Bursa-based industrial chemical manufacturer Sözal Kimya has accelerated its international growth strategy by diversifying its corporate portfolio into next-generation polymer frameworks and functional silicone technologies. Operating logistical nodes across the United States, the Netherlands, and Uzbekistan, the company currently exports to 20 countries and has focused its recent capital expenditure on the global silicone oil sector, which maintains a market volume of approximately $180 billion. Aiming to push its export-to-revenue ratio beyond 25 percent, the firm continues to deliver value-added inputs like high-performance engineering plastics and masterbatches to locomotive sectors, particularly automotive manufacturing.
Scaled Industrial Infrastructure: From Local Storage to Advanced Hubs
Founded by Eren Sözal in 2007, the organization systematically expanded its production volume to achieve nationwide supply capabilities. The brand's infrastructure journey gathered momentum in 2009 with the launch of a 3,000-square-meter warehouse and analytical laboratory facility in the Kestel Organized Industrial Zone. This was followed in 2013 by a new site in the same district, offering 8,500 square meters of enclosed space and 3,000 square meters of open operational fields.
A major cornerstone of the long-term expansion blueprint was laid in 2016 with a 35,000-square-meter land investment in Karacabey. Currently operating a combined infrastructure of 45,000 square meters across its Kestel and Karacabey plants, the enterprise handles a monthly masterbatch production capacity of 6,000 tons, positioning itself as a vital manufacturing node for specialized polymers in Turkey.
High-Tech Segments: Silicone Oil Sourcing and the TEKNOSAB Expansion
While maintaining its core market lines in textile dyes through green chemistry formulations that optimize process efficiency and lower water consumption, the company redirected its R&D focus to the specialized silicone oil sector, a market controlled by a limited number of global manufacturers. To rapidly scale this line, which currently accounts for 2 percent of total corporate revenue—the executive management is planning a brand-new facility dedicated exclusively to silicone oil synthesis inside the Bursa Technology Organized Industrial Zone (TEKNOSAB).
This highly technical chemical process is backed by strategic international collaborations and specialized global human resource networks. While Turkey and India remain the primary manufacturing hubs for the enterprise, secondary logistically driven sales frameworks are being actively deployed across markets like the US and Spain.
"The Chemical Industry Holds the Same Strategic Weight as Defense Sectors"
Addressing the automotive sector's light-weighting trends by synthesizing high-strength, carbon-based performance plastics, Eren Sözal, Chairman of the Board at Sözal Kimya, emphasized the macroeconomic criticality of the industry:
We chose industrial manufacturing. We re-invested our earnings directly back into our core business, which allowed us to build a robust production infrastructure today. Manufacturing without chemical inputs is virtually impossible. Therefore, the chemical sector holds the same strategic weight as defense sectors; we must remain resilient. Value-added production and process efficiency are our most critical domains. Despite the current contraction in general textile lines, we continue to increase our market share. Our goal is sustainable expansion and establishing a robust global brand presence.
