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CENTURY-OLD OTTOMAN COMPANIES SERVE GENERATIONS OF TODAY WITH PRIDE
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Aug 7 2013
7 August 2013 /GAMZE GUL, Ä°STANBUL
Century-old companies established during the late-Ottoman era that
still survive to this day continue to serve the country's economy while
carrying on traditional brands for future generations to embrace,
according to the book "Age-Old Companies of Turkey and Ä°stanbul"
released by the Ä°stanbul Chamber of Commerce (Ä°TO).
Research shows that contrary to the common belief that Turkish
companies fail to survive for long, 99 companies that are at least
90 years old were found to still be operating in Turkey to this day.
These companies were established sometime between 1777 and 1923,
operating mostly in the food sector.
The oldest company, a confectionary, was established back in 1777
and was originally called "Bekir Efendi." Back then, confectionary
businesses were mostly carried out by families who came from the
province of Kastamonu, like Bekir Efendi (Sir Bekir) himself. His
business, which distinguished itself from its competitors by offering
different varieties and ingredients from what was typical, had won the
hearts of Ottoman Ä°stanbulites, and he was also appointed the "chief
confectioner" of the Ottoman palace by the sultan of the time due to
his well-deserved fame. The company changed its name to "Hacı Bekir"
(Pilgrim Bekir) after Bekir Efendi went to Mecca on pilgrimage. The
company has continued to pass on its Ottoman tastes to new generations.
Another age-old company called Hamidiye (which now sells bottled water)
was established in 1902 to bring an end to Ä°stanbul's water crises
as the city was constantly challenged by dried-up fountains. At the
time, water for use in daily life was not only scarce but drinking
water was limited, too. A commission appointed by Sultan Abdulhamid
II searched all over Ä°stanbul looking for water and they discovered
about 60 springs in the Kagıthane district. With expenses covered
by the sultan, the company began serving people. It was operated by
the Ä°stanbul Municipality, which still runs the company.
At the time when another entrepreneur, Hacı Sadık, moved to İstanbul
from Albania, boza was a very popular winter drink. The boza-making
business was mainly run by Armenian immigrants, and so Hacı Sadık
started working as an apprentice to one of them. However, not too long
after, Hacı Sadık believed the taste of boza had room for improvement
and started his own boza-making business, "Vefa Boza," in 1876. The
company, which he expanded with his son, is now 137 years old and
still operates from the same location in Ä°stanbul's Vefa neighborhood.
Yıldız Entegre, which puts Turkey's medium density fiberboard
(MDF) production at second place in the world, is also a decades-old
company, as it was established in 1890 by Hasan Efendi, who was a
timber trader. The business of Hasan Efendi -- who would take such
care as to only cut down trees he manually selected to avoid cutting
ones that were too young -- took a turn for the better in 1930 when
he moved to Samsun from Trabzon and expanded his trade. Yıldız
Entegre, which became a corporation in 1972, is now the world's
biggest integrated MDF company and is operating from Kocaeli.
In 1893, another entrepreneur, Ahmet Aga would bring salt from Tuz
Gölu (Salt Lake) in central Turkey to Konya on his carriage. However,
when World War I broke out, he moved from Konya to Ä°zmir, where he
started transporting goods such as tobacco, cotton, fig and grapes,
and his family expanded the business. Eventually theirs became the
first company to use trucks in Ä°zmir's transportation sector. The
company has carried on its business to this day under the name of
Tuzcuoglu Nakliyat and has been operating for about 120 years.
