HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Yıldız Holding is a Turkish conglomerate that is best known for
manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...
products. The company also produces other consumer goods and has its own retail, private equity and real estate operations. Yıldız Holding is among the largest food manufacturers in CEEMEA (
Central and Eastern Europe Central and Eastern Europe is a geopolitical term encompassing the countries in Baltic region, Northeast Europe (primarily the Baltic states, Baltics), Central Europe (primarily the Visegrád Group), Eastern Europe, and Southeast Europe (primaril ...
, the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
, and
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
), the company generated revenues of 391 billion (
US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
13.5 billion) in 2023 across all businesses. The company employs 80,000 people and has 42 factories (20 of which are outside Turkey). Yıldız Holding has over 300 brands available in 5 continents reaching 4 billion people. Through Yıldız Holding's core focus on biscuits, cakes and confectionery, the company has become number two in the world in the sweet biscuits category and number seven in the chocolate category by revenue.


History


1940s

Sabri and Asim Ülker, whose parents migrated from the Crimea to
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, began manufacturing biscuits in 1944. The company opened its first factory in Topkapı in 1948 and its first biscuit factory in 1965.


1970s

The 1970s was a period of expansion, with the company moving biscuit production to
Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
in 1970. Ulker produced chocolate for the first time in 1972, which proved so popular that a dedicated chocolate factory was built in Istanbul in 1974. In the same year, the company began exporting to the Middle East and opened its own R&D division in order to compete with international competitors.


1980s

The company began manufacturing some of its own equipment in the 1980s. In 1984 the Topkapı Makine facility was founded to create the machines required for biscuit and chocolate production within the group. In 1989, Yıldız Holding was created to consolidate all operations and businesses within the group.


1990s

Yıldız Holding continued to expand its operations, entering the margarine, vegetable oil and industrial food oil market in 1992 and the dairy industry in 1996. The company also increased its international expansion, partnering with Cerestar to form Pendik Nişasta in 1993, producing the first cake bars and filled cakes in Turkey. It sold its share of the company in 2021.


2000s

Yıldız acquired premium chocolatier Godiva Chocolatier in 2008. Yıldız began producing ice cream, baby food, soda and cola-style beverages and instant coffee. The company also entered the cereal market with Kellogg's, creating Ulker Kellogg's in 2005. The partnership ended in 2018. In 2009, Yıldız combined operations with Danish gum technologist Gumlink.


2010s

Yıldız saw further growth in 2012, when it formed a partnership with SCA, a paper and personal care company, and acquired retail chain ŞOK Supermarkets. In 2013, Yıldız acquired meat processor Aytaç. In 2014 Yıldız Holding purchased DeMet's Candy Company in the United States and United Biscuits in the UK. In 2016 the company brought together its core biscuit and confectionery businesses Godiva Chocolatier, United Biscuits, Ulker and DeMet's Candy Company, to form a new global company, “pladis”. In 2018, in the course of the Turkish currency and debt crisis, 2018, Yildiz Holding unexpectedly requested its creditors to restructure as much as
US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
7 billion in loans. In 2019, Yıldız Holding sold Godiva's operation in Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and its manufacturing facility in Belgium to
MBK Partners MBK Partners (MBKP) is a private equity firm focused on North Asia. According to Forbes, MBK Partners is one of the largest private equity firms in Asia. In 2023, ''Private Equity International'', ranked MBK Partners as the eighth largest privat ...
.


Operations


Food

Yıldız Holding's food production business was its first and remains one of its key sectors. The company's brands include Ülker, which operates globally and is part of pladis, a group that includes GODIVA, United Biscuits, and DeMet's. As of 2017, pladis was the second-largest biscuit company and seventh-largest chocolate company in the world. Yıldız Holding also offers other food products, such as edible oil, frozen food, and charcuterie. Adapazarı Şeker, one of Turkey's oldest sugar factories, and DFU, a leading Turkish frozen bakery company, also operate under Yıldız Holding.


Pladis

Pladis is a global biscuit and confectionery company which was established in January 2016 when Yıldız Holding brought together
United Biscuits United Biscuits (UB) is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of McVitie's biscuits, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In ...
,
Ülker Ülker is a Turkish multinational food and beverage manufacturer based in Istanbul, Turkey. Its products are exported internationally, to 110 countries. Ülker's core products are biscuits, cookies, crackers, and chocolates, although it has ex ...
, Godiva Chocolatier (excluding stores), and DeMet's Candy Company.


Retail

Retail operations consist of four separate brands.


Bizim Toptan

The largest Cash & Carry chain in Turkey, with over 170 stores in more than 70 provinces.


g2mEKSPER

It focuses on the out-of-home consumption sector, offering sales, supply, distribution, and logistics services for food and non-food products needed by professional kitchens and businesses.


Seç

Convenience stores A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lottery t ...
was established to support small-scale tradespeople, and its markets operate throughout Turkey.


Şok

Discount
supermarkets A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. Strictly speaking, a supermarket is larger and has a wider selecti ...
one of Turkey's largest retail chains, with over 9,500 stores and 40,000 employees.


Yıldız Tech

Yıldız Tech supports the digital applications of the holding, especially in software development.


Private Equity Investment

Gözde Girişim Sermayesi Yatırım Ortaklığı is Yıldız Holding's private equity company and is listed on the Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GOZDE.Gözde Tech Ventures was established by Gözde Girişim Sermayesi Yatırım Ortaklığı, to invest in technology start-ups and drive the development of innovative business ideas. Yıldız Holding has invested in several companies, including Makina Takım, Azmüsebat, Polinas, and Penta Teknoloji, creating added value for these companies.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yildiz Holding Holding companies of Turkey Food and drink companies based in Istanbul Conglomerate companies established in 1944 Conglomerate companies of Turkey Food and drink companies established in 1944 Multinational companies headquartered in Turkey Turkish companies established in 1944 Coal in Turkey