Arda Aksaray Answered Our Questions

In the interview we conducted, Arda Aksaray, Board Member of Teksüt, answered our questions. Aksaray provided information about Teksüt's high hygiene standards and sustainability approach.

Could you provide information about the history and current structure of Teksüt, one of the long-established brands in our country?

Teksüt, today one of Turkey's largest dairy and dairy products companies, was founded in 1956 by Recep Arınık in Gönen, a district of Balıkesir. Teksüt has continued its efforts without interruption for 67 years to provide better and higher-quality service to our customers, and by founding date, we are Turkey's most long-established dairy products company. Our primary goals include delivering Teksüt's quality and flavors to customers both domestically and internationally, gaining their favor and maintaining it. We continue to advance by adding new flavors to our product range. [caption id="attachment_155117" align="aligncenter"] Arda Aksaray, Board Member of Teksüt[/caption]

Could you tell us about your domestic and export sales activities? What types of products do you primarily sell to which regions domestically and internationally?

Teksüt ranks among Turkey's most long-established and largest dairy and dairy products companies. We conduct our production at a modern facility built on a total of 80 thousand square meters, of which 27 thousand square meters is enclosed, located in Gönen, Balıkesir. Today, with a daily capacity of one thousand tons, we produce over 40 dairy and dairy products in 8 categories, and we export to 24 countries across 4 continents. Our company is one of Turkey's largest organizations not only in the dairy sector but also in the general Turkish food industry. Among dairy and dairy products companies, we rank among the top 5 firms. We have a very wide product range from white and kashkaval cheese to cream and strained cheese; from labne, clotted cream, butter, yogurt and ayran to cheeses such as Mihalic, Çeçil, Dil, Misket and Çubuk. We have Regional Directorates in Istanbul Europe, Istanbul Anatolia, Ankara, Bursa and İzmir, and distributors affiliated with these regions. We distribute our products across a large area in Turkey, including in national and local chains. In addition to all of this, since 2021 we have focused on growth in e-commerce and retail sales channels offering fast convenience store delivery. This was a decision we made both in response to existing conditions and in line with our customers' expectations. Teksüt products are sent to Bulgaria, the United States of America, Germany, Austria, France, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Libya, Kuwait, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Mauritania, Singapore, China, Georgia, Lebanon, Qatar, South Korea, Switzerland and Dubai. Behind this is planned and continuous teamwork. As Teksüt, we are an organization that has been exporting for many years. We have been sending products to the United States since 1997. Teksüt has completed all its export permits to China and European Union countries for all product lines. This provides us with a significant advantage. Additionally, our products receive taste awards in international categories. We participate in and open booths at major events and trade fairs that we believe have potential in different regions of the world, display our products and hold bilateral meetings. Through all of this, we spread and share the flavors of Anatolia with the world.  

Could you provide information about Teksüt's work on food safety and hygiene?

Teksüt is a company that delivers its products to customers in Turkey and in different geographies of the world. From cheese to yogurt, from ayran to butter—in the journey of milk and dairy products, which are the most basic sources of nutrition in our lives, from farm to table, the most important factor in making Teksüt quality become today a known and sought-after taste is the continuation of the quality and confidence understanding that has persisted for 67 years with the same meticulousness as on the first day. We process milk sourced from approximately 10 thousand producers in farms and villages in the Gönen region of Balıkesir. We deliver milk and dairy products under the Teksüt brand to the tables of 24 countries across 4 different continents of the world. Food safety and quality are monitored with extreme care in our organization. From the sourcing of milk to its processing and arrival on tables, we implement policies and practices compliant with world standards at every stage. We conduct our work with an understanding that showcases milk's purity, beauty and value, while also being aware that dairy products must be very well protected and reflecting the importance of packaged and branded products. As Teksüt, by applying the highest standards possible in the food sector, we have been sending products to the United States since 1997 and export products to the European Union. We adjusted the highest level hygiene rules we currently apply in accordance with the pandemic conditions determined by TSE, making them compatible with new criteria. As a result of inspections and controls conducted by the Turkish Standards Institute, Teksüt also received the "Covid-19 Safe Production Certificate." Among our other certificates and documents are: Quality and Food Safety Policy Certificate, Turkish Standards Compliance Certificate; TS EN ISO 9001 Certificate, Turkish Standards Institute Quality Management System Certificate, TSE Food Safety System Certificate, TSE Turkish Standards Compliance Certificate, TSE Halal Compliance Certificate, Food Safety Management System Certificates, BRC Food Quality Certification; and FSSC Food Safety Management System. In addition to quality management, we have been conducting training activities for years. We provide information and organize training activities for both our own employees and milk producers with whom we cooperate.

Could you provide information about your approach to sustainability and the environment and the activities you have conducted in these areas?

Milk production in Gönen and its surroundings is a tradition. The experience of regional producers plays an important role in making milk production sustainable. At the same time, the compatibility of the work done with the environment is very important. We have understood much better in the last five years how important agriculture and animal husbandry are. We have all experienced together how sensitive matters the environment, nature, production and consumption are. As Teksüt, we carefully evaluate every stage from the production phase until our products reach tables. In our production facility, we carefully monitor every stage from energy to air conditioning. We make an effort to be compatible with nature, the environment and our region, and subsequently with the world with every step we take. Our work is not limited to just this. We try to approach education and awareness activities as a whole. By meeting the education and awareness needs of milk producers, we also contribute to the regional and national economy. The quality of milk is of great importance both for public health and the sustainability of production. From the point where milk is collected until it reaches tables, all products derived from milk are produced in our facilities in accordance with international quality standards. Additionally, in order to benefit from all the properties of milk, animals must be healthy, properly fed, and producers must be aware of hygiene matters. Meeting the education needs of milk producers, increasing their knowledge and competency levels regarding their own work, and thereby achieving more efficient and higher-quality milk production. We regularly conduct awareness activities with producers not only on animal health and milk hygiene, but also on many topics such as lighting, ventilation, water and feed supply, and waste removal. We place great importance on training at every stage both in our facilities and on farms. We inform our employees at every level, repeating the information to make it part of life. We regularly conduct training and awareness meetings organized by the Teksüt Quality Department. We conduct information and training activities with milk producers in the Gönen region. In the training activities conducted in the region, we perform information updates and situation assessment work for farm owners and workers. Alongside producers, Teksüt employees also participate in training activities both within the company and in field conditions where producers are present. Teksüt's work not only improves and increases the company's product quality but also raises awareness among milk producers in the region, paving the way for higher-quality milk production.

What criteria do you prioritize when developing Teksüt's investment plans? Does Teksüt have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

Our priority in investment planning lies in several different areas. We have investment work aimed at increasing and improving our existing production lines. For example, we have increased the capacity of our UHT milk line. In addition to this, we have an investment plan for work related to new products. These are included in our production-oriented activities and plans. Additionally, we are planning investments aimed at reducing costs and increasing efficiency and quality for the coming period as we do every year. Energy, as you know, is an important agenda item not just for Turkey but for the world. We are working on this; we are planning to make a solar energy investment in our production facility.