Other old companies that are still serving today's generations
include: Ziraat Bankası, which was established in 1863 by Mithat
PaÅ~_a; Hafız Mustafa, a confectionary founded in 1864; Kurukahveci
Mehmet Efendi, a famous Turkish coffee-maker that started in 1871;
and Hacı Å~^akir, originally a soap maker in 1889 that now offers
a variety of bath products.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-323081-century-old-ottoman-companies-serve-generations-of-today-with-pride.html
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Aug 7 2013
7 August 2013 /GAMZE GUL, Ä°STANBUL
Century-old companies established during the late-Ottoman era that
still survive to this day continue to serve the country's economy while
carrying on traditional brands for future generations to embrace,
according to the book "Age-Old Companies of Turkey and Ä°stanbul"
released by the Ä°stanbul Chamber of Commerce (Ä°TO).
Research shows that contrary to the common belief that Turkish
companies fail to survive for long, 99 companies that are at least
90 years old were found to still be operating in Turkey to this day.
These companies were established sometime between 1777 and 1923,
operating mostly in the food sector.
The oldest company, a confectionary, was established back in 1777
and was originally called "Bekir Efendi." Back then, confectionary
businesses were mostly carried out by families who came from the
province of Kastamonu, like Bekir Efendi (Sir Bekir) himself. His
business, which distinguished itself from its competitors by offering
different varieties and ingredients from what was typical, had won the
hearts of Ottoman Ä°stanbulites, and he was also appointed the "chief
confectioner" of the Ottoman palace by the sultan of the time due to
his well-deserved fame. The company changed its name to "Hacı Bekir"
(Pilgrim Bekir) after Bekir Efendi went to Mecca on pilgrimage. The
company has continued to pass on its Ottoman tastes to new generations.
Another age-old company called Hamidiye (which now sells bottled water)
was established in 1902 to bring an end to Ä°stanbul's water crises
as the city was constantly challenged by dried-up fountains. At the
time, water for use in daily life was not only scarce but drinking
water was limited, too. A commission appointed by Sultan Abdulhamid
II searched all over Ä°stanbul looking for water and they discovered
about 60 springs in the Kagıthane district. With expenses covered
by the sultan, the company began serving people. It was operated by
the Ä°stanbul Municipality, which still runs the company.
At the time when another entrepreneur, Hacı Sadık, moved to İstanbul
from Albania, boza was a very popular winter drink. The boza-making
business was mainly run by Armenian immigrants, and so Hacı Sadık
started working as an apprentice to one of them. However, not too long
after, Hacı Sadık believed the taste of boza had room for improvement
and started his own boza-making business, "Vefa Boza," in 1876. The
company, which he expanded with his son, is now 137 years old and
still operates from the same location in Ä°stanbul's Vefa neighborhood.
Yıldız Entegre, which puts Turkey's medium density fiberboard
(MDF) production at second place in the world, is also a decades-old
company, as it was established in 1890 by Hasan Efendi, who was a
timber trader. The business of Hasan Efendi -- who would take such
care as to only cut down trees he manually selected to avoid cutting
ones that were too young -- took a turn for the better in 1930 when
he moved to Samsun from Trabzon and expanded his trade. Yıldız
Entegre, which became a corporation in 1972, is now the world's
biggest integrated MDF company and is operating from Kocaeli.
In 1893, another entrepreneur, Ahmet Aga would bring salt from Tuz
Gölu (Salt Lake) in central Turkey to Konya on his carriage. However,
when World War I broke out, he moved from Konya to Ä°zmir, where he
started transporting goods such as tobacco, cotton, fig and grapes,
and his family expanded the business. Eventually theirs became the
first company to use trucks in Ä°zmir's transportation sector. The
company has carried on its business to this day under the name of
Tuzcuoglu Nakliyat and has been operating for about 120 years.
Other old companies that are still serving today's generations
include: Ziraat Bankası, which was established in 1863 by Mithat
PaÅ~_a; Hafız Mustafa, a confectionary founded in 1864; Kurukahveci
Mehmet Efendi, a famous Turkish coffee-maker that started in 1871;
and Hacı Å~^akir, originally a soap maker in 1889 that now offers
a variety of bath products.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-323081-century-old-ottoman-companies-serve-generations-of-today-with-pride.html