Interview with Mişel Gülçiçek, Founder of MG International Fragrance Company

Michel Gülçiçek, founder of MG International Fragrance Company (MG Gülçiçek), one of Turkey's leading fragrance houses, discussed the sectors using fragrances and their importance, evaluations regarding the cosmetics sector, and the future plans of MG International Fragrance Company (MG Gülçiçek) in this engaging interview.  

Could you describe the development process of MG International Fragrance Company (MG Gülçiçek) from the past to the present?

I entered the professional world before turning 20 and initially worked at Kampana Fragrances Avni Tuncer and Partners, one of the prominent names in the fragrance sector at that time. After completing my military service, I worked as Sales Manager at PeReJa Colognes, which was founded by my employers. In 1961, I started my business career as a fragrance wholesaler in a small shop in Tahtakale. Later, I expanded this small business and moved from Tahtakale to Bahçekapı, beginning fragrance wholesaling and importing fragrance raw materials in a larger shop. After moving to Bomonti in the 1970s, when our small production workshop with 56 employees performed better than expected, the business expanded beyond being merely a perfumery into industrial-scale fragrance production. During this period, I sent my nephew Erol Mesulam abroad to receive international-level specialized training in perfumery. In 1983, we relocated our production facility to a factory built on a 6,000 m² area in Ayazağa. In 2015, when we celebrated our company's 54th anniversary, we began production in Gebze. Today, we work with experienced staff and internationally recognized perfumers.

What are your products and the sectors you serve?

As the Gülçiçek family, we design fragrances for a wide range of sectors, primarily personal care and cosmetics, cleaning and hygiene products, and extending to paints and rubber industries. While new fragrance formulations developed with new products in existing sectors create internal growth, new sectors are simultaneously being introduced to supplement existing ones. Nowadays, the production of 'unscented' products in fast-moving consumer goods is nearly non-existent. Manufacturers are aware of the direct relationship between fragrance and consumer purchasing decisions and place considerable importance on this matter. We design and produce fragrances for nearly 4,000 companies from more than 40 sectors, accounting for approximately 45,000 products.

The role of fragrances in the industrial, household care, personal care and cosmetics sectors is undeniably significant. Based on this position of fragrances in these sectors, could you provide an assessment of these sectors?

When I entered the sector, the foundations of the cosmetics industry were being newly laid. At that time, our cultural heritage cologne stood out with different floral notes and compositions. Regarding fragrance supply, various perfumery warehouses and pharmacies scattered across different provinces were operating in the country. Perfumery channels led in domestic consumption regarding product sales. Over the years, with the rise of personal care, hygiene and household care product categories, the cosmetics market expanded further. New product categories such as wet wipes, ambient fragrances, niche fragrances, etc. entered our lives. Sales points such as retail chains multiplied in parallel with the expanding product range. Consequently, in the cosmetics, household care, industrial and personal care sectors, both product variety and access opportunities increased equally, thereby increasing fragrance usage.

What are your domestic and international sales activities? Which regions do you work with in Turkey and globally?

Currently, we have nearly 4,000 customers in all 81 provinces of the Turkish market. Starting as an importing company, we have increased the number of countries to which we export from 56 to 72. We are proud to be the first fragrance company in Turkey to export fragrances produced domestically to countries such as France, America, England and the USA, and MG Gülçiçek fragrances are found in products of well-known brands in these countries. At the same time, the Middle East, India and Africa are among our active regions and areas where our exports are increasing.

How do you evaluate the production and consumption volume, particularly in the cosmetics sector?

The cosmetics sector, with its increasing importance and production/consumption volume day by day, constitutes a significant percentage of our production. Along with developing technology, many innovative products also emerge. Looking at economic data, we see that our sector records approximately 10% growth every year. Being part of such a dynamic sector is quite rewarding for us. At a time when Turkish brands compete with European brands at international trade fairs, large brands are now choosing our country to produce their products. Therefore, the export level of Turkish cosmetics products has also shown high-momentum growth in recent years. This also ensures that our fragrances are on shelves in many countries of the world alongside these products.

What services do you aim to provide to the household care and personal care sectors in the coming years? Could you discuss the advantages these services will bring to the sector?

This year we became the first Ministry-Approved Research and Development Centre in Turkey's fragrance sector. Of the 10 specific projects proposed by MG International Fragrance Company Research and Development Centre, 9 were approved by the review panel. The projects are based on research and development titles ranging from the chemical synthesis of specific aromatic compounds within the institution to enabling customers to possess fragrance formulations used in their final products. As the Gülçiçek family, we will continue our investments in innovative approaches in the fragrance sector and the sector's development. Our company's goals are to ensure that MG International Fragrance Company, currently among the world's top 20 in global competition, enters the top 10 within 10 years. The Sectoral Performance Award and Environmental Award we received in the past period are also indicators that we continue to contribute to the development of our sector. Ensuring sustainability through an infrastructure and technology focused on the environment and people is among our priorities.