SleepTech Magazine Mattress, Accessories, Machinery, Raw Materials
The International Mattress Industry Association (IBIA), which brings the mattress industry together, is expected to make a great contribution to the sector with its activities.
The mattress industry sector, which has a size of 3 billion dollars in Turkey, exports 2.5 billion dollars and contributes to the employment of 25 thousand people. In the mattress sector, production is carried out across the country in 10 different branches, from machinery to fabric, from springs and sponges to yarn and chemicals. 22 companies from the mattress sub-industry and technologies sector, which are growing and developing day by day, came together as founding members and established the International Mattress Industry Association (IBIA). Although the foundation date of the association coincided with the date of the restrictions due to the pandemic, IBIA increased the number of its members in a short time. IBIA currently has 61 members.
The establishment process of the association started under the leadership of Osman Güler, Chairman of the Board of Elektroteks operating in Kayapa OSB in Bursa, and the 1st Ordinary General Assembly Meeting of the International Mattress Industry Association was held in Istanbul. The association, which has caused great enthusiasm in the mattress sector, aims to include all companies in the sector within a short time.
Osman Güler, who was the Founding Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Mattress Industry Association, which was established to reinforce unity and solidarity in the mattress industry, to lead the development of the sector, to protect the rights of the companies in the sector and to increase our competitive power in the world, was re-elected as the chairman with the votes of the members.
Kar-As Tekstil Mattress Spring Ltd. from Kayseri Sti General Manager Erdoğan Aslan, chaired the General Assembly meeting, and President of the International Mattress Industry Association Osman Güler, “Turkey is one of the leading 4-5 countries in the world in almost every field from yarn to fabric and machinery. A sector that makes such an important contribution to the country’s economy had to be represented on various platforms, especially in public spaces. We brought together the strongest companies in their fields from every region of our country under the roof of our association. Our first goal is to make all the companies in our sector members of our association,” he said.
“We will work in a cooperative and clear manner”
Stating that they set out to provide unity and solidarity in the sector, to organize fairs, to organize commercial delegations, to carry out studies to increase the competitiveness of the sector, to carry out activities for international integration, to cooperate with public institutions and organizations, professional organizations, and to carry out educational activities and social activities, International Mattress Industry Association President Osman Güler underlined that their target is to achieve a 30 percent increase in giro, employment and exports in a short time.
Osman Güler concluded his words as follows: “We plan to increase turnover from 3 billion to 4 billion dollars, exports from 1.5 billion dollars to 2.5 billion dollars, and employment from 25 thousand to 35 thousand people. We are aware of our responsibility and will do our best to fulfill this honorable duty properly. We will show participation and we will continue all our work in a clear way.”
IBIA will once again show everyone that Turkey is not behind in any respect
Electroteks Chairman of the Board Osman Güler presented his views on the International Mattress Industry Association (IBIA) as the founding chairman of the association. Güler stated how the association would work, its contributions to Turkey. He also predicted that the association would grow further in the future. Underlining that the association will bring everyone in the mattress industry together, Elektroteks Chairman of the Board Osman Güler stated that IBIA will provide a great support to the development of the mattress sector. Mentioning how he entered the profession, Osman Güler said that Turkey should be in the best position in all matters and added: “Everyone will see the strength of our country.”
How did you decide to found the International Mattress Industry Association (IBIA)?
There had to be a good bond and effective communication between the people in the industry. For this reason, we organized very good fairs together with Sleep Well Magazine. Then we exchanged ideas with our friends and thought more seriously. When we formed a commission together, we realized that it was necessary to form an association.
When we came together at the fairs abroad, we decided to establish our own association. As a result of these conversations, I took the responsibility and we established our association together. Many of our friends helped us in this process, but Ömer Faruk Görün has also made a very serious contribution to the establishment of our association.
The establishment phase of the association coincided with the pandemic period. What kind of problems did you experience during this period? I would like you to tell us about the establishment process of the association.
We were going to establish our association at the beginning of 2020, but due to the pandemic, we made our official application in January 2021 and we established it. Due to pandemic restrictions, we could not find the opportunity to hold a general assembly. However, we continued our activities with online studies even in the days of restriction. Then, we had a fast recruiting process. We held the first general assembly meeting of our association on 26 June 2021.
