International Operations

From regional power to global competition...

Aiming to be the leading food company in its region when it first started exporting, Yıldız Holding today is on its way of becoming a global player with its 7 production facilities in 7 countries.

Yıldız Holding accomplished the first of its overseas investments in 1974 with exportations with a volume of 200 thousand dollars. The purchaser of the first exports was Kuwait, and then came other requests from Saudi Arabia. Export performance of Yıldız Holding evolved continuously to this day, parallel to the positive developments in the Turkish economy. Yıldız Holding managed to create its own market in countries where it exports, especially developed the relative markets in the Middle Eastern markets. Currently Ülker branded goods meet customers in more than 110 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Balkans, Commonwealth of Independent States and Africa.

Market volumes grew with time, as well as product profiles. Products of the Food, Beverage, Confectionery and Chewing Gum Group and also of the Packaging Group are now exported with traditional lines such as biscuits, chocolate and confectionary.

Aside from exports playing a significant role in the increase in availability of the Ülker brand on an international scale, investments were also made in order to grow the markets of Yıldız Holding brands. Infrastructures for not only production, but also for sales and distribution were established while making international investments. Today Yıldız Holding operates in 7 production facilities in 7 different countries. The Holding produces biscuits, chocolate, cakes and crackers in Saudi Arabia, Romania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. And also, Yıldız Holding incorporated two facilities in Belgium and USA with the Godiva acquisition made during the end of 2007.

Yıldız Holding had obtained an income of 1.3 billion dollars at the end of 2008 from the activities performed by means of international investments and exports.