Gaining in appeal for an international audience

The Anfas Hotel Equipment Exhibition, held at the Antalya Expo Centre on 18 - 22 January, is now in its 23rd year. LCNi first visited the show in 2010 and returning this year noticed that it seemed to be attracting more interest from outside the home market.

Focussed on hospitality and tourism, the show is based in Antalya, one of Turkey’s main tourist areas. According to a report in Turkey’s oldest English language newspaper, Hurriyet Daily News, the tourist sector saw big changes in 2011 with a decline in German and Israeli visitors but an increase in numbers from Russia and from Iran.

The exhibition organiser was certainly positive about the event. Figures were not available at the time of writing but around 35,000 were expected (compared with?27,000 in 2011). “Antalya is the biggest resort area and this is the only exhibition in Turkey that deals with all aspects of the hotel industry,” said ?Arzu Yüngül, exhibition director. She added that the event also included four competitions and four seminars. More than 30 countries were represented as exhibitors, including a first-time contingent from Austria.

The laundry equipment manufacturer Tolon is well known in the Turkish home market and also exports to India, Kazakhstan and Pakistan. With the aim of expanding its international presence, it recently obtained CE registration on three machines, 60 and 110kg washer-extractors and a towel folder.

Ömer Tolon said that he believed that Turkish manufacture would help to give these machines a competitive edge and Turkey was relatively near to Europe for deliveries.

Tolon had also invited one of its partner companies, Ustek RFID Solutions to share its stand. The company was formed by the owner of Pak Laundries in Istanbul and Tolon now acts as Ustek’s Turkish distributor.

Ustek’s managing partner, Kutluhan Usta told LCNi that this was the first time at the Anfas Hotel Equipment exhibition, which he thought was Turkey’s best show for laundry and hotel equipment.

The company’s multi-read, UHF RFID system was originally developed as a solution for the Pak laundries but later adapted to suit a range of applications. Ustek develops and produces all system components. At the time of the show it was awaiting test results on a recently developed high-pressure tag. Through a distributor network, it exports to Hungary, France, Italy and South Africa.

Kutluhan Usta is also president of the Turkish trade association TECDA, formed last year. It aims to persuade the Turkish government to recognise industrial laundry as a sector in its own right and to enforce certain hygiene criteria. He said there are some good laundries but the government needs to promote their high standards throughout the sector.

Tolkar is one of Turkey’s largest laundry equipment producers. Its machines are CE certified and the company is active in export markets. It exhibits regularly at the Anfas show.

Through its Smartex division it has developed the Miracle range of water and energy saving equipment.

Export manager Mehmet Karali said that the most important product on its stand was the gas-heated Miracle washer-extractor, which he claimed as an industry first. It was shown in 2010 but not introduced to the market until last year. It is available in three sizes – 60, 120 and 150kg – and Karali says that Tolkar can now offer a full gas-heated laundry package of washers, ironers and dryers for steam-free operation.

Stahl, the German laundry equipment manufacturer had exhibited last year alongside its distributor but was now dealing directly with the Turkish market. Although Turkey is very price sensitive, it is a good market for us said Uwe Stahl. The laundries want big machines that are high quality and have a long life cycle. Customers are also looking for suppliers that can meet all their machine requirements.

At the show the company was focussing on washers and dryers with capacities of 45kg and above and on ironers with two or three 800mm diameter rolls and 1,200mm or 1,600mm ironing lengths.

At the moment the interest was mainly from hotels, but the company had heard that hospitals might eventually be required to change to barrier washing, a Stahl specialist area.

Miele Professional, which produces machines for the premium sector of the commercial laundry market, has its own company in Turkey. Sales manager

Cem Otlu had only recently joined but had been involved in the laundry equipment sector for some time.

He estimated that the Turkish laundry market was worth around 40million Euro but the premium sector accounts for about 10million.

The company was focussing on the “green” aspects of machines and the Octoplus Stack, which combines a washer and dryer in a stack configuration with joint control system.

Emin Tekstil has been in business for 40 years. Hotel textiles are a relatively recent venture but it now produces both bed and table linen and the company was exhibiting at Anfas for the first time. One of the company’s main products is a 100% cotton with long-life benefits, sold under its Micro Cotton trademark. The company produces to order and 50/50, 70/30 and 80/20 blends are also available. It also exports Micro Cottons to Dubai, Holland and Russia, working with distributors.

Nur Tekstil has its head office in Turkey and factories in Turkey and Egypt. It produces bedlinen, table linen and towels and exports more than 80% of its production. Ebubekir Kiliçog?lu who works in export sales, said that the countries it sells to include Germany, Spain, France, Italy and USA. It recently took a stand at Heimtextil in Germany. This was the company’s first time at the Anfas exhibition and its aim at the show was to sell to hotels in Antalya.

Venta specialises in supplying steam generators. Regional sales manager Hakan Akkas¸ said that the company supplies the full range of industries that use steam. In the laundry sector its main customers are hotels and it recently completed an installation at the Xanadu Snow White Hotel in Erzurum.

As well as supplying the Turkish laundry market, the company also exports, mainly to the Middle Eastern countries such as Iran and Egypt, and to Romania, Azerbaijan and Russia.

Karinca Filtre is a specialist in technical textiles. Hakan Söylet said the company was established in 1994 and deals with a full range of industries.

It produces ironer clothing up to 3.5m wide and feeder belts for the laundry industry but this is a relatively recent venture for the company. These lines are produced at its new factory, which is around 60miles from Istanbul and convenient for transport links.

Söylet says that the company does some export business with these products, mainly to Uzbekistan. He does want to extend export sales but recognises the need to take this venture gradually and make sure he has the right specifications for the markets.

This was the company’s first time at the show but although it was only the second day when LCNi visited, Söylet seemed pleased and said he hoped to return next year.

Although most of the companies LCNi visited related to textiles and laundering, Sunmex was at the show as the Turkish distributor for brands mainly concerned with shirt services and drycleaning. It was the exclusive distributor for Böwe Textile Cleaning, Barbanti, Kreussler and Geiss.

Deniz Daniel Tayfur, the purchasing and logistics manager, said this was the family-run company’s second appearance at the show but he thought that the exhibition was very interesting. It was too early to give a final judgement but Tayfur said that the show seemed to be better than in 2011 and the company’s stand was well placed to attract visitors.

Talking in general terms, he said that the drycleaning market was crowded but many of the cleaners needed more training and to present a better ima­ge.

Disposing of still waste was a big problem but his company would help established customers with this by sending the waste back to Geiss in Germany, which specialises in this area.

The use of ozone systems to improve hygiene in the laundry process and save resources is new to the Turkish market and Maksimum Energi claims to be the only company with such a system. General manager Ruhan Ag?ar said the company, founded in 2009, had installed around 50 systems. Business had been good this year and the installations provided a reference point.