Chinese white goods producer invests 85 mln euros in Turkey’s Eskişehir

Gizem Karakış - ESKİŞEHİR

China-based home appliances producer Haier has established a factory in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir, Haier Europe CEO Yannick Fierling said in a press meeting on Oct. 24.

The total of the investment will rise from its initial level of 40 million euros to 85 million euros next year to create 1,600 jobs., the company executives said.

“Turkey is the second largest country in white goods manufacturing after China. Haeier, which is a new company, is number one in the world,” said Fierling.

Besides its Candy and Hoover brands, the company will start to sell products under its main brand in Turkey next year, he added.

In the 45 million-euro factory established in Eskişehir, nearly 1 million dishwashers will be produced annually by 700 employees, according to Fierling’s remarks.

Haier Europe production director Mehmet Ali Karasu said that an adjacent factory, which will be built on a land of 44,000 square meters, will create 900 jobs.

Some 1.5 million drying machines will be manufactured in the second factory, said Karasu.

Turkey continues to attract investors

Turkey is expected to attract more foreign investments after global giants such as IKEA, Boehringer Ingelheim, LPP and DW Reusables made inroads in the country, trade representatives have said.

Molak Nowakowski, president of the Polish-Turkish Chamber of Commerce, said Turkey’s investment environment and incentives are suitable for foreign direct investments from Europe and other countries.

Turkey dominates in the field of logistical infrastructure, he noted, and as a result Polish companies are looking to Turkey instead of China.

He added that Turkey offers better product quality and cost advantage.

Koray Akgüloğlu, Nowakowski’s Turkish counterpart, said Polish investors are aware of developments in Turkish sectors such as medical equipment and cosmetics and plan to make investments in the country, with the opening of shops and production plants in the pipeline.

Tuğrul Seremet, the chairman of Turkey-Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, said the investment of DW Reusables in a Turkish plastic firm was a noteworthy move.

He noted that the critical disruption in supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic was a milestone for Turkey-Europe relations.

“Similar investments will continue increasing and there will be positive developments in foreign trade volume,” he added.

Kadir Kurtuluş, the head of the Russian-Turkish Trade House, said Turkey offers several opportunities to investors with economic advantages and geopolitical location.

Turkey does not only offer cost advantage in container transportation, it also provides low-cost ro-ro, cargo and truck transportation methods, he added.