As a global industrial enterprise that operates in all core areas of glass production, including flat glass, glassware, glass packaging and glass fiber along with business lines comprising soda and chromium compounds, Şişecam continues its investments at full speed.
Şişecam has added yet another major investment to its production portfolio in Turkey: a second furnace with annual capacity of 240,000 tons at its flat glass manufacturing facility in the Polatlı district of Ankara. This investment aims to expand the Company’s production capacity in line with higher demand in the domestic market. Şişecam’s new furnace, with an investment cost of about 130 million USD, was commissioned on October 2, 2020, following the firing ceremony.
Şişecam Vice Chairman and CEO Prof. Ahmet Kırman, in his remarks on the new investment, stated that the Company continues its investments without interruptions despite the uncertainty caused by the global pandemic and focuses on creating value for the economy. Kırman added, “We have commissioned significant additional capacity at Polatlı for our domestic market, in line with our strategic investment plans. We aim to create value for all our stakeholders with future investments in line with our sustainable growth targets.”
“We have further bolstered our leadership in flat glass production in Europe”
Kırman emphasized that Şişecam has continuously broken new ground in all its fields of activity and pioneered the development of the flat glass industry in Turkey and across the region. He continued, “Today, Şişecam conducts flat glass operations in three key business lines: architectural glass, energy glass and home appliances glass. We provide input for major industries, including construction, furniture, energy and home appliances.
“Şişecam executes its flat glass operations in Turkey at four production facilities, in Bursa Yenişehir, Kırklareli, Mersin and Ankara Polatlı. Our facility in Polatlı has reached an annual production capacity of 540,000 tons with this new investment. As a result, this facility has become one of the largest flat glass production bases in Europe. We now operate eight flat glass furnaces in Turkey. Şişecam’s total flat glass production capacity has climbed to 3.4 million tons per year. As a result, we have further bolstered our leadership in flat glass production in Europe.”
“Şişecam’s total investment amount in the Polatlı facility is over USD 268 million”
Kırman pointed out that Şişecam operated the largest flat glass furnace in Turkey and the near region with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons when the Polatlı flat glass production facility was first commissioned in 2014. He said, “We established our flat glass production facility in Polatlı with an initial investment of more than 138 million USD. Following the most recent about 130 million USD investment for the second furnace, Şişecam’s total investment in the Polatlı facility is over 268 million USD.”
“Total employment at the Polatlı facility will increase by 30 percent”
Kırman stated that Şişecam ranks among Turkey’s leading industrial enterprises in terms of employment generated. He continued, “We plan to expand our workforce at the Polatlı facility with the second furnace investment, which significantly increases our flat glass production capacity. Total employment at the facility will increase by 30 percent to about 300.”
“We aim to capitalize on opportunities in new business areas that will add value”
Kırman emphasized that Şişecam continued to operate, produce and invest in 2020, a year marked by the global pandemic. He stated, “We remain committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of our employees, business partners and customers, without interrupting our production and services related to the essential needs of society during these challenging times.
“We are effectively contributing to the battle against the pandemic thanks to our superior research and technological development expertise and production strength. In addition to strategic moves to boost efficiency in our existing business areas in the future, we will also capitalize on opportunities in new business areas that will add value to Şişecam.”
“We are making necessary preparations to achieve our ambitious goals in the ‘new normal’”
Stating that 2020 has been both an extraordinary period as well as a historical turning point for Şişecam, Kırman continued, “2020 is a critical year. We are making necessary preparations to achieve our ambitious goals in the world of ‘new normal’ – where nothing will ever be the same again, neither economically nor socially. We are also excited about completing the merger process that started at the beginning of this year with the purpose of consolidating all our business activities under a single entity to boost our global competitive edge in line with our long-term strategies.
“Currently, our only company trading on Borsa Istanbul (Istanbul Stock Exchange) is Şişecam. We have completed the largest merger of the Turkish capital markets with exemplary success. Şişecam has become the industrial enterprise with the highest free float rate in Turkey – 49 percent. Thanks to this important step toward building the Şişecam of the future, we will focus on the principle of global excellence. In the coming period, we aim to become more integrated, digital, optimized and operationally excellent.”