“Thanks to IBIA, the giro of the mattress industry will increase”
What do you think the mattress industry can achieve with such an association?
Turkey is one of the most important countries in the world in the mattress industry. I even think that our country is one of the top 4 or 5 countries. The mattress industry has a worldwide giro of around 31 Billion Dollars. The share of mattress manufacturers in Turkey is around 400 Million Dollars. During the establishment phase of our association, we made some statistics and very good numbers came out.
According to our statistics, our industry provides employment to 25 thousand people. The sector, which has a giro of 3 billion dollars in Turkey, has exports of more than 2 billion dollars. Such a large industry needed to come together. We took a very important decision and ensured the establishment of our association. For now, we have over 60 members. Our goal is to double the number of members of the association by the end of the year.
Our association will do very important works and I think that we will increase our giro from 3 billion dollars to 4 billion dollars, our export figure of 2 billion dollars to 3 billion dollars and our employment number from 25 thousand to 35 thousand people in a short time. In fact, I’m sure of it because we have a huge potential. They want to push us into the background, but we will manage to stand out.
What services are in the program of the association?
• We attach great importance to fair organizations, which is one of our founding goals. We are constantly working on this issue. We have decided on the date of the fair and have already started the preparations for the fair. We will announce it to the public very soon, probably by holding a press conference in September. We continue to work together in a very planned way.
• We also attach great importance to the useful work of foreign commercial committees, and we will be starting these activities soon.
• We will take decisions by consensus in order to increase competitiveness, and we will follow up the decisions we take in order to implement them in the sector.
• We contact our commercial consultants abroad. We will inform them that such an association has been established. We will share all kinds of cooperation offers, goods and services requests from them with our members.
• Our main goal will be to establish a great synergy and increase our country’s exports.
You said that fair organizations are very important. So, what kind of services will you have besides the fairs?
There are different groups from many sectors in our association. After determining these groups clearly, we plan to travel abroad as a group. Together with the companies, we will introduce the production power and quality products of our country to the companies abroad. Thus, we will carry out productive commercial activities apart from fair organizations. At the same time, we will invite some companies from abroad to Turkey and we will bring our commercial power to a better level by holding meetings with them. We have many similar ideas to these organizations.
When are you planning to hold IBIAEXPO and how do you think this fair will go?
Many fairs have been postponed due to the pandemic period. That’s why we had a hard time finding a room. Then we determined the most suitable dates for us. We will hold IBIAEXPO in 2022 at the Istanbul Expo Center on 5-6-7-8 October. We will have an exhibition area of 10 thousand square meters and I am sure that this area will be filled one hundred percent. We talked to many companies abroad. They are excited and want to be here. Me and all my friends are also very excited. I think we will have a very good fair period.
“The association will take democratic decisions”
You have a very large board of directors. Could you please talk about the working principles of your board of directors?
Our board of directors consists of 9 people. I want a decision to be made with a larger team. Thus, I think we will establish a more democratic environment. I am aware that wider decisions will be healthier and more beneficial. While making decisions, we will take the opinions of not only our friends in the board of directors, but also all our members in our board of directors and some other big companies.
We will care about everyone’s opinion. Our members will also participate when they want to attend the board meeting and will be able to express their opinions easily during the decision process. I believe that the decisions taken in a democratic environment will bring our industry to a better position.
According to your association charter, how many years will the elections be held and how many times will the administrations be elected?
We will hold elections every two years and our members will be able to preside at most 2 times. Due to the pandemic period, we will make our elections in 2024, but then we will continue to do it every 2 years.
“We do not charge entrance fees to IBIA until 2022”
You will not be charged an entrance fee until the end of 2021 to encourage association membership. I would like to get more information from you on this subject.
Our association has a monthly fee and an entrance fee to the association. This applies to all other associations. We do not charge an entry fee until the end of 2021 in order to speed up the entry processes to our association. We will only charge monthly fees. Companies that are members of our association until the end of 2021 will be able to attend the fair we will organize in 2022 for a more affordable price. Thus, we show that we provide serious incentives during the member recruitment phase.
