Katmerciler and French Gimaex reached to an agreement on establishing a participating company
Agreement is undersigned for the new company establishment which will make İzmir a regional production and export center in Fire Fighting Vehicle manufacture. This company, which is planned to be commissioned in October and will be active especially for export purposes, will manufacture new models based on advanced technology.
As a result of negotiations, an agreement is reached for equal share partnership between Katmerciler, a pioneer and leader company in the national on-board equipment sector with an experience over 25 years, and French Gimaex International, one of the leading companies in the world for fire fighting vehicle production.
Partnership agreement for the establishment of new company, which will focus on Fire Fighting Vehicle manufacture and will make İzmir a regional production and export center, is undersigned in a ceremony held on Wednesday, September 07, 2011, with the participation of parties.
In the signature ceremony held at the factory facility of Katmerciler – the single public owned company in the sector (KATMR) – in İzmir Atatürk Organized Industrial Zone the agreement is undersigned by Mehmet Katmerci, General Director and Chairman to Board of Directors of Katmerciler, and Philippe Mis, Chairman to Board of Directors of Gimaex Group.
Katmerci: With this new company we will increase our export, and strengthen our international position
In his speech in the signature ceremony, Mehmet Katmerci, General Director and Chairman to Board of Directors of Katmerciler, calling attention to the fact that Katmerciler, established in 1985 and went public in 2010 with an experience exceeding quarter century, exports own manufactured vehicles to 40 countries, said, “Our export will increase rapidly and our position in international markets will be stronger with the company we will established together with Gimaex.”
Underlining that Katmerciler, working based on the principle of unconditional customer satisfaction from manufacture to after-sales services and never compromising quality, maintains its sound and powerful growth with new investments, Mr. Katmerci stated that new and advanced technologies will be used in national production thanks to the partnership to be realized with Gimaex, a world-renowned company on fire fighting production. Katmerci continued his words as follows:
“This new company, of which management and production center will be located in İzmir, shall manufacture fire fighting equipment and shall work mainly for abroad markets. We will utilize Gimaex’s advanced technology employment and diverse product development ability in our country. In the future we aim to become a company producing various fire fighting vehicles not produced in Turkey today. Such kind of products will increase export power of our company and our country, as well as reducing import. They will reduce foreign currency loss but ensure more foreign currency input. Joint forces of Gimaex and Katmerciler will open the door to new markets as well as strengthening the existing position of both companies in current markets. İzmir will become an international production and export center on fire fighting equipment. In our country where unemployment is considered to be one of the major problems, providing employment opportunity to 100 individuals in addition to the current 300 employees is a great resource of joy for us. In the future, employment would increase parallel to the increases in production and capacity.”
Stating that the new company shall produce in the new factory of Katmerciler, which is about to be completed with an investment of 6 million USD, Mehmet Katmerci said, “The new company which will be established with 50-50 partnership, in a sense will be lease holder of Katmerciler. The factory adjacent to the existing factory of Katmerciler is being prepared with the potential of advance technology, considering especially production of fire fighting equipment. We are planning to commission and start production in the new factory, which our nation will be proud of in our own sector, in October.”
Mentioning that new partnership will be a sister company to Katmerciler but no cash transfer from Katmerciler will take place excluding capital share, Mehmet Katmerci said, “May it bring good luck to our country, to our İzmir, to our sector, to our company, and to our investors.”
Philippe Mis: We are impressed from production, marketing, and sales power of Katmerciler
Taking floor afterwards, Philippe Mis, Chairman to Board of Directors of Gimaex Group, stated that “they feel great happiness to be partners with a reliable, public, and transparent company such as Katmerciler, which is a pioneer and leader company, whose products circulate 40 countries in the world.”
Stating that they are impressed from the quality of employees and management of Katmerciler, which progresses on its way to become an international brand, it excellence and experience based on long years, ability to produce turn-key products under single roof, its after-sales services, and marketing and sales force on national and international scale, Mis called attention that Turkey, right in the middle of Africa, Middle East, the Caucasus, Near Asia, and Balkans, is a strategic company in terms of being more influential on international market. Mis also said:
“Katmerciler is already a very effective company on international markets with a wide range of products. Our joint company will completely focus on fire fighting equipment production and will produce heavily for markets outside Turkey. We will claim a very powerful position in international markets on fire fighting equipment with the solid synergy from Gimaex’s power on the field of technology and Katmerciler’s superior abilities and capacities in the field of production.”
Mentioning that Gimaex, which had a revenue of 10 million EUR in the year of establishment, i.e. in 2003, has increased annual income up to 110 million EUR in eight years with a sound and rapid growth and is currently one of the leading companies with 370 employees, Philippe Mis added, “The new joint company shall be a significant step where both companies shall win. Both Gimaex and Katmerciler shall win. We are carrying the enthusiasm to commence production in October.”
About Gimaex
Gimaex International is one of the largest fire fighting equipment manufacturers of Europe. The company was established in 2003, with the merger of two French companies, namely rescue equipment manufacturer Bemaex and fire fighting equipment manufacturer Gicar. The title is formed by joining the titles of these two companies. In 2004 the company included in the group the fire fighting ladder manufacturer Riffaud and German special equipment manufacturer Schmitz. Today Gimaex carries on its activities with 370 employees and an endorsement of 110 million EUR. Besides being the sector-leader in France, Gimaex exports its equipment to every corner of the world. 60 percent of the sales are performed out of France.
