Eczacıbaşı Opens Tissue Paper Plant

In its 80th year of operation, the Eczacıbaşı Group is accelerating growth steps both domestically and internationally, with Morocco emerging as the latest link in its investment chain. Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products, one of the Group's constituent companies, has established itself as the sole international company engaged in production, sales and marketing of tissue paper in Morocco through a factory built with a EUR 25 million investment. Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products entered the African market with its tissue paper factory established in Casablanca, Morocco. With this investment realized during the Group's 80th founding year, Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products, a leading player in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, became the only international company engaged in both production and sales of tissue paper in Morocco. The factory in Morocco, which has a median age of 28 and a population of 37 million—representing significant potential in tissue paper consumption—was established with an investment of EUR 25 million. The facility, capable of producing 1,200 toilet paper rolls per minute, manufactures over 50 product varieties under the Solo and Selpak brands, including toilet paper, paper towels, napkins and handkerchiefs. The site, which operates the fastest machinery in Morocco, aims to bring secondary phase investment plans online in the coming period.  

Speaking at a press tour organized to introduce the new factory, Eczacıbaşı Group Chief Executive Officer Atalay Gümrah stated that the Group continues to work with care and confidence for a healthy future, drawing inspiration from its 80-year history, and made the following comments on the matter:

"In 2022, we allocated over EUR 200 million in resources for investments to drive growth in our core business areas. In the first three quarters, we invested approximately EUR 150 million. Our investments will continue through the remainder of 2022 and into 2023. Beyond organic investments, we are also implementing different projects in our business areas. For example, recently we made a new stride in healthcare by acquiring Gensenta Pharmaceuticals. In our Group, which derives more than 60 percent of its revenues from international trade, Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products' objective is also to grow through international investment and commerce. An important step toward this objective is the facility we are visiting today. The plant we commissioned in Morocco with an investment of EUR 25 million represents 100 percent Turkish capital. Additionally, it stands out as the Group's first investment on the African continent. As the sole international investor in the tissue paper sector in Morocco, we believe that this investment by Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products will accelerate Morocco-Turkey commercial cooperation. With our Selpak and Solo brands, we aim to achieve leadership in Morocco just as we have in Turkey."

"As Turkey's leader, we are growing in international markets"

Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products Chief Executive Officer Bülent Kozlu emphasized that they work with the goal of accompanying every moment of life for clean and healthy living, stating: "With our leading and pioneering brands trusted by consumers in tissue paper, baby care, personal care and home care categories, we are present in 7 out of every 10 households. As the creator of tissue paper in Turkey, Selpak, and subsequently with our Solo brand, we have pioneered numerous innovations in this field. Through our investments, we have both increased our production capacity year on year and expanded the market. We are reaching a capacity of 250,000 tons in tissue paper production in Turkey. While maintaining our leadership with a 22 percent share in the tissue paper market in Turkey, we are accelerating our steps toward becoming a regional force through our operations in different countries."   Noting that international sales account for 23 percent of Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products' turnover, Kozlu stated: "In our journey that began with semi-finished product exports in the 1980s and continued with exports of our Selpak branded products in the late 1990s, we are today among the largest exporters in the tissue paper products sector. For us, internationalization means localization in different markets, exports and brand investment. The Moroccan market, where we have experienced uninterrupted growth since 2018, holds an important place in our regional power plans. Our goal is to increase the share of international sales in our turnover to 50 percent by 2026. With Selpak now established in Morocco, we hold a 47 percent share in the premium segment. Following Selpak's entry, Solo's expansion into the standard segment marks our time to become an even larger player in the Moroccan market. On the other hand, Morocco is just a beginning for us. By further strengthening our local production and marketing capabilities in Morocco and leveraging the experience we have gained in this market, we plan to export to different countries and make investments in other African countries."   Tolga Yazgan, General Manager of Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products Morocco Factory, providing information about the company's position and objectives in Morocco, noted that per capita tissue paper consumption in Morocco currently stands at 2 kg and continued as follows: "Globally, annual per capita consumption averages 6 kg; in developed Western countries it is 16 kg; and in Turkey it is 7.5 kg. The data indicates that the Moroccan market will grow at 5 percent annually on a tonnage basis. The market's growth potential played an important role in the investment decision. In the Moroccan market, where we have operated with Selpak since 2018, we have achieved very significant and rapid progress and succeeded in becoming the leading brand in the premium segment. Following Selpak's success, with the strength of our local production, we have introduced our Solo brand to embrace a wider consumer base. With our September launch, we made a rapid entry into the standard segment with Solo. By 2025, we aim to become the leading player in the entire tissue paper category in the Moroccan market with our Selpak and Solo brands."