Which segment will you prioritize? Will you increase your segment diversity? Also, how many members do you plan to enter the year 2022?
We give the same importance to each segment. We do not distinguish between any segments. We see everyone and every segment as valuable. After reaching a certain team, we will increase our segment diversity. We need a little more time for more variety. I have full faith that we will do great things together in the future. Our association has 60 members. I think we will have 120 members in 2022.
“Electronic services in Turkey still work according to my rules”
Could you tell us about your background as the Founding Chairman of the Board of the Association?
I was born in 1962 in Bulgaria, Kardzhali. I graduated from Industrial Electricity Department in high school and then I studied industrial electronics at university and I am an electronic engineer. I also worked in production for a certain period of time in Bulgaria. I was in charge of the machine energy division of a large company. I came to Turkey in 1089 and worked for a short time in the electronic maintenance department of a company in the weaving sector.
In 1990, I established an electronic service network in the weaving sector. If we consider that there are 35 electronic services in Turkey, 25 of these services left our company and started their own businesses. We designed a new sector. I have made great contributions to this industry and this industry still works by my rules. Then I also produced spare parts. With my children growing up, I decided to do machine production as well.
First of all, we had some work for the wood and curtain sector, but we saw that there was a need in the mattress sector and we started to produce machinery for the mattress sector. For now, I can say that we are the largest mattress manufacturing machinery company in the world. By the end of August 2021, we will reach an operating area of 50 thousand square meters. We export to 130 countries with our working team of 300 people.
Finally, if you have anything you want to say about the association, please indicate them.
There is so much to say about our association. I want to do the best for our country without expecting anything. Our country is very valuable and we need to know the value of our country. We must do something for our country in the best way possible. We established this association because our country needed such a structure. I took responsibility not for myself or my company, but primarily for my country. We do not lag behind any country. We will show it to everyone.
Mustafa Nebi Doğan – MND İÇ VE DIŞ TİC. :
Vice President
We needed such an organization both at home and abroad. There is a very strong production in our country. Therefore, such an association had to be established. The International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA) has become a very important association in terms of bringing people in the industry together. We believe we are stronger together. At this point, I would like to remind Henry Ford’s very important quote: “Getting together is the beginning, being together is an improvement. Working together is a success,” without forgetting this sentence, we want to achieve success by working together. Our association will help us be successful.
Ersin Koç – BEKAERT DESLEE :
Vice President
After completing the establishment phase of the International Bed Industry Association, we want to do serious work in international fields. Thus, we aim to get together with the producers abroad and to get them into the business. We aim to bring our association to an international level in every sense. Our biggest idea is to reach a point that compensates the demands of the sector and guides the sector with known publications and researches in the sector.
Ömer Faruk Görün – SLEEP TECH MAGAZINE
Secretary General
I think that the International Mattress Industry Association (IBIA) will make significant contributions to our industry. I am sure that the fairs we will organize, the travels of the overseas purchasing committee and the sectoral clustering programs will add a new excitement to the sector. The mattress industry is a huge industry. The mattress industry has few players, but a very wide sphere of influence. With IBIA, all these industry components will provide convenience in terms of reaching new markets.
Together with IBIA, we will make people say, “It’s good that this association exists and we are glad that we are members of this association.” That’s why the presence of both our board of directors and our valuable contributors excites us and encourages us to serve. We came a little behind in pandemic conditions, but I hope we will move forward very quickly from now on. The light at the end of the tunnel seems very strong. Starting from 2022, we will show the positive contributions of association with the IBIAEXPO fair and other activities.
I would like to thank in advance our founding president, Elektroteks Chairman of the Board Osman Güler and all our board members, who made great contributions in the establishment process of our association. The main purpose of establishing such sectoral associations is to add value to the sector. I would like to express that we will act as the pioneer of all kinds of work to make the sector more efficient.
Zafer Baktır – METAL MATRİS :
Member
Our association is very new and now we are at the beginning of the road. I believe that we will do very important things with the contributions of our association if we are in unity and solidarity in the future. We needed such an association. We have eliminated a great deficiency with the establishment of our association. We will do very good works together by using the advantages of our association. Every passing time will show us that this union will produce very good results.
