Pakipek turns 60 with investments

 Started 60 years ago as a spinner of silk Pakipek has now Pakfix brand in the mattress industry

Founded as a family business to process silk in Bursa, the company has been producing since 1956. Recently having two factories it aims to boost its exports especially in Iran market. Haluk Bukumcu, chairman of the Pakipek group of companies, informed about his company and its activities.

What is the story of your company in your words?

My grand grandfathers have been in silk business for years. This company was established in 1956; it is also my birthday, by my father and his father. Later on my uncle became a partner. The house in Muradiye, Bursa, that I was born in, had a garden of two thousand sqm. 70 to 80 people had been processing silk and silk yarn in it. Then, silk is the only material for yarn production, no polyester. We also had a shop in Irfaniye bazaar in Istanbul to sell the silk yarn. Then we started to produce silk fabrics. In 1969 we established a silk yarn fabric in Sogut, Bilecik, buying cocoons from Kozahan, Bursa. There were only four factories in Sogut. We had been selling our products to Vakko brand by 1984.

What is the reason that you shut down the factory?

Market was invaded by cheap silk fabrics that were illegally imported from Far East in those years. As producers we visited the then Prime Minister Turgut Ozal, but, no official was interested in our complaints. So, we quit silk processing. In those years we bought the land in Nilufer industrial zone, the first organized industrial zone established in Turkey in 1962, and founded this business with my uncle.

Later on, many companies began to be engaged in imports and exports, so, we decided to change the path. We visited machine manufacturers in Europe with an aim to invest in technology and bought the fastest machinery.

What does your company make recently?
We still are producing fabrics including the jacquard types for women dresses at a monthy capacity of about 400 thousand sqm. Half of the production is exported. The other half is sold to apparel manufacturer who sell their wares in export markets.

Our brand that we use on the products that are sold to mattress manufacturers is Pakfix. These are industrial type of sewing yarns. Besides, we sell pillows with a slogan “Repose Comfortably”. Our products are sold in two stores and on line. 8 % of people shop online in Turkey. We took our measures to answer the growing demand from this channel.

How are your investments?

This year we are founding two factories by investing about 2.5 million Euro. Both will be operational in October 2016. We prefer a balanced growth, not fast but securely.

Do you have new targets in exports?

Iran seems to be a good market, with its 80 millions of population. After the removal of economic sanctions, western companies invaded to the country especially in the fields of textile and construction industries. Airlines are full of Britons and Germans. I had been there recently. I yearn my years of youth. I am so optimistic about Iranian market. The people need every thing. Far Eastern suppliers had been preferred by the people because of the embargo. However, they are not satisfied with the quality of eastern products. They like made in Turkey products.

What is your target for your Pakfix brand aiming to mattress industry?

We entered in mattress industry four years ago. We closely watch the performance of the brand and saw that it has a promising future. Now we want to accelerate the production and promotional activities. The brand is profitable. Now we only walk, but soon we began to run.

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