Offering about 200 products from coffee to bouillons in domestic and export markets, Sozer Food aims to reach five continents.
With their leading brands of Milker and Orello the company has a great share in sahlep and flavored granule products. The company tries to expand the range of products. Ozer Gurbuz, CEO of the company, informed us about his company:
Would you inform us about your company in general? What have you been producing in food industry?
Sozer Gıda company entered in food industry in 1990 with Turkish coffees. Since 1996 our company has been producing private label products for several retail chains. Our products are sold under several brands including Keyfi Sefa, Turkish coffee, Milker, instant coffee, coffee creams, three in one types, one shut hot chocolate, cappuccino, sahleps, ready-made sweets, bakery ingredients, Orello and Paradiso brand of soluble and flavored drinks, Brio cube and Golden cube brand powder and pressed bouillons. We have a factory of 10 thousand sqm, equipped with technological machinery, a 4 thousand sqm. of warehouse and 250 personnel. We also have necessary certificate for hygienic food production, ISO 9001: 2008, BRC and TSE. We are able to produce more than 200 product varieties totaling 24 thousand tons, annually.
What is the breakdown of sales in domestic and export markets?
In 2014, 15% volume of sales was from exports. The rest sold in Turkey, as sales of private labels, branded products, sold either in bulk or in packages. Trend is toward more exports. In Turkey, we sell our products through 5 regional offices, a large distributor network and via local distributors and retail chains of both regional and international.
Our sales are more in Marmara, BlackSea, South and East Anatolia, though we have a national sales network. We are the leading name in Milker brand sahlep and Orello brand flavored granule drinks.
You have a large product range. How do you procure raw materials needed for production?
We import coffee beans directly from Brazil. We are one of the largest importers of Brazilian coffee in Turkey. Also large amount of cocoa is imported directly and other materials needed for coffee creams and for other products. We buy other inputs from domestic suppliers.
You have one of the largest production capacities in Turkey. Are your capacity is sufficient to meet demands of customers abroad?
Having a monthly production capacity of 2 thousand tons is a serious volume. We have no problem of meeting voluminous demands of both our domestic and international buyers in terms of delivery schedules. There is not any risk of supply. Now we only utilize 70 percent of our capacity, so there is room for further sales. We also are planning expansions for the future. We are able to install required machinery for capacity expansion in a short time period.
What are your export markets? What are the new ones that you consider to enter ?
We export 45 countries in 5 continents. Having more customers in Africa and Middle East, we have serious contacts and business partners in Europe, Far East and North Africa. Our wide range of products are our advantage in these markets. Flavored drinks and bouillons are demanded more in African countries. We try to improve our sales in North American and Asian markets. We participate in the fairs held in these countries. Our aim is to export to more than 100 countries in 5 continents by 2020.
What do you have to say in general?
With their practicality, low prices and fast serving powdered drinks are increasing their sales, in line with growing competition. Competition is fiercer in hot and cold drinks and sweet products. Customer loyalty for these products especially towards leading brands is high. There are serious competitors of both national and international brands and new companies are entering in the market. In order to maintain competitive power in the market, companies should have depended of their product qualities and customer services. Besides, flawless production, timely distribution and delivery, innovative varieties, research and development are important factors to improve competitive power in the market. Sozer Gida has proved its power and will keep it position in the future.
As a hundred percent national company, we emphasize on research and development investments, and try to meet differing demands of ethnic markets by expanding product portfolio and to empower our brand name.