Engin Kalkan – ÖZEN İPLİK :
Member
The biggest benefit of the association is that it will bring together all the sub-industrialists in the sector. Being together and staying together means great power. In this sense, we will find the opportunity to show ourselves to the state and our customers at fairs. We will have clear documents with the data we receive from our association in our meetings with statesmen. In this way, we will always be taken seriously, no matter who we meet in any environment. On the other hand, when we want to meet with other mattress manufacturers around the world, we will be able to reach them more easily. We will take our place in the sector as a union rather than being an individual.
Erdoğan Aslan – KAR-AS :
Member
I believe that the International Bedding Industry Association, which we established with great enthusiasm, will make a great contribution to our industry in every sense. Our association will bring a new excitement to the sector and provide great support to the country’s economy. With the work we will do together, we will make our association permanent and we will continue our work with great strength. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the establishment of our association.
Mustafa Kiper – KALİTEKS :
Member
We are at a very important point in mattress, mattress sub-industry and machinery industry. We have decided to establish the International Bed Industry Association (IBIA) to further consolidate this place. The people at the founding stage of our association make huge exports worldwide and these people are well known around the world. That’s why we set up our association to tackle something as a team rather than act individually, and we are extremely delighted with this situation. I believe that our association will make great contributions both abroad and domestically.
Abdullah Nursaçan – MİLKAY TEKSTİL :
Member
First of all, we are very happy that the International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA) has been established. I think that our association will unite us and will help us do better things together. Thus, we will increase our exports in the mattress sector and contribute more to the country’s economy. Together, we will do great things with the contribution of our association. Therefore, i would like to thank everyone who contributed to the establishment of our association.
Erhan Karakaşlar – GİZ GRUP :
Sayman Üye
The mattress industry is a growing and developing sector. Many companies expanded their export network and started selling worldwide. Thus, it became much more important for the sector to establish an association and to act together. This cooperation we have made will provide us with serious contributions in every sense and will bring us to the forefront especially in fairs abroad. As companies in the sector, we know each other, but I think we will spend more time and connect with each other even more thanks to the International Bed Industry Association. Our biggest aim in the establishment of the association is to benefit our state and nation.
Akın Bebek – FERYAL FERMUAR :
Member
This is the first time such an association has been established and it will undoubtedly make a huge contribution to the mattress industry. In particular, I think it will be very beneficial for our foreign trade. It will greatly affect exports and provide a massive increase. It will help us integrate into international markets and improve our exports. I think our association will make great contributions in every sense. I would like to express that I am also happy because it will encourage us to open up to new markets.
Onur Kırayoğlu – KIRAYTEKS:
Member
Turkey is at a very important point In the field of mattresses and mattress side accessories. So we needed this kind of association. The International Bedding Industry Association will bring everyone in the industry together and increase the synergy between people. There are many people in the mattress industry, so it will be very nice to have these people together. The association will lead our colleagues in every sense. The most important element of the association will be fairs. I believe that we will get results that will make everyone happy in terms of promotion.
Hakan Tanrıöven – ROBATECH :
Member
The International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA), which brings together the supplier companies under one roof, will greatly benefit the industry both today and in the future. The mattress industry has developed a lot in the last 10 years. Therefore, the establishment of this association is very important. I believe that our association will bring great enthusiasm to our industry in all matters. The International Bedding Industry Association will keep people in the sector together, especially abroad and will enable us to act together at fairs. I think our association will be beneficial in every respect. I congratulate everyone who contributed to the establishment of our association.
Hakan Günaydın – BEDCOVERS :
YK üyesi
If we work in unity and togetherness, the International Bed Industry Association will bring great benefits to us. I think we will get very good results if we do qualified works as an association both in fairs and other promotions. We hope that we will get very good feedback with the strong organizations we will do. Our association is very new, but in the future, we will have a more efficient working environment by organizing some things. We must all take a great responsibility for our association to succeed. We will work hard and get the most contribution from our association.
