General Outlook / Industry

Kocaeli remains one of the fastest developing manufacturing regions of Turkey, thanks to industrial investment begun under a state-run planning period, gaining in intensity especially between 1960 and 1975.  Kocaeli’s manufacturing industry, possessing as it does the means for producing both intermediate and investment goods, has since the close of the ‘70s found itself second only to Istanbul in national importance.  This holds true for both its overall productivity and for the revenue it generates.  Statistics over the last decade show Kocaeli averaging a 13-14% share in Turkey’s manufacturing industry productivity. 

 

The national sector may be represented thus:

 

Consumer Goods:                 2.82%

Intermediate Goods:             22.03%

Investment Goods:                10.23%

   

 

There are 1915 manufacturing enterprises registered with the Chamber of Industry and operating in Kocaeli.  The table below shows the number of firms in their various sectors.

  

INDUSTRIES BY SECTORS
NUMBER of
FIRMS
Food Products Industry Group
81
Livestock/Poultry and Feed Industry Group,
38
Flour, Flour Products & Sugar Products Industry Group
41
Wooden Products Industry Group
93
Manufacture of Paper Product and Publishing Industry Group
56
Basic Chemical Industry Group
86
Medicine and Other Pharmaceuticals Industry Group
77
Petroleum and Industrial Gases Industry Group
52
Rubber Tyre & Plastic Products
50
Plastic Product Industry
139
Construction Industry
44
Construction and Construction Materials Production Planning and their Servicing Industry
68
Stone and Earth Based Industry Group
102
Basic Metals Industry
76
Metal Product Ind.
82
Steel Construction and Equipment Industry Group
85
Manufacturing Metal Pipes & Boilers and Container Products
74
Other Metal Product Industry
59
Rolling Industry Group
47
Special Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Constructing and Repair Industry Group
52
Other Machinery Constructing and Repair Industry Group
71
Automotive Industry
153
Electrical Appliances and Equipment Industry
49
Cable and Other Electrical Devices Industry Group
46
Other Manufacturing Industry
132
Aluminium Profiles Industry Group
62
Total
1915

 

In recent years the automotive industry has become one of the favourite sectors by virtue of the amount of investment it has attracted.  In addition to established companies such as Chrysler, big names like Hyundai, Honda, Ford, Toyota and Isuzu have begun or completed their establishment process.  By means of the TAYSAD Organized Industrial Zone (TOSB) at Gebze, the importance given to this sector has expanded dramatically.