With the invitation of Batı Kipaş officials, we had the opportunity to see Batı Kipaş facilities in Aydın Söke, which is a very valuable investment of our sector and our country. We wish such an impressive facility to be auspicious for the Kipaş family, our sector and our country.
KASAD members participating in the trip were welcomed at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport on Sunday, 25 February 2024, and then went to Kuşadası and met for dinner hosted by Batı Kipaş.
On 26 February, a meeting was held at Batı Kipaş’s factory in Söke, Aydın, where information about the characteristics of the investment, capacities, factory and products was given by Quality Manager Şakir Kocadayı. Afterwards, KASAD members visited the factory in groups and had the opportunity to observe the production of Europe’s largest cardboard machine on site.
KASAD President Alican Duran said about the new facility of Batı Kipaş: “Turkey’s cardboard packaging industry has gained a brand new large facility with Batı Kipaş’s new facility. As the Association of Cardboard Packaging Industrialists, we represent 80% of our sector. There is not even a machine the size of the machine you have in Europe. When I first heard about this, I thought it was the biggest weapon for cardboard packaging exporters in Turkey. I thought that we will have the best cardboard at the best price. I believe that by understanding each other better to realise this, we will turn this serious investment into an opportunity for our sector with standard production and price in 2024.”
Bristol production is very strategic for Turkey
KASAD President Alican Duran said, “At the same time, making recycled cardboard and Bristol is a difficult job. There is currently a company here that will buy half of your production. When you produce Bristol, we are also in demand for the other half of your production. Bristol production is very strategic for Turkey. Poland has moved ahead of Turkey with its Bristol factory.”
Batı Kipaş Board Member Sinem Öksüz Dedebayraktar said, “We aim to be one of the world’s leading companies in the paper and cardboard packaging industry by following and using new technologies, and to be Europe’s exemplary paper company by producing products and services that meet the needs and expectations of our customers within the framework of business excellence with the awareness of leaving nature as a legacy to future generations. We have invested 1 billion dollars with the PM2 and PM3 machines that will be commissioned in a few months. Our investment in an additional pulp preparation line for Bristol cardboard, which we aim to produce on our PM2 machine, continues. We plan to complete it within 5-6 months and start Bristol carton production. We employ a total of 970 employees, 169 of whom are white-collar and 801 of whom are blue-collar, in our facility, which operates on a total area of 550.00 m2, 250.000 m2 of which is closed.”
The first KASAD trip, which was hosted by Batı Kipaş with the question and answer session on Turkey’s cardboard packaging exports and strategies that can be developed, ended with a dinner given to the guests.