Kevork Kalaycıyan – ADALAR KİMYA :
Member
I think the International Bed Industry Association will be extremely useful in every sense. For this reason, I am also in the establishment phase of our association because i believe in what we can do. I think we can learn positive developments in Turkey and in the international arena. We will do our best to benefit from all possibilities of the association. We will get to know each other better as an association in time and I have no doubt that we will be much better together. We will achieve a good synergy and do good work together.
Mehmet Demirok – MERT MAKİNA :
Member
The International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA), which we have established for the development of the machinery and mattress industry in Turkey, will provide very important benefits to the promotion of Turkish brands in the world. I have no doubt that our association will contribute to our work. We will fight our opponents respectfully, with the philosophy that unity is strength. Our association will bring us together and we will solve our problems easily. We firmly believe that the International Bedding Industry Association will carry our country to a much better position in the mattress sector together with all the companies producing in the mattress industry.
Barış Ümit – ÜMİT MAKİNA :
YK üyesi
The establishment of IBIA added excitement to the industry. I am so excited to be a part of this team. For years, I have been advocating the organization of our sector and making decisions with one voice. I am very pleased with the establishment of our association. Hopefully, all member companies will benefit greatly from this association. Our association will help the industry to grow even more in the future. It will be a great chance for our industry that people in the mattress industry will be able to gather around the same table and make decisions. I say welcome IBIA.
Ramazan Çelik – SEFOX :
Member
I think that our International Bed Industry Association will have a very positive impact on all areas of the industry. We ensured the establishment of this association, which should be established to compensate the needs of the sector at home and abroad. Therefore we are very happy. We are also hopeful for the future because we have very useful plans as an association. We aim to make all of these plans come true by working hard.
Mustafa Taka – NOVA SÜNGER :
Supervisory Board Member
I wish the International Bedding Industry Association to bring great excitement and dynamism to our industry. I think we will be known more in the world mattress industry with the contribution of our association. We will solve the problems in the sector as quickly as possible by working together and making joint decisions. We believe that we will represent our country and our producers in the best possible way. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the establishment of the International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA).
Ali Yiğit Durak – DURAK TEKSTİL :
Supervisory Board Memberi
First of all, we are very happy as Durak Tekstil for the establishment of this type of association and we are honored to be among the founding members. We believe that this association will represent Turkey in the mattress industry is much better. As Durak Tekstil, we will do our best to train and inform producers in the mattress sector through the organizations that the association will organize. We aim to organize some seminars as a volunteer. Also, I think it will be beneficial for our promotion in the mattress sector at fairs abroad.
Saffet Güngör – LİNEER MAKİNE
Supervisory Board Member
I have no doubts that our association will make great contributions in every sense. We did a very important job in terms of bringing together people in the mattress industry and we established this association. I also think that our association will greatly benefit our promotion in the mattress industry. Our biggest goal is to strengthen the mattress industry both domestically and abroad by making joint decisions and to provide an effective service. I believe that it will be very beneficial in terms of easier procurement of all materials in the mattress industry. Our association; will make serious advantages by keeping companies together at fairs and enabling people in the sector to act together.
Lokman Özay – ÖZAY GRUP :
Supervisory Board Member
I attach great importance to our association to introduce our country to the world. The products we make are produced in a very high quality in Turkey. Perhaps the best quality products in the world are produced in our country. We have to promote our products of such good quality. Our association is vital for our promotion. I think we will make our promotion effectively and bring serious gains to our country with the help of our association.
Kazım Sezerkan – GEMBA MAKİNA :
Supervisory Board Member
International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA) will provide very serious benefits for the mattress industry. We will act together and we will be in a better place, especially in fairs abroad. People will respect us more because we will act as a team. I think our association will help us in every way. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the establishment of our association. Together, we will work harder to achieve a better future and reap the rewards of our efforts.
Emirhan Yeterler – URAL MEDİKAL :
Supervisory Board Member
The mattress industry has grown a lot around the world, but despite this, the production volume of our country is low compared to other countries. I think that the International Bedding Industry Association will provide a great benefit to our country and manufacturers in this regard. Our goal is to grow internationally in the mattress industry. Our association will help all of us to develop the sector.
