30
CONSTRUCTION EUROPE
SEPTEMBER 2013
TURKEY
Overseas sales andmarketingdirectorYilmaz
Sarica said, “We are currently selling 75% of
our equipment domestically, and 25% goes
to export. There is very harsh competition for
concrete equipment in Turkey at the moment,
so we want to reverse the import/export
figures to 25% domestic and 75% export.
“We need market regulation to lead to a
level playing field – some companies from
the Far East are coming in with equipment
at very low prices. The government needs to
look at this.”
Indeed, new types of machines are being
introduced to the Turkish market all the time.
Merlo, for instance, presented a selection of
telescopic handlers at Komatek. Area manager
Mirko Finotto said, “The potential Turkish
market is very large for us. The concept of a
telehandler is very new to people here – they
are used to working with wheeled loaders,
which are more costly to operate, but it is
slowly gaining ground.
And Evren Göymen from Acarlar Makine,
a fledgling rental company which also
distributes Haulotte equipment in Turkey, was
equally enthusiastic.
“Demand in Turkey is growing by 30% to
40% every year, but we are still introducing
telehandlers to the market so the growth is
from a low base. People don’t think about
safety so much and we don’t have such strong
legal rules. But the market is changing, and
has already changed a lot.
“We import machines and act as a dealer,
but also provide after-sales services and
rental. The rental market is not big at all at the
moment, but the pace of change is speeding
up. In the next five years, I see us as a really
strong rental company with a fleet of at least
1,500 units. Currently we have 400 units.”
ACCESS MARKET
Signs are also positive on the more
specialist access equipment side in Turkey.
Turkish manufacturer Hidrokon is finalising
production of a 70m truck-mounted
work platform, for instance, following the
introduction of a 45m working height model
earlier in the year.
Meanwhile İstanbul Vinc – one of the biggest
access equipment rental companies in Turkey
– is signing new agreements, and this year
became the exclusive distributor for Chinese
aerial work platform manufacturer Mantall.
Established in 1996, it also distributes
Holland Lift scissors, CTE compact and trailer
lifts, Jekko mini cranes, Starlift hoists, Instant
Upright aluminium tower systems and IPS
spare parts.
Mustafa Bilgin, İstanbul Vinç general
manager, said, “Turkey is one of the markets
with the most growth. The economy is
booming, especially the building sector and
aerial work platform market.”
Access lift, construction hoists and transport
platforms manufacturer Geda-Dechentreiter
also views Turkey as a growth market, and it
opened a subsidiary in the country earlier this
year to sell and service building maintenance
lifts. It plans to add manufacturing in the
future.
Trading under the name Geda Major, the
subsidiary will initially service the area around
the Bosphorus strait, which includes Istanbul,
as well as focus on exports to the Russian
market. Geda managing director Johann
Sailer said, “We are the only company that
Merlo presented
a selection of
telescopic handlers
at Komatek
“In Turkey, fuel consumption is very
important” - Ebru Nihan Celkan, marketing
manager of Volvo’s local dealer ASC Turk
Geda-Dechentreiter managing director
Johann Sailer, “I think over the next five years
we could triple our turnover here”
