Dutch bakery ingredient manufacturer Zeelandia has announced substantial investments in its Turkish activities. The Zeelandia Doruk joint venture will be boosted by modernising and expanding local production facilities in Hayrabolu and by strengthening the local sales force.
Zeelandia has been active in Turkey since the late 1990s. Steady growth of export to Turkey was followed by the creation of the joint venture with partner Doruk in 2003. Doruk also owns Komsufirin, a chain of over 100 bakery shops in Istanbul.
To further strengthen its competitive position, Zeelandia Doruk will now invest in a local production line for liquid ingredients like the Paletta glazing jelly, other hot and cold jellies and fruit. The production line is expected to be up and running by early 2015. Additionally, the current production facilities for dry ingredients like bread mixes will be modernised. In addition to the investments in production lines, Zeelandia Doruk will also launch a new sales office and revamp its sales organisation.
The joint venture will be led by Ertuğrul İşler.
“Together with our partner Doruk we have found an experienced and enthusiastic new managing director in the person of Ertuğrul”, said Zeelandia CCO Guido Janssen. “He has been a member of the Doruk Group board for several years, during which time he has overseen the growth of the Komsufirin chain and the Doruk flour business. We feel he is the right person to guide Zeelandia Doruk in a new direction, expanding our Turkish product portfolio and focusing more on the quality and added value of our products.”
According to Zeelandia CEO Roelof Krist, the upcoming investments are a sign of confidence in the opportunities offered by the Turkish market.
“Turkey is a rapidly growing economy and Europe’s largest consumer of bread products. Through our long-standing partnership with Doruk, it is also a perfect stepping-stone for serving neighbouring markets, like Iran and Iraq,” he saod. “We have felt for years that Turkey offers great growth opportunities and we are now ready to seize them.”
