Schott lays the groundwork for its TRY 100m facility
GERMANY-BASED SCHOTT ORIM, which produces flat glass for the white goods industry in Turkey, laid the foundation of its new facility in Bolu with an investment of TRY 100m. The company’s General Manager, Hakan Gerdan, said that they are exporting from Turkey to 20 countries in four continents. “We will produce high value-added glass, mainly for ovens, cookers, hoods and refrigerator front doors in our new factory, which will operate in a closed area of 20,000 square meters. We aim to double the number of employees in Bolu as well as make a significant contribution to the Turkish economy with the products we export.”
Schott, which was founded in 1884, is a well-established global company operating in 34 countries with 40 factories and 16,500 employees. The Turkey market, in which the company entered in 1989, has a very important position in the Schott world, Gerdan said. “We work to make the lives of both producers and consumers easier with our innovative products and contribute to the success of our customers. Schott Turkey is in the top 10 in the tax ranking announced in its region every year. Last year, we reached EUR 60m in turnover and are planning to increase turnover this year.”
With the new production facility, Schott •rim expects to increase capacity in Bolu by 50% and total capacity in Turkey by 25%, Gerdan said. “We aim to increase the number of our employees, which is currently 700, to a thousand. •ur investment and infrastructure works continue to meet the increasing demands of our customers. We are also investing in Industry 4.0 and digitalization infrastructure, which we will launch in January 2022.”
PRODUCING VACCINE AMPOULES
“Schott made a record investment of EUR 320m globally in 2020,” Gerdan said, referring to the company’s investments in R&D studies and leading technologies. “An investment of EUR 350m is planned for this year. Schott, a technology company with over 600 scientists and over 3,000 patents, was the supplier of 90% of approved vaccine ampoules globally during the pandemic period. In addition, foldable glass, one of the latest trends in smartphones, is one of our innovative products.”