Albox is getting ready to make an impact abroad As one of the three companies in Turkey that produces customized kitchen and architectural solutions, Albox will grow with dealerships at home and abroad this year. Founded in 1976 by Osman Sağlam and currently managed by the second generation, Albox manufactures to make the use of kitchen and furniture the most functional. The Chairman of the Board of the brand, Olgun Sağlam, states that they can also apply their special projects to standard projects. Stating that they will go to a new facility structure in the next 3 years, Sağlam stated that they will increase their production power to the highest level. First of all, can you tell us the story of the foundation of the Albox brand? Albox tells the story of the third generation of a brand that has been in the furniture industry since 1976 and stands in the heart of hundreds of residences and families in Turkey and the world with its creations. Our brand, which is currently in the third generation, is in an effort to create a more innovative and powerful brand with the next generation. Since its establishment in 1976 by Osman Sağlam, Albox has been offering quality products with the highest level of design to the domestic and international market. The basis of this content lies in maintaining the product, material and production process open to innovations. We are also a brand that emerged at a time when economic transformation changed people's lifestyles and furniture was about comfort, well-being and pleasure. We are one of the leaders of this change, proving how a product and its style affects many social and cultural aspects of our daily lives, such as the classic kitchen, modular kitchen and all wooden home furniture. How has your branding process developed? Our branding story started under a construction after we first moved to Istanbul. In the following period, we grew even more as a family company. While creating the name of our brand, we wanted to choose a universal name that would facilitate our work while exporting. As a result, we combined the words red and box and the name Albox appeared. As a starting point, it was born as adding color to the spaces. When our brand emerged in a more professional sense, different units began to form. I took over this job as an administrator. Albox, one of the three companies Albox to make tremendous impression abroad manufacturing tailor-made kitchen and architectural Solutions in Turkey is planning to expand with dealerships in and out of the country this year. Founded by Osman Sağlam in 1976 and currently operated by family's second generation, Albox manufactures kitchen and furniture designs in the most functional way. Olgun Sağlam the Chairman of the Board says they can also have their tailor-made projects applied on Standard projects. Adding that they will consider building new facilities in about 3 years, Sağlam States that -by means of the projected investments- they are to increase their production capacity to a high level. the vvhole world a three-generation story. Our brand, currently run by the third generation, is striving hard to create a more innovative and povverful brand with the next generation. Since founded by Osman Sağlam in 1976, Albox has been offering domestic and international markets top quality products with high-end designs. What makes Albox stand out despite force majeure at times is the adoption of innovative approaches regarding materialand production processes. Additionally, Albox is a brand that emerged at a time when economic transformation changed lifestyles and when furniture was ali about comfort, prosperity and pleasure. We are one of the leaders of such a change, to have proven how a certain product or a style -being classic or modular kitchen and ali vvooden home furniture- would affect social and cultural aspects of our daily life. Would you tel us a bit about the foundation phases of Albox? Having been dealing with furniture industry and relevant creations since 1976 in Turkey, Albox, vvhich is in the hearts of hundreds of homes and people, telis How did your branding process go? First, we moved to Istanbul, and then came our story of branding under a construction company. Follovving that, and grew further as a family business. In finding a name for our brand, we wanted to choose a universal one that vvould make things easier at export. My brother Fatih Sağlam, who is the production manager, runs all the organizations related to production. Another brother of mine, Planning Manager Zikrullah Sağlam, is responsible for the planning of this business and all the organizations. Emre Sağlam, on the other hand, undertakes the brand management of our company. While we were a manufacturing company, we thought about how we can develop this business further and opened a store in 2010. In 2011, we received an offer to become a dealer of an international brand and we accepted it. We have been the dealer of this brand for about 4 years.
During this time, we have improved ourselves a lot in terms of both product development and design. The information we learned from here contributed greatly to the development of the Albox brand. After a certain point, we started to produce qualified products in the higher segment, and with this, we saw that our brand came to the right points. Can you tell us about the solutions you offer to your customers? We don't just produce kitchens. In addition, we also do architectural solution-oriented works. We produce projects both by ourselves and by architectural offices. As conditions have changed, we have adapted to these conditions. We are already trying to implement what is technically possible. We have products that can be lowered or raised according to the need in our brand. Wagon systems coming out of the cabinet, products with a rotating system that can be used 360°, doors that can be opened by touch, products to which we can add built-in appliances, systems that allow the hood to move over the counter are some of the solutions we are currently producing. We have solutions that we can use as a kitchen table and also as an office table. In short, we produce solutions suitable for every field. A serious production power is required especially to export to such different countries. What is your strength in this matter? We carry out two different productions in our factory located in Istanbul Ataşehir. First of all, we have a workshop that we call inherited from our father. Besides, we have a machine park with our industrial machines. Although it varies from time to time, an average of 50 personnel work here. We can produce 4000 kitchens and bathrooms and around 8000 doors annually. We plan to increase these production numbers according to the works we will do in the coming period. We are planning to move to a new production facility of 10 thousand square meters in 3 years. There are too many products in the kitchen that come into contact with food. What do you particularly pay attention to in this regard? To give an example, antibacterial products have already been in our lives for 10 years. We use this on all machines. In the words of previous manufacturers, the rate of deterioration is very high when laminate is faced with a chemical. Therefore, it causes bacteria to form here. Europe uses it more than we do. To avoid these, we need to use the right product. Because chemicals can occur when they come into contact with air or water. The important thing here is to choose products that the chemical will not react with. As a brand, we pay great attention to these. We also work with the brands we work with on raw materials because they produce reliable, careful and qualified products in this regard. Finally, what would you like to add? If you count three companies that make custom production, we are one of them. It can also do the standard one that makes it special. We want to be known as a company that produces according to the person's request and desire. We plan to increase the number of our dealers to 5 by the end of 2021. These will be in Ankara, Antalya, Bodrum, Black Sea and Central Anatolia. And abroad, we want to grow in Europe and America, which are our main markets. We're showing 30% of our capabilities there right now. But our plan is to allocate 60% of our production to export.