Tahir Nursaçan
Kayseri OSB Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı
The International Mattress Industry Association (IBIA) bless our country and our industry. I thank everyone who contributed. This association will improve our ability to act together. Our association will remind us of the promise that unity is strength. We will come together and discuss with our colleagues through the association.We all know that Turkey is located in the heart of the world in terms of geographic location. I believe that the heart of the beds and bedding industry will be Turkey. Our country; It showed a great improvement in fabric, sponge, spring, felt and especially machinery production. We have taken serious steps in this regard and if we want to develop further, we must continue to be together. In terms of being together, we are at the level of the 2nd League, but we have to be in the Super League. Whatever we think of ourselves, we should think the same for another colleague. We always need to empathize. We have to grow our quality with R&D and innovation. Due to the pandemic, interest in our industry has increased. The geographical location of our country is also at a very good point. Therefore, we can sell better. We must use our working conditions well and act together. Our association will provide this togetherness and it will make our unity better.
İzzet Şeritçioğlu – ŞERİTÇİOĞLU :
I think the International Bed Industry Association (IBIA) is a very positive initiative. In this sense, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the establishment of the association. Our association will ensure that the Turkish mattress industry is recognized in the international arena. Our association, which I believe will have serious benefits for us in every sense, will increase the solidarity between us, especially by providing unity and integrity in the future. In addition, i think it will increase its competitive power in the sector.
Mustafa Yıldırım – MARSALA HOME
I wish the International Bed Industry Association (IBIA) to be beneficial. We needed this organization that would make us stronger than our competitors in every sense. Our association will make a great contribution to us, especially in fairs. It will give great benefits to the promotion of our country, which wants to be a strong and pioneer in the field of international bedding industry. We will attract more attention from people abroad. Interzum in Germany and ISPA fairs in America have strong organizations. As Turkish manufacturers, we can be much stronger in fairs. Our association will also provide a serious benefit to our unity and solidarity.
Ali Anıl – LEGGET PLATT TURKEY
Our country needed such an association. The International Bed Industry Association (IBIA) is very important in terms of ensuring unity and solidarity and keeping the producers in the sector together. I think we can achieve a better position in the sector by respecting every company, without separating big or small. For this reason, the formation of such an association will add value to our industry. Our association is very new yet, i have to say that we need some time. I hope that we will gain experience in the future and get very good feedback in domestic and international fairs.
Feridun Tosun – BOYÇELİK
Good luck to everyone, the International Bedding Industry Association (IBIA), which will increase our unity and solidarity in the industry. Our association, which we think will strengthen the cooperation between people in the mattress and mattress supplier industry, will bring serious benefits to our industry in every sense. Our country needed such an association for a long time and now this need has been compensated. I fully believe that we will be successful under the roof of our association by doing very good works both at home and abroad.
Ali Aydın – AYDIN TEKSTİL
Good luck to the International Bedding Industry (IBIA) first. I congratulate everyone who worked in the formation of this kind of association. Our association will ensure that the people in the sector act together and be in solidarity. I have no doubt that we will do great things if we manage to act together. When we look back, we can clearly see that we need this kind of association. This association, which I believe will provide serious benefits both at home and abroad, will bring our country to better positions in the mattress industry.
Aydın Aydın – BOYTEKS :
Our biggest goal in the establishment of the association is to capture the power to act together. Together, we have a goal to bring Turkish products to the top. The International Bed Industry Association (IBIA) will also compensate our wishes. We want our association to have reports and information about the sector. We also expect our association to have a fair. There are examples of this kind of thing in the world, and we can achieve this kind of thing. I hope that our association will make a serious contribution to the sector, with events that will strengthen our solidarity.
Serkan Kır – NANO YAY :
The International Bed Industry Association (IBIA), which I think will make a great contribution to our cooperation, will greatly benefit Turkish manufacturers, especially in international organizations. If we are in solidarity with the mattress and bedding industry in Turkey we can be a strong point. If we do our promotions all over the world, we can have a share in the development of the sector. While determining raw material prices, we can make raw material prices more convenient as a union. Thus, I think we will reach a more competitive position in the mattress industry with the help of our association.
