I was born in the charming village of Alaçam, 27 km away from Bursa, nestled on the slopes of Uludağ with its clean air and abundant water. I grew up in an environment filled with various plants and trees.
It was 1993. I didn’t like a monotonous life and started exploring what I could do. I learned that wild blackberry jam was being made. I bought a phone directory and researched bakeries and jam producers. One company expressed interest in buying blackberries and asked for a sample. I gathered wild blackberries on a tray. My mother tried to dissuade me, saying, “Son, don’t be crazy, no one will pay for wild blackberries,” but I didn’t listen and went to the company with my samples.
The owner of the company tasted and inspected the blackberries, and offered to buy them for 10 TL at that time. I returned to the village and asked my nephews if they would collect blackberries for 8 TL. They immediately started working. The villagers, seeing my nephews collecting, asked if they could bring blackberries too. The quantities, which started at 100 kg in the early days, reached 1.5 tons daily. Our village was not enough; they started bringing blackberries from neighboring villages as well. Until then, the blackberries, which were neglected and cut from the edges of fields, gained value and began to be watered and cared for.
In our village, men would take the money from the crops, give only what was needed at home, and keep the rest for themselves. I did things differently and gave the money to whoever brought me the product. This benefited the women and children; they called it “money that the husband doesn’t see or know about.” Thus, a sector was formed. The company I provided the product to was Kafkas Pastanesi. They were the first to get me into the fruit business, and we have continued our warm relations and work since that day. Blackberries were no longer enough, so I started looking for other opportunities. I met Merko Gıda and started providing them with strawberries and peaches. Later, they took me into their procurement team as a permanent employee.
I worked as a raw material buyer for 12 years. Later, they faced financial difficulties and sold some of their factories. They wanted us to move to Izmir. I chose not to go and left, using my severance pay to buy a vehicle and continue working with other companies in the fruit sector. The companies I currently work with are:
– Çanakkale Ulubay Cold Storage
– Bursa Ülker Golf Ice Cream
– Kerevitaş AŞ
– Tartaş Gıda
– Betka Gıda
– Aroma Fruit Juices
My goal in this sector is to start production and make natural, additive-free products.
While working at Merko, my late father was diagnosed with diabetes in 1990. This resulted in a large wound on his foot, with even the bones visible. We couldn’t get results from doctors; some said his foot needed to be amputated, while others suggested taking a piece from the hip and grafting it. When hopes were fading, a beloved teacher gave me an herbal formula and suggested we use it. From that day on, my father drank a glass of herbal tea every day. Within about seven months, the wound on his foot began to heal. He continued his diet during this time and was completely healed within a year.
These experiences led me to herbal research. Whenever I saw a book about medicinal plants, I bought it. I downloaded documents from internet sites to expand my knowledge and listened to the experiences of elderly people to further develop myself. After leaving Merko, I immediately started a company to speed up both fruit and herbal businesses. In summer, when the herbal product season ends, the fruit season begins, and in winter, when the fruit season ends, herbal products increase. I manage to balance both.
In 2007, I traveled to India. There, I met with machine and empty capsule manufacturers and obtained the Turkey distributorship. I started importing machines and capsules from there and marketing them in Turkey. I also bought a machine for myself and started production with permission from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Currently, I am in the market with a product range of over 300 items. I signed an agreement with Bursa Ecza Koop for product distribution and started exporting to many countries. During one of my trips, I felt immense joy when I saw my products in a pharmacy in a remote mountainous district. This feeling is indescribable and must be experienced.
My goal in this field is to make these products, which are referred to as alternative medicine, a recognized and trusted brand in both Turkey and international markets. To this end, I established a company in Germany and started sending products there.
One of the few things a person won’t regret is working. Prosperity will naturally come with goodwill and hard work.
In accordance with legal regulations, we aim to continuously improve our products, services, and quality with a focus on uninterrupted customer satisfaction. With our exports, we aim to make our brand sought after in international markets.
Vitamin Group