Demonstration of strength by the ceramic industry; UNICERA 19th International Ceramics and Bathroom Trade Fair
UNICERA Ceramics and Bathroom Trade Fair held in Istanbul in the month of April every year since 1988 took place this year from April 4 to April 8, 2007 at TÜYAP Beylikdüzü Trade Fair and Convention Center.
In the opening ceremony of 19th UNICERA Trade Fair held under the collaboration of TİMDER Building Installation and Supplies Association and TÜYAP Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım A.Ş.; Ceramics Federation President Adnan Polat, Tüyap Chairman of Board of Directors Bülent Ünal, Timder Building Installation and Supplies Association President Kemal Yıldırım and Muder President Ali Ayçenk were present.
The opening ceremony of 19th UNICERA Trade Fair started with a speech by TÜYAP Chairman of Board of Directors Bülent Ünal. Ünal noted that he was highly satisfied with the point arrived at by Unicera Trade Fair he had first attended 20 years ago. Ceramics Federation President Adnan Polat, who took the floor thereafter, touched upon the problems of the industry; stating that Unicera, which is recognized as the third largest trade fair in the world, will draw the expected interest this year as well. Timder Chairman of Board of Directors Kemal Yıldırım, who spoke next, stated in his speech he talked about the problems of vendors, that they founded Building Installation and Supplies Federation TİMFED, carrying their association to a further dimension and said that he was proud of the sector with what he saw at the trade fair. The opening ceremony came to and end by cutting of the opening ribbon of UNICERA 2007. Those attending the opening ceremony toured the stands under the guidance of Ceramics Federation President Adnan Polat.
Over 50,000 local and international guests visited the UNICERA Trade Fair where more than 70 firms installed stands, exhibiting tiles, ceramic covering materials, vitreous ware, bathtubs, taps and mixers, bathroom furniture and accessories and granite, natural stone, glass, mosaic, marble, jacuzzi and ceramic side industry products. Visitors from 50 different countries lead by Bulgaria, Israel, Italy, Greece, U.K., Rumania, Germany, Spain, Russia, U.S.A., Australia, Holland and Ukraine attended the fair.
Events
The first one of events held as part of UNICERA Trade Fair took place on Thursday, April the 5th. Various gifts like coveralls, pens and lighters were distributed to craftsmen who came for the event held as the Craftsmen Day. A tour of the trade fair was offered after the meeting held for craftsmen. On the Architects Days held Friday April the 6th; following lunch offered to ceramic engineering students, the Career Day Conference was held with Engineering Department students. In the 10th ECERS Convention Student Presentation Contest held by Ceramics Association; Demet Tatar, who is working on her Ph.D. at Istanbul Technical University Advanced Technologies Materials Science and Engineering Department, won the first award.
At the press conference organized by Timder, held with participation of TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, the establishment of TİMFED Construction Installation Supplies Federation was announced. Afterwards, the seminar by Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu titled 'Latest Economic Developments in our Country' was given.
'Ceramic Honor Awards' find their owners in a ceremony
Ayhan Çavuşoğlu was awarded the "Science, Art and Technology Discipline Ceramics Honor Award" offered by TCA. Born in Balıkesir in 1950, Ayhan Çavuşoğlu studied in Istanbul on Chemical Engineering and Business Administration. He started his career in 1977 in Emayetaş and worked in Ege Kimya from 1983. In this period, he worked at various levels at Ege Kimya. He served as Operations Manager in the partnership of Ege Kimya with Ferro from 1990 to 2000. He won the Weaver award which is the most prestigious of the achievement awards by Ferro Corporation for its employees in 23 countries in 1996, offered in the memory of its founder. In 2006, he resigned from Ege Kimya where he was Vice-President - Technical and started as General Manager at Keskin Kimya A.Ş. Ayhan Çavuşoğlu, who also served at Turkish Ceramics Association at various levels starting from 1992, was Chairman of Board of Directors of the Association from 1997 until May 2006.
The "Ceramic Glass and Cement Raw Materials Discipline Ceramic Honor Award" given by SERHAM went to Mehmet Tuncer. Mehmet Tuncer was born in 1932 in Aydın / Çine. He started his business life with production and trading of olive oil and soap. In 1965, he offered feldspar he produced under the title of silica sand to Izmir casting firms, to be used in casting cores. He introduced feldspar to Çanakkale Ceramic Factories in 1967 and to Türkiye Şişe Cam Factories in 1968. Founding Kaltun Madencilik, he enhanced his operations on consumption of feldspar and quartz in 1986. He founded Sabuncular Mining Company in 1991 and pioneered in use of mica in the industry in addition to feldspar and quartz. Presently, there are 17 companies in the Kaltun Group. Mining, shipping, energy, agriculture, olive oil, animal husbandry and food industries are among the lines of business of the Group which has international companies in Italy, Spain, Malta and Egypt. Kaltun Madencilik is the firm with highest export figures in Ege Metal Exporters Union in the last four years.
"Ceramic Sanitary Ware Ceramics Honor Award" offered by SERSA went to Tahir Yalçın Çötelioğlu. Born in Izmir in 1939, Çötelioğlu completed his high school education at Kabataş Men's High School. After completing the Ceramics Department at Applied Fine Arts Higher School (Today's Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts Ceramics Department), he gained the title of Dimplomingenieur (FH - Engineer, M.S.) specializing in porcelain at Fachhochschule Nürnberg at Germany's Bavaria Province. After he returned to Turkey, he rose to the post of Vice-President at Istanbul Porselen San. ve Tic. A.Ş. where he started his career. Subsequently he served at founding General Manager at SEREL Seramik San. A.Ş. and General Manager at Kütahya Porselen and Uşak Seramik San. ve Tic. A.Ş.
"Ceramic Tile Ceramics Honors Award" offered by SERKAP and also "Ceramics Honor Award in the name of Ceramics Industry" offered by Ceramics Federation was awarded to Ahmet Ulukuş. Ahmet Ulukuş was born in 1943 in district of Hamamözü. Ulukuş, graduating from Istanbul Yıldız University Mechanical Engineering Department in June 1964, studied for his Master's Degree in the same University on heating, ventilation and air conditioning. After his military service, he started his career at Yarımca Ceramic Factory in 1968. Ahmet Ulukuş, who has been working in the ceramics industry without interruption since then, served as Plant Maintenance and Operations Supervisor in Bozüyük Ceramic Factory from 1970 to 1974, as Assembly Director and General Manager at Kütahya Porselen Sanayi A.Ş. 1974-1980 and as Factories Director, General Manager and Ceramic Group Head at Toprak Ceramic Group since 1980. Presently, he is Vice-Chairman of Executive Board in charge of Industrial Undertakings of Toprak Holding.
The "Sales and Marketing Discipline Ceramics Honor Award" given by TIMDER went to Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu. Born in Ankara in 1955, Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu graduated from Ankara Economics and Commercial Sciences Academy - Economics and Management Department. Serving at Armada İnşaat ve İşletme A.Ş. as Chairman of Board of Directors, Eskihisar İnşaat Malzemeleri A.Ş. as Chairman of Board of Directors, Eskihisar Dış Ticaret A.Ş. as Chairman of Board of Directors, Eskihisar İnşaat ve Yatırım A.Ş. as Chairman of Board of Directors, Fibor A.Ş. as Chairman of Board of Directors and Kristal Şeker Sanayi A.Ş. as Chairman of Board of Directors; has been serving as Turkey National Committee President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Chairman of Board of Directors of International Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and as Chairman of World Turkish Businessmen Council since 2002. He has been serving as President of Turkish Union of Chambers and Exchanges since 2001.
