHLE engine parts for these bikes. When his son took over the company in 1985, he didn’t offer motorcycle parts any more, but concentrated instead on passenger cars and trucks—while keeping MAHLE as a supplier. Back then, we had MAHLE pistons, valves, and bearings in our range. Today, we stock piston rings too.

MAHLE: What made you decide to add MAHLE turbochargers to your product range seven years ago?

Dimitris: The idea came about because most new cars are equipped with turbochargers, and there was suddenly a surge in demand in Greece. But it couldn’t be covered because at first there were hardly any turbo specialists in the Greek market. And those few companies were located in and around Athens. As Athens is a long way away from us in Thessaloníki, we decided to launch the turbocharger business in our region.

MAHLE: How did you get started?

Dimitris: We bought a couple of turbochargers, went to a lot of seminars, and did some market analysis into which models we needed. Mr. Andreadis and I learned about everything ourselves and did all our own research. I read every book there was on turbochargers—in several languages!—and watched videos. I also went to workshops that had already worked with turbochargers and asked about the types of damage they had seen as well as about their experiences. That’s how I became a turbo specialist.

MAHLE: And what sets you apart as a turbo specialist?

Dimitris: Our unique customer service. When a workshop calls me and wants to buy a turbocharger, I tell them how to do the assembly or maintenance so that they don’t have any complaints. If there is a complaint, I try to work out what the problem is. In 99 percent of cases, complaints don’t result from a defective turbocharger but arise because the mechanic didn’t do everything right during assembly or if something is wrong with the surrounding parts. I’m the only one in Greece who supports and advises customers this way. And if a workshop doesn’t have any problems with the turbocharger and doesn’t receive any complaints, they’re happy and come back to Andreadis. And that’s our goal. Of course, another important factor is that we offer high-quality products right from the very start.

MAHLE: And that’s why you chose turbochargers from MAHLE, right?

Dimitris: Exactly. MAHLE is the number one when it comes to quality. We were always very satisfied and had positive experiences with MAHLE’s engine parts, so we asked MAHLE about their turbochargers too. At the time, this was a new business area for MAHLE as well. We produced the first turbochargers together, and we’ve since matured alongside each other. Of course, we have other suppliers, but MAHLE is our number one.

MAHLE: Why is that? What do you value most about MAHLE as a partner?

Dimitris: I appreciate the strong cooperation we have with the MAHLE employees. They’re open to new ideas and always fulfill my demands as a customer. When it came to turbochargers, we also chose MAHLE because no other company in Greece offered this brand. This is our USP. The whole of Greece knows: “You can only get MAHLE turbochargers at Andreadis.” And that has been very well received too. So we successfully entered this new market as a new turbocharger supplier with a brand that was new for Greece.

MAHLE: How many different kinds of turbocharger do you offer at Andreadis?

Dimitris: I have almost the entire MAHLE catalog in stock. In Greece, it’s important to deliver products quickly. Time is precious. Our customers get their turbochargers from us within 5 minutes.

*Download the MAHLE turbocharger damage brochure here

MAHLE: What advice would you give to a workshop wanting to specialize in turbochargers?

Dimitris: There are three important things to remember. First, you always need to find the actual cause of the turbocharger damage. In most cases, it isn’t due to the turbocharger itself but the components around it. When fixing the damage, the mechanic should always change the oil line and the oil as well. That’s because a turbocharger basically needs just three things: fresh oil, a low exhaust gas temperature, and fresh air. If one of these three things is missing, the turbocharger will get damaged. It’s also important to know that the turbocharger is a component that’s designed to last throughout the life of a vehicle. It’s not like a filter, which you simply replace.

MAHLE: Thanks very much for talking to us, Dimitris.