Hrant Vardanyan

Hrant Vardanyan (Armenian: Հրանտ Վարդանյան, 23 January 1949 - 19 April 2014) was an Armenian businessman, entrepreneur and pioneer of domestic Armenian manufacturing, the founder and manager of the leading national corporation Grand Holding, a philanthropist and patron of arts. He was the founder and chairman of Grand Holding, which includes Grand Candy, Grand Tobacco, International Masis Tabak and Masis Tobacco. In 2007 he stated he was the 4th largest taxpayer in the country. He was commonly known for devoting his life to improving the economy of Armenia.

Hrant M. Vardanyan was born on January 23, 1949 in Yerevan, Armenia into a working-class family. In 1956-1966 he studied at the Kirov high school No. 12 in Yerevan, Armenia. In 1968-1974 he studied at Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, Department of Mechanics and Machine-building, majoring in food-industry engineering, 1990 Ph.D. in Economics. Non-partisan.

Thanks to Hrant Vardanian, the celebration of the International Labor Day has been resumed in the Republic of Armenia as a state holiday since May 1, 2000. 1998-2003 Vardanyan was the Chairman of the Basketball Federation of Armenia, 1992-2001 Member of the Steering Body of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, 2003-2014 Member of the Board of Trustees of Yerevan State Engineering University.

Hrant Vardanyan died on April 20, 2014. He is buried at Yerevan City Pantheon.

Hrant Vardanyan started his working activity at Yerevan Experimental Tobacco Plant as a technologist, and by 1984, he became Deputy Director General of the Plant. In 1996, Mr. Vardanian embarked on entrepreneurial activity thus stimulating the rehabilitation and development of national manufacture. Mr. Vardanian established Grand Tobacco, Grand Candy, International Masis Tabak and other companies that occupy leading positions on the domestic Armenian market and honorably represent national production in many countries around the world. The group of GRAND HOLDING companies established by him is a leading exporter of finished goods in Armenia. Presently, GRAND HOLDING employs over 7100 workers. Owing to cooperation with this enterprise, tens of thousands of jobs have been created in agriculture, particularly, in border-line villages of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.

Business philosophy

Starting 1991, over the first 6 years after independence, when unemployment was rampant, nearly nothing was manufactured in Armenia, and everything was imported. As an entrepreneur, Hrant Vardanyan set himself the task of reviving and developing domestic manufacture. He was the first to believe that Armenia possesses the requisite intellectual, human and industrial potential to compete on the domestic and external markets. The philosophy is as follows: the Armenian consumer shall be able to buy locally produced goods thus promoting national manufacture, while the domestic producer shall produce high-quality goods, so that the consumer prefers the goods labeled “Made in Armenia”. This philosophy made him an example to be emulated by other manufacturers while his activity proved that under conditions of mass unemployment, emigration and blockade the Armenian nation not only is capable of working and producing quality goods and live with dignity but also export its commodities and occupy markets that are worth millions in other countries.

Charity

Hrant Vardanyan’s charitable activities were multipurpose and systemic. He sponsored research, education, culture, healthcare, sports, the National Zoo, and the children’s charitable TV channel “Hyerenik”. Do-date, pensions have been paid to the Heroes of Socialist Labor.

Hrant Vardanyan implemented large-scale long-term charitable projects in the border-line villages of Tavush Province of Armenia and in Artsakh thus promoting local community development.

Mr. Vardanian built the St. Thaddeus Church in the town of Masis in Armenia.

Hrant Vardanyan was born into the family of Mikael Vardanyan and Shushanik Sargsyan. He has two sisters Rima and Rosa. His grandmother and grandfather were victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in the village of Khnus, Western Armenia. At the age of 7 Hrant Vardanyan lost his father. He met his wife Zina Muruzyan when he was a student. They got married in 1972. Hrant Vardanyan has two sons Mikael and Karen, and six grandchildren, Isabella, Zina, Hrant, Daniel, Mark, and Axel.

• In 1999, the “Anania Shirakatsi” Medal was awarded to Hrant Vardanian by the President of the Republic of Armenia for his contribution to the revival of national manufacture.
• In 2009, for the first time in the history of the independent Armenia, the title of “Merited Economist of the RA” was conferred on Hrant Vardanian by the President of the Republic of Armenia.
• On December 20, 2014, the President of Armenia posthumously awarded Hrant Vardanyan the “Order for Serving the Fatherland”, 1st Class for his personal contribution to the development of national economy.

• PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN AWARDED HRANT VARDANIAN WITH THE HONORARY TITLE OF THE DISTINGUISHED ENTREPRENEUR