Eczacıbaşı Group Announces New Investment

New Investment from Eczacıbaşı Group Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri, an entity within the Eczacıbaşı Group, has completed a EUR 65 million paper machine investment at its Manisa plant. Eczacıbaşı Group, which launched an investment drive in 2022 during its 80th year of operations and continues this momentum in the Republic's centennial year, has doubled the tissue paper production capacity at its Manisa plant with this new investment. With the investment, Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri' total tissue paper production capacity has reached 250,000 tonnes, while investments made in the last 2 years have exceeded EUR 700 million. Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri, which has pioneered the development of personal hygiene habits and market growth, plans to maintain its leadership in Turkey's branded market through capacity increases while also raising exports as part of its internationalization plans.

"Our mobilization to heal the wounds of the earthquake continues"

The opening ceremony of the 5th paper machine production line at the Manisa plant was held with the participation of Eczacıbaşı Group Board Chair Bülent Eczacıbaşı, Eczacıbaşı Group Chief Executive Officer Atalay Gümrah, Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri Chief Executive Officer Bülent Kozlu, Manisa Deputy Governor Ahmet Yılmaz, Manisa Metropolitan Mayor Cengiz Ergün, Manisa Organized Industrial Zone Board Chair Sait Cemal Türek, and other officials. Speaking at the ceremony, Bülent Eczacıbaşı emphasized that they continue their mobilization to heal the wounds of the earthquake disaster and believe that investments contributing to the country's economy are particularly important and valuable during this period. Eczacıbaşı stated that as the group that introduced Turkey to tissue paper and pioneered the sector, they are pleased to make a new investment in Manisa during the Republic's centennial year, and expressed the following: "In the history of our group, which began in the 1940s, one of the biggest steps was our investment in tissue paper. Through the investments we have made over the years and the products we have offered in health, hygiene and cleanliness, we have been part of our country's efforts first toward self-sufficiency and then toward opening up through competition. In Eczacıbaşı's history, I must say that our Manisa plant and tissue paper brands hold a very important place alongside Yalova. As Turkey's tissue paper sector grows year after year in terms of capacity, production and exports, Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri makes us proud as the pioneering and leading organization in its sector with its brands. I wish this investment, made in our Republic's centennial year, to be auspicious for Manisa and our country. As Eczacıbaşı Group, we will continue to fulfill our responsibilities in both economic and social areas to heal the wounds together and recover together."  

"The investment drive we launched in our group's 80th year continues"

Eczacıbaşı Group Chief Executive Officer Atalay Gümrah stated that the investment represents a continuation of the investment drive the group accelerated in 2022, its 80th year, and will make significant contributions to the organization's growth targets while raising Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri' tissue paper production capacity. Gümrah said, "With the EUR 65 million 5th paper machine investment made to the Manisa plant, our group's investments over the last 2 years have exceeded EUR 700 million. This investment will enable us to produce more innovative products in the Turkish market where we are a leader and will bring new investments with it. On the other hand, it will provide important production capacity in Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri' internationalization journey." "While this investment grows our exports, it will also supply our Morocco plant with the bobbins it produces" Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri Chief Executive Officer Bülent Kozlu stated that Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri has grown continuously since establishing Turkey's first tissue paper plant in 1969, and with the strength it derives from Eczacıbaşı Group, has risen to the position of a company expanding into international markets, and continued as follows: "The Turkish tissue paper market, which has reached a size of TRY 11.5 billion excluding out-of-home use, holds the highest share in the personal care category. Eczacıbaşı Tüketim Ürünleri is currently the leading company in the branded tissue paper category with a 22 percent market share. Today we are pleased to implement our 5th paper machine production line investment that will further strengthen this position. With the machine we are putting into operation through a EUR 65 million investment, we are doubling the production capacity at our Manisa plant while increasing our total capacity by 40 percent to 250,000 tonnes. When we include our investments first in Morocco and then in Manisa in the tissue paper category, and the new investment we will make in Manisa in the coming period, we will have made a total investment of EUR 110 million over the 3-year period spanning 2022-2024. Additionally, this investment will grow our exports while supplying our Morocco plant with the bobbins it produces. We are proud to add value to our country through our investments, production, employment and exports."

New investment also supports sustainability targets

According to information provided, the investment in question also supports the organization's sustainability-focused target of more efficient production with less energy. Implemented using advanced automation systems that increase energy and water savings as well as innovative artificial intelligence technologies, the new investment contributes to raising the Manisa plant's production and sustainability standards to the highest possible level, particularly regarding quality, efficiency, occupational health and safety. Waste heat discharged from the stack after the drying process, one of the most important stages in paper production, is reused to provide improvements of up to 10 percent per tonne in production. The system reduces natural gas consumption through the energy savings it provides, thereby lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, through the use of high energy-efficiency motors, it also reduces electricity consumption. Source