Sunday, 8 May 2005 | Levent OZLER
Turkey's Top Construction Company Aims For ME
Mesa Imalat
Turkey's Top Construction Company Aims For Middle East Expansion
'Made in Turkey' to provide launch pad for Mesa Imalat's Middle East intentions
Turkey's largest construction materials company has set its sights on major growth in the Middle East and will use the first official Turkish trade exhibition in the UAE in June to launch its expansion plans in the regional market.
Mesa Imalat, which holds an 85 percent share of Turkey's domestic construction market, has announced that it is opening an office in Sharjah and is also making plans for a further operation in Kuwait to take advantage of the burgeoning construction projects going on in the region.
"We have a thriving business on home soil and we are already exporting to the USA, UK Europe, CIS and the Far East," said Recep Bayramogu, regional coordinator, Mesa Imalat.
"We have already begun exports to the UAE and Kuwait and the demand is such that we require on-the-ground operations so that we can fully exploit the opportunities here. We hope to see our exports achieve US$ 25 million during 2005," he continued.
The company, which has been involved in the earthquake rebuilds at Marmara and various five-star hotel constructions in Turkey, will be showing the Middle East market its range of forms, pre-cast elements and scaffolding products at the "Made in Turkey" exhibition, taking place at Dubai's World Trade Centre from 4-6 June.
Authorised and licensed by the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade, 'Made in Turkey' is the Turkish Government's first official trade fair aimed at generating business for the country's construction, fashion and machinery sectors. The exhibition attracted a record 150 participants from the outset, a figure which has now increased to 245.
Organised by Expotim International Fair Organizations Inc., a Turkish events management company, the exhibition is being staged at a time when Turkey is aiming to increase trade volumes with the Gulf region to equal 30% of its total foreign trade.
The Turkish Government is pursuing a free trade agreement with the GCC countries, in particular the UAE which provides a gateway to the rest of the Gulf region, the Indian sub-continent and the East African markets.
Having enjoyed extensive success in the west through a free trade agreement with the EU, Turkey now aims to strengthen its ties in the East with which it shares so many cultural values.
With exhibitors from the machinery, construction, fashion, decoration and furniture industries taking part, "Made in Turkey" highlights the country's efforts to increase the diversification of the goods it exports, and all participating sectors have contributed to a significant rise in trade volumes to and from the Middle East.
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