1927 and the early years of the Turkish Republic...
The initial steps of the Yaşar Group were taken by a young Durmuş Yaşar, when he started to sell boat and marine supplies in Rhodes. In 1927, he progressed to opening his first shop, named ‘Durmuş Yaşar Müessesesi,’ which sold marine supplies and paints in the Seritçiler Çarşısı in Izmir.
By 1941, Durmuş Yaşar had moved into manufacturing, with the establishment of Turkey’s first paint workshop. There he started to produce Turkey’s first domestic paint products, namely ‘Yaşarin’ and ‘Hazırlanmış Boya’. From these modest beginnings, the business evolved again in 1945, when together with his son, Selçuk Yaşar, they looked to accelerate their expansion plans, and scale up their successful business model.
Industrialization in Turkey started in the 1940s and continued with increasing momentum into the 1950s...
In line with the industrialisation of the country, Durmus Yasar worked together with his sons to establish the first painting manufacturing facility in the Bornova region of Izmir in 1954. The same year was also the birth year of the Dyo brand. Throughout the 70s, the company continued to grow and establish its name within the paint sector. The first steps of working with international partners were taken in 1963 with the start of paint production licensed under the company, Sadolin of Denmark.
1965 –1985: the breakthrough years for the Yasar Group...
The knowledge and experience of the paint industry that was gained by the company in the 60s, was carried over into the 80s, with the establishment in 1984 of ‘Middle East (Ortadoğu) KVK’, a joint venture with the Danish company, Kemiks Vaerk Koege, which produces dyes and supplementary products for the textile industry.
The know-how and experience gained through the ’60s in the paint industry were transported to the ’80s with the establishment of Ortadoğu KVK in 1984, a joint venture with the Danish Kemiks Vaerk Koege company which produces dyeing materials and auxiliaries for the textile sector. In line with the development of national economy, these years saw many investments into diversified sectors in addition to paint, all carefully targeted to the requirements of the country and of the Aegean Region in particular, where the activities were concentrated: food, tissue, fertilizers, beverages, and water, tourism, foreign trading. The Group undersigned numerous firsts in these sectors during these years.
Numerous pioneering products were developed in these sectors by the Yaşar Group over the years. The first printing inks were produced in 1968; the first privately owned Milk Production Plant was founded in 1973. As goods started to be exported abroad, the Yaşar International Trade Group was established in the 1970s. This led to an increase in production and trade with international markets. In 1974, the Yaşar Group entered the tourism sector with the opening of the 1,100-bed capacity Altın Yunus Resort in Çeşme. In the 1980s the Yadex Company was established in Germany, in response to the increase in international exports. The first privately owned paper factory, Viking Paper, was added to the Group’s portfolio in 1982. Then in 1984 and 1985, the Group made their first investment in the food sector. This was backed by the establishment of Turkey’s first spring water bottling plant, Pınar Su, the first fish farming facility, Pınar Fisheries, and the first privately owned integrated meat facility, Pınar Et.
List of firsts:
Printing Ink Production - 1968
Privately-owned Milk Production Plant, Pınar Süt - 1973
1100-bed Tourist Resort, Altin Yunus Çeşme - 1974
Privately-owned Paper Factory, Viking Kağıt - 1982
Spring Water Bottling Plant, Pınar Su – 1984
Aquaculture Fish Farming Facility, Pınar Deniz - 1985
Privately-owned Integrated Meat Facility, Pinar Et- 1985
From 1985 onwards...
The Yasar Group continues to be a strong contributor to the Turkish economy with its rich portfolio of products and outstanding services.
In 1987, Turkey’s first fish feed production facility was established. Then in 1996, the Group started producing tissue paper. In 1997, Turkey’s first integrated turkey facility was set up, encompassing the complete cycle of egg production to the packaging of the final products, ready for distribution to the shop shelves. The same year marks the kick-off of operation at Desa Enerji, the Group’s investment into the energy sector with a view to supply uninterrupted energy to its companies.
In the 2000s, Yaşar Group decided to focus on paint and food sectors that it deems as its core businesses drawing from its pioneering initiatives, strong base of culture, experience and know-how.
New Pınar factories, producing milk and milk products, were opened in Izmir and Eskişehir to extend the Pınar reach into Mid and Eastern Anatolia. Marketing activities started to spread beyond the domestic market. In the 1970s, global markets opened for exported Pınar products, and the brand gained international recognition and visibility. By the year 2000, the Yaşar Group had started to penetrate Europe with the founding of Pınar Foods GmbH. That same year, the Group entered the Middle East and Gulf Region and gained a significant volume of business in those regions, where the HDF-FZCO company, a subsidiary of Yasar Holding, was active.
In 2001, the Yaşar Group founded Yaşar University, making one of the most significant contributions to the education sector in Turkey.
In the bottled water business, the Yaşar Group has increased its production capacity in recent years and achieved rapid growth. In 1996, the Group acquired four new springs and built plants, namely at the Madran spring in Aydın, the Gökçeağaç spring in Sakarya, the Akçaağaç spring in Isparta and the İnegöl spring in Bursa.
Growth of the Dyo paint brand was also seen internationally, as new partner companies were established in Eastern Europe, Russia and Africa.
In addition to production at its three coatings factories in Turkey, the paint business expanded its operations into Eastern Europe and Russia. The DYO brand strengthened in Romania after local paint production was started there. In 2004, the Group entered the Egyptian market.
Over the years, the Yaşar Group has introduced new, innovative and practical products to consumers, due to the continued core investment made in the Group’s Research and Development team. Recent product launches have included organic milk, prebiotic milk, probiotic-prebiotic yoghurt in the food sector, as well as hybrid products and the integration of nanotechnology in the paint sector.
In 2007, the Yaşar Group signed the United Nations Global Compact. Within this framework, an annual report is produced, describing sustainable activities and outlining future goals. In 2017, with the view that gender equality is significant both for economic and social development, the Group signed the ‘CEO Statement of Support,’ which supports women’s employment. By joining the Ministry of Family and Social Policy’s ‘Equality in the Work Place,’ the Group committed to increase women’s employment and advance their working conditions.
In 2014, Dyo further expanded its operation with the opening of a new factory for Dyo Powder Coatings in Turgutlu. In 2015, Pınar Süt established a new plant in Şanlıurfa, in addition to its existing production plants in the Aegean and Central Anatolian regions. On becoming fully operational, the factory aimed to contribute to the economic and development of the Southeast Anatolian region.
The Yaşar Group follows its strategic path of focusing on its core businesses. It has been a key contributor to the development of the Turkish private sector over the past 72 years.
With its 21 companies, four of which rank amongst Turkey's largest 500 companies, 25 factories and plants, employment for more than 7500 people, and a business model to deliver its products and services that encompasses over 1,500 dealers and 200,000 retailers, Yaşar Holding today features as one of Turkey's leading economic players.
In addition to the economy, the Yasar Group is committed to support the social and cultural development of Turkish society...
The Group takes pride in having been the initiator of the Dyo Art Competition in 1967. This was the first painting contest to be organized in Turkey by the private sector, and has continued over the years on an annual basis. In 1985, the first private-sector art gallery, namely the Selçuk Yaşar Art Gallery, was opened by the Group.
The Group’s core commitment to investing in the arts, culture and education continues via the supported activities of the Yaşar Foundation for Education and Culture, as well as via the Selçuk Yaşar Foundation for Sport and Education.
Over the long term, the Yaşar Group will continue being a leader in its core businesses, demonstrate its commitment and awareness raising of social responsibility issues, and further develop its role as a global player showcasing its leading brands of Pınar and Dyo.