With its growth-oriented strategy implemented in recent years, Çimsa has become one of the prominent global players in the building materials and cement industries, while continuing its steady expansion in Türkiye. Commenting on the subject, Sabancı Holding Strategic Investments and Operations President and Chairman of the Board of Çimsa, Umut Zenar, recalled that Çimsa was founded in 1972 and carried out its first production in 1975 at the Mersin Plant, stating: “When Sabancı is mentioned in Türkiye, one of the first things that comes to mind has always been strong production capabilities and a deep-rooted industrial culture. Çimsa is one of the strongest representatives of this vision within its sector.”
“We Are the World’s Second Largest Player in White Cement and the Third Largest in CAC”
Emphasizing that Çimsa’s production facilities in Mersin, Afyon and Eskişehir stand out in the sector with their sustainability-oriented production technologies and value-added product portfolio that provide Türkiye with a global competitive advantage, Zenar said: “Especially our Mersin plant is the only facility in the world capable of producing grey cement, white cement and CAC at the same time. In this respect, it is a facility that has entered the global building materials literature. Today, with our plants spread across three different continents, we are the world’s second largest player in white cement and the third largest in CAC. Our facilities in Türkiye are among the strongest supporters of this global leadership journey.”
Exports to 80 Countries from the U.S. to Australia, From Italy to South Korea
Highlighting that Çimsa continuously strengthens its export capabilities through product and market diversification, Zenar noted: “Today, we export to nearly 80 countries around the world, from the United States to Australia, and from Italy to South Korea. With nearly USD 1.5 billion in exports from Türkiye to global markets over the past five years, we are proud to contribute to our country’s value-added export mobilization.”
CAC Capacity Increase Investment to Be Completed in the First Half of the Year
Underlining that Türkiye has always been a priority for Çimsa, Zenar continued: “Over the past five years, our investments in Türkiye alone have reached nearly USD 250 million. This is the clearest indicator of our confidence in our country and the value we place on these lands. Today, we are the only producer in Türkiye of CAC, which acts as a bridge in the transition from cement to building materials and represents one of the most important examples of material transformation in our sector. With the completion of our ongoing additional CAC investment in Mersin in the first half of this year, we will reach a capacity capable of meeting approximately 20% of global CAC consumption in markets excluding China.”
Mersin: One of Çimsa’s and Turkish Industry’s “Centers of Intellectual Production”
Zenar also emphasized that the Mersin plant is one of the “centers of intellectual production” for both Çimsa and Turkish industry, stating: “With the technologies we develop at Formülhane, located in Mersin and serving as the first R&D center of the Turkish cement industry, we equip Çimsa with new capabilities. The Flycrete product, developed by our own engineers at Formülhane, enables areas exposed to heavy loads, such as airport runways, to be repaired within just three hours and made ready again for aircraft landings. On the other hand, Rapidome, which combines 3D technology with Çimsa’s specially formulated white concrete, allows the construction of future buildings in just 48 hours. In addition, with Kratos construction strengthening solutions that we added to our portfolio last year, we have further enhanced our building materials product range with high-tech synthetic fiber products. We deliver these value-added products, developed and manufactured in Türkiye, to global markets through our sales network spanning nearly 80 countries.”
