Yıldız Holding reorganizes global brands under ‘Pladis’

LONDON

CİHAN photo

Turkey’s leading biscuits and confectionary group, Yıldız Holding, has reorganized its global brands, De Met’s, Godiva, United Biscuits and Ülker, under the Pladis umbrella, forming a new global giant with annual revenue of $5.2 billion and 26,000 employees.

“It is of great importance to be innovative, consumer wise and open to new ideas in order to become a global company. As a pioneering company, we have now combined all of our brands under one ceiling,” said Yıldız Holding Chairman Murat Ülker at a press conference to launch the new global food group Pladis on Jan. 16. 

He noted that the word “Pladis” comes from “Pleiades,” the Latin name of a seven-star cluster, which also represents Yıldız Holding’s famous brand “Ülker.”

Yıldız Holding has become the world’s third largest cookie company after its acquisition of Britain-based United Biscuits in 2014. 

“Our central idea is the new vision statement of our global business. It defines ‘why we exist,’ ‘what we want to achieve’ and ‘how we will achieve it,’” he added. 

Ülker said Yıldız Holding companies are producing chocolates, biscuits and all types of confectionery in 14 countries with 77 factories under more than 300 brands. 

Yıldız Holding plans to ramp up investments this year to above 1.6 billion Turkish Liras with a new planned project in East Africa and capacity increases in Turkey, the United States and Britain, the company’s deputy chairman, Cem Karaş, told reporters on Jan. 13.