Şişecam Breaks Ground for Glass Packaging Plant in Hungary

Global glass company Şişecam held the groundbreaking ceremony for its EUR 255 million Greenfield glass packaging facility in Kaposvar, Hungary. The groundbreaking ceremony for the facility, which will be Şişecam's first glass packaging production plant in Europe and will enable easier access to the European market for quality glass packaging products, was attended by Hungarian Foreign Minister and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, Kaposvar Member of Parliament Attila Gelencsér, Kaposvar Mayor Károly Szita, Şişecam Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kırman and Şişecam Chief Executive Officer Görkem Elverici. Highlighting that a significant portion of Şişecam's international sales go to the European market, Şişecam Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kırman stated in his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony that creating value for the entire ecosystem is among Şişecam's top priorities.

"Hungary played a major role in our prioritization"

Kırman stated: "The European market represents one quarter of the global glass packaging market and offers significant opportunities for the industry's rapid development and the expansion of our company's current production footprint. Our positive experience in Hungary played a major role in prioritizing Hungary when planning our glass packaging production facility investment in Europe." In his remarks, Şişecam Chief Executive Officer Görkem Elverici noted that the Hungary investment is a product of Şişecam's value-creating sustainable growth vision and stated: "Once completed, our facility will have an annual production capacity of 330,000 tonnes and will be realized with a EUR 255 million investment, enabling us to bring our quality glass packaging products closer to the European market. It will meet glass packaging demands from both Hungary and a wider geographic area for foreign markets. It will also make a significant contribution to Hungary's exports." Şişecam, the only global player operating in all core areas of glass globally, continues its investments with the goal of becoming one of the world's three largest producers in its main areas of operation. Operating as a global player across all core areas of glass including flat glass, glassware, glass packaging and glass fiber, as well as soda and chromium compounds, Şişecam held the groundbreaking ceremony for its first glass packaging facility in Europe in Kaposvar, Hungary, with a new EUR 255 million investment. Hungarian Foreign Minister and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, Kaposvar Member of Parliament Attila Gelencsér, Kaposvar Mayor Károly Szita, Şişecam Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kırman and Şişecam Chief Executive Officer Görkem Elverici attended.

"We aim to strengthen our presence in the European glass packaging market"

Şişecam Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kırman, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, stated that Şişecam brings its innovative products to customers in more than 150 countries while growing by creating value for the entire ecosystem. Emphasizing that they continue to develop in line with their sustainable growth strategy, Prof. Dr. Kırman stated: "Şişecam, operating with a total of 10 production facilities in 4 countries in the glass packaging field and annual production capacity of 2.6 million tonnes, carries out a significant portion of its international sales to the European market. While the European market represents one quarter of the global glass packaging market, it also contains significant opportunities for the industry's rapid development and the expansion of our company's current production footprint. With our Hungary investment, which will further strengthen Şişecam in the glass packaging field, we aim to continue investing in Kaposvar and strengthen both the region's development and our presence in the European glass packaging market."

Şişecam will make important contributions to the region's development

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kırman, noting that his activities in Hungary began with an acquisition in 2013, said that the company's positive experiences in the country played a major role in prioritizing Hungary when planning its glass packaging production facility investment in Europe: "Known as a long-term investor, Şişecam will make very important contributions to the region's development through its holistic and inclusive development vision that supports stakeholders. With quality and high value-added glass packaging products, it will provide inputs to many different sectors. Creating economic value for our entire ecosystem in the markets where we operate is equally important to us as ensuring that our activities comply with our sustainability strategy spanning the entire value chain from raw materials to the final product. Our new investment in Hungary is also being planned and implemented with the same approach. Within the framework of Şişecam's sustainability vision aimed at leaving a better world for the future and in line with the European Union's Green Deal protocol, our facility will use technologies that reduce carbon and water footprint. In addition, planning has been done to increase energy recycling and efficiency.

Our Hungary glass packaging facility will be realized with a EUR 255 million investment

In his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony, Şişecam Chief Executive Officer Görkem Elverici noted that the Hungary investment is a product of Şişecam's value-creating sustainable growth vision, stating that the company grows by supporting its ecosystem through permanent investments, managing risks correctly and capitalizing on good investment opportunities. Görkem Elverici stated: "Our glass packaging facility investment, which we target to come on stream in 2023 and reach full capacity in 2025, will have an annual production capacity of 330,000 tonnes upon completion. Our facility, realized with a EUR 255 million investment, will enable us to bring our quality glass packaging products closer to the European market. It will meet glass packaging demands from both Hungary and foreign markets over a wider geographic area. It will also make a significant contribution to Hungary's exports." Highlighting that Şişecam is recognized as an important stakeholder not only through the economic contributions it provides through its investor identity in the regions where it operates but also through its contributions to development and employment, Görkem Elverici continued: "With the commissioning of our new facility in the glass packaging field, which will create direct employment for over 330 workers, Şişecam's total employment in Hungary will reach 650, and the number of people whose employment is supported together with our subcontractor firms will approach 1,000. The trade volume created by our operations in the region will also enable the development of many sectors along the glass packaging value chain. Our facility, which will stand out not only for the economic value it creates but also with its environmentally friendly and technical features and will contain the most advanced applications of glass melting technology, will use the latest technologies compliant with Şişecam's smart factory vision in both system design and equipment selection, and will benefit from electric melting technology alongside natural gas. This technology, which Şişecam has developed with its superior innovation capability, will serve our activities aligned with our sustainability approach and our carbon footprint reduction targets." Source