Turkish food company Sunar Grup has announced that its target for 2013 is to grow through exports.
“Last year, we worked incessantly and got positive results,” said Huseyin Comu,CEO. “We established a margarine production facility with a capacity of 182.5 thousand tons per yearm, and we’re targeting to increase that capacity to 420 thousand tons.
With an ambition to increase its turnover to TL 800 million and to increase the number of export markets it serves from 70 to 100, Sunar Grup is said to be the fastest growing food company in Turkey.
In the past year, Sunar Grup increased its turnover by 16.6% and achieved $110 million of exports. Employment has risen by 10%, such that the company now has over 700 personnel.
“We want to be more efficient, have more capacity, more sales, more products and more share in the markets,” said Comu. “We are focused on an export-based growth strategy.”
Elita Gida is Sunar’s vegetable oils and industrial margarines business, and is one of its most important.
“We’re targeting TL540 million for the Elita buisiness, with $80 million coming from exports,” said Comu. “We aim to reach 75 export markets by the year end – and that will mean 32% growth. We also have plans to produce new products that are not produced in Turkey.”
“We will complete our Sorbitol investment that we started last year in our Sunar Mısır company,” continued Comu. “This product is imported to Turkey and may also be sold in Middle East and MENA market. Another investment opportunity is related to energy production: we plan to produce the energy we need at our own facilities and to establish hydroelectric facilities. We are also considering an investment in co-generation based on natural gas sources. The margarine production facility will be the most modern one of its type, not only in Turkey but also in the Middle East.”
Beyond this, according to Comu, his company wants to further its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program by expanding sunflower farming in a number of provinces, with the aim of contributing to the wealth and development of the region. Comu believes that the farming potential of hisr country has not been developed enough.
Comu is also a great believer in an active R&D effort.
“We follow developments closely,” he said.”Our R&D team watch the changing trends in consumers and in food industries,as well as recent technologies.They follow academic media and publications and participate in international events, such as fairs and conferences,and cooperate with academia in the universities.”
“We will expand the R&D unit and make it a centre,” he continued. “We have been considering a number of innovations that reduce the need for imports, and looking at functional foods, and the development of healthier new products.Our latest product, Sunar Professional Blok Margarine, is an example of our R&D efforts. It has natural flavours thanks to its special formula,and has been developed to suit the needs of professionals in out of home consumption industries.”
