Küçükçalik Grows 40 Percent
September 20, 2000
General manager Yilmaz Küçükçalik pointed to record growth in the first quarter of 2000 with export sales of $16 million and an expectation of $65 million for the year. The newlywed is producing 4.5 million yards of window fabrics monthly for the middle to upper priced market.
The company makes basic and fancy voiles, jacquard curtains and embroidered panels and is vertical from the yarn forward to confeccion. "We compete effectively with Spain, Italy and France but we don't compete in price with the Far East," he said.
"I believe that $200 million is the maximum for this business," Küçükçalik said. "Home textiles is becoming a fashion item. Every six months, you must change your collection. It takes three to four months to copy designs in China. China will always be behind in fashion until they do original designs."
Yilmaz' brother Yasar runs the local business and construction activities for Küçükçalik with total sales of $125 million. Their father started the company 75 years ago. He is considered the dean of the Turkish curtain industry.
Küçükçalik is a major jacquard and voile curtain supplier to IKEA. Küçükçalik distributes his line in America through Lichtenberg Curtain, his second biggest customer after IKEA.
"The consumption of curtains is changing. Today, everyone buys readymade at chain stores. These shops need big volume suppliers with quality who can create novelty items; small quantities with logical pricing is hard to find. We look to our customer to be our teacher. Our attitude is that everyone is smarter than us and we can learn from them.
"We don't make open line. Our products are exclusive collections. We don't believe that a producer cannot focus on his own collection while also selling exclusives to the customers."
Küçükçalikexports to 42 countries on a private label basis. His total capacity is production from 313 looms and the potential to subcontract brings the total to 750 looms, he said. "My customers push me to produce always higher level products."
The company makes basic and fancy voiles, jacquard curtains and embroidered panels and is vertical from the yarn forward to confeccion. "We compete effectively with Spain, Italy and France but we don't compete in price with the Far East," he said.
"I believe that $200 million is the maximum for this business," Küçükçalik said. "Home textiles is becoming a fashion item. Every six months, you must change your collection. It takes three to four months to copy designs in China. China will always be behind in fashion until they do original designs."
Yilmaz' brother Yasar runs the local business and construction activities for Küçükçalik with total sales of $125 million. Their father started the company 75 years ago. He is considered the dean of the Turkish curtain industry.
Küçükçalik is a major jacquard and voile curtain supplier to IKEA. Küçükçalik distributes his line in America through Lichtenberg Curtain, his second biggest customer after IKEA.
"The consumption of curtains is changing. Today, everyone buys readymade at chain stores. These shops need big volume suppliers with quality who can create novelty items; small quantities with logical pricing is hard to find. We look to our customer to be our teacher. Our attitude is that everyone is smarter than us and we can learn from them.
"We don't make open line. Our products are exclusive collections. We don't believe that a producer cannot focus on his own collection while also selling exclusives to the customers."
Küçükçalikexports to 42 countries on a private label basis. His total