Having the first stenter machine production in Turkey in the year 2000, Alkan Makine makes a big contribution to the country’s economy by exporting 80 % of its production to 42 countries.
Alkan Makine, which has a wide machine production range including Dying, Drying, and Wringing machines in addition to the stenter machine, started to rise from its ashes by getting over the unfortunate process and holding tight to its historical past it left to the sector. Alkan Grup Chairman of the Executive Board, Founder and Vice Chairman of TEMSAD Cüneyt Alkan shared his experiences and comments relating the sector with us.
WE WILL SUCCEED…
Likening the textile sector to a choir, Cüneyt Alkan said: “It is possible to liken the textile sector to a very big choir that is made up of cotton, yarn, fabric and garment machines. When one of the instruments here do not follow the note, a person who understands music realizes the harmony is gone and it hurts the hearing of that person. This is how our sector is. The cotton is well processed, the yarn is made with certain rules, the fabric is knitted or woven in certain machines, these fabrics are processed through finishing machines and then they are directed to garment and ready-made clothing sectors as well as home textile for the access of consumers after finishing its difficult and long journey, thus providing a beautiful musical piece. The production of textile finishing machines situated at the hardest turn of the difficult journey got its deserved place thanks to its certain technologies and information equipment, unfortunately it could not reach its deserved value. I believe that our textile finishing machines will reach their deserved value. Because our machines are operating in 7 continents and many countries of the world. While we are talking about the successes of the textile machine sectors in creating added value within production exportation, we miss the human factor as mentioned by İTHİB (İstanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters’ Association) President İsmail Gülle in TEMSAD Ordinary Congress. However, we should talk about strong, astute and idealist bosses and manager, mechanical engineers, technical personnel and other personnel who are not sacrificing quality and show great self-devotion when the success achieved via the production and exportation of textile finishing machines are considered. In today’s world where global competition is so harsh, it is getting difficult to compete both inside and outside without sacrificing, continuing R&D studies, taking on responsibility concerning the investments, cooperating with out textile industrialists and with associations situated in the sector. In this matter there were certain attempts and our Textile machine industry joined forces with the other machine associations under the roof of MAKFED Federation.”
TOWARDS BIG TARGETS
“Our company Alkan Makine is aware all of the subjects I told you about. By taking all the risks in order to provide better service to our friends, fellows and respectable customers within the sector, we moved our factory into a building we built at Veliköy Organized Industrial Zone in Çerkezköy and while we had a more comprehensive and technological workflow our service car had an accident and we fought with this unjust condition, however our production could not meet at its full capacity. From that day to this, our company exhibited a great example of fight, covered its wounds, completed the necessary structuring and started to produce faster and more quality products keeping in mind that the service we provide to our textile companies is considered as worship. As you know Alkan Makine achieved great success by producing the first stenter machine in Turkey. This is the success of our country rather than the success of Alkan Grup. In the period we produced this machine, the world leaders were on the Turkish and world markets. These machines, which were sold for up to 1.2 million Euros, went down to 550 thousand Euros a year after the production mad by Alkan Makine. Through the R&D studies we conducted, the quality of the machines increased and the European companies were alarmed to get innovative in order to be able to compete against us. At the point we reached today, many Turkish companies that take courage from Alkan Makine started to produce these machines. When we look at it now, our company always achieved to break grounds and got over this unfortunate process and the historical past it left behind. Textile, which was the only industry that Turkey had hundred years ago, will continue to be the hope of Turkey hundred years later in production and employment. We have simple expectations from our state and sector in this matter. We are sure that our sector will reach higher targets without any interruption within growth and transition process. Because our machines work like magic.”
