Emlak Konut Elevator Factory Opened in Konya

In the Turkish Century, Emlak Konut Asansör (EKA), Turkey’s domestic and national lift brand, started production.

Emlak Konut Asansör’s factory in Konya was inaugurated on January 30, 2023, with the participation of Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; Mustafa Varank, Minister of Industry and Technology; Ertan Keleş, Chairman of Emlak Konut Board of Directors; Bilgehan Bozkurt, General Manager of EKA; and hundreds of guests. Built on 70,000 m² of land in Konya, the  5th Organized Industrial Zone with a closed area of 15,500 m², the factory will initially produce the EKA S1 Model with a maximum speed of 1.75 m/s and a cruising distance of up to 75 m and the EKA S2 Model with a maximum cruising distance of 120 m at a speed of 2.5 m/s. EKA, launched with the aim of creating a global brand that can both produce and assemble with domestic and national facilities, aims to launch the EKA S3 and S4 models, which will be able to address much higher cruising distances and speeds in the coming years with the R&D Center established within its body. EKA seeks to reach an export target of over US$20 million by employing a total of 15,000 people with the service and assembly teams it will constitute throughout the country.

Speaking first at the opening ceremony, Bilgehan Bozkurt, General Manager of EKA, explained the state of EKA since its establishment and its short and long-term goals. He stated that the goal of EKA, which opened in February 2021, is to be among the top seven companies in the world as a global brand. Bozkurt noted: “Taking into account the current market needs, we have successfully completed the design, production and all tests of our EKA S1 model in reference to our country’s horizontal urbanization policy and EKA S2 model as a solution to imports in high-rise buildings” and expressed that they have reached the capacity to serve in all residential offices, shopping malls, hospitals and subways with both models. Bozkurt added that the factory, which was completed in a short period of 14 months, has reached a capacity to produce 5,000 units annually, thanks to the machine line they created with industry 4.0 technology. Bozkurt said that they performed all safety, comfort and performance tests of four lifts simultaneously in the 42 m-high test tower they built in their production facilities in order to offer a perfect experience to end users. He also explained that they obtain all their energy from nature with the solar energy panels they installed on the roof of the production facilities. Lastly, Bozkurt talked about the user-friendly software and preventive maintenance works they have developed within EKA, and mentioned the S3 model, which can reach a speed of 8 m/s, and the escalator projects they plan to launch in the coming years.

Mustafa Varank, Minister of Industry and Technology, took the floor afterwards. He emphasized that the companies have turned into global companies doing business around the world, saying: “While Turkish companies undertook projects worth US$4.4 billion abroad in 2002, this figure increased to more than US$30 billion in 2021. Of course, the growth in the construction sector has positive repercussions in many other sectors.” Pointing out that the elevator sector has also gained momentum, Varank said: “The annual turnover of the sector, in which more than 3,000 companies operate with 32,000 employees, is currently around US$3 billion. The sector also shows a successful graphic in exports. In 2019, we exported US$230 million of lift and lift parts. In 2020, this increased to US$250 million. In 2021, it increased by 20% compared to the previous year and reached US$300 million. There are currently around 800,000 active lifts in our country. The Turkish elevator market is one of the biggest markets in the world. There is a significant potential for growth in the elevator sector both at domestic and international level.” 

Highlighting that domestic producers in the sector have achieved significant success in the country, Varank continued by saying: “Their market share is not bad. One of these companies is Emlak Konut Asansör, a subsidiary of Emlak Konut GYO. Currently operating on a 70,000-m2 area, 17,000 m2 of which is closed, Emlak Konut Elevator has a high domestic production rate of 75%. The production facility is compatible with digital production. With the solar panels installed on its roof, it meets all of its electricity consumption from renewable energy with its own means. It has an annual production capacity of five thousand passenger and fire lifts, 500 escalators and moving walkways. It aims to increase its turnover of US$6.2 million to US$42 million in 2023. The employment provided by the company is increasing every year. In the process, they started with 47 employees; the number of employees has now reached 147. The 2023 year-end target is 310 employees. In terms of exports, it will hopefully end this year with a figure of US$20 million. One of the most striking aspects of the company for me is that it allocates 6% of its total turnover to R&D.”

Highlighting that they have introduced comprehensive support programs to increase the domestic and national production of sectors under the guidance of the national technology move, Varank said: “The elevator sector is one of the sectors we support. So far, we have supported many projects with TÜBİTAK, ranging from safe shaft systems to smart lift systems, from home-type new-generation lift systems to the development of new-generation lift motors. We provided approximately 100 million liras (US$5.3 million) in grants to 85 research projects for industry. With KOSGEB, we have granted over 18 million liras (US$956,000) to 281 enterprises in the last three years. We also support the R&D and Design Centers of six different companies.” Varank stated that Emlak Konut Asansör R&D Center was also established with the support of the Ministry, and that eight projects are being carried out at this R&D center.

Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, stated that the opening of Emlak Konut Elevator Factory in Konya, with a 75% domestic production rate, was a great excitement.

Describing his time in Emlak Konut, Minister Kurum emphasized that they will work with determination to produce domestic and national products. Expressing that lifts are technological products that increase the quality of life and add value to a building, Minister Kurum said, “When you look at the Planned Areas Regulation, there is an obligation to build lifts in all buildings exceeding four floors. We can say that more than 85% of the buildings in our country need a lift. Therefore, we cannot ignore that the Turkish elevator sector has strategic importance. With our urban transformation projects and social housing projects with TOKİ, there are significant developments in the sector, and we also have a growing economy. Today, our goal is to be among the world’s top 10 largest economies. For this reason, the Turkish elevator sector needs to grow together with the construction sector and be considered together.”

After the opening speeches, the ribbon was cut with the participation of the entire protocol. Following the factory tour, the protocol visited the leading elevator factories in Konya and made on-site observations.