From baklava to jam kingdom

Half of 12 thousand tons of production is of jams
One of the companies in jam and halva business in Turkey, Seyidoglu produces 12 different jams and keeps its growth with product expansions. General manager Mehmet Goksu introduced the company:
On history of Seyidoglu company
The story began with baklava. The grandfather Habes Seyidoglu was selling sweets in Karakoy, Istanbul. He then moved to a shop in Laleli. These were the basis of our business. New shops were opened stages by stage at several locations of the city. In line with growing demand, the company established a greater factory and began to produce halva, jam and delights. In the year 2000 we quit halva business.
On production plant
In our factory that was built in 2006 250 workers are employed and about 300 varieties are produced. They are sold in several packages for 20 grams to 20 kilogram. The factory which has 15 thousand sqm covered area, will be extended to 4 thousand sqm this year.
In this factory we produce jams made of 12 different fruits, including sourcherry, apricot, rose, blackberry etc. Fresh and frozen fruits are bought from farmers in Afyon, Kutahya, Bursa, Isparta and other regions. Our production capacity for jams is about 6 thousand tons annually. All raw materials for production are procured from domestic sources.
On distribution
We have a large network of distributors especially in Istanbul that are supplied by 4 main distributors. Besides, we have 14 retail shops. Our products are sold in 40 cities in Turkey.
All our products are made natural foods. They contain no additives. In 2016 we plan to produce organic products sold under certificates.
Our team of research and development are working to develop new varieties. Our experts are sent to fair held in abroad to catch new ideas and to improve our products, packages and tastes.
Out of home consumption is on the rise by 20 %. In jam category we may be the leader. There are two major halva producers.
On exports
We started to export our products in 2011. This year we sold 4 million dollars worth of product. Our products are sold under Sultanbaci brand in England. Both Turks and native Britans liked our products. We sell about 1 million dollars worth of product in this market. Besides, our products are sold well in Germany and in other countries including Iraq, Greece, Algeria, Libya, Palestine, Japan and the USA.
On fairs
20 percent of our production is exported. This year we aimed to enter ten new markets in abroad. We planned to participate in Gulfood, ISM and Anuga fairs in order to extend our export markets. Turkish speaking countries, Macedonia, Kosova and south and North African markets are our other target markets.
In general
Falling customs duty of sesame is an important development for us. It was lowered to 10 percent from 23.4 %. Volume of sesame produced in Turkey is not sufficient for growing demand. Thus it is imported. Sesame is the basic ingredient for halva and tahini production. When our costs were down our exports will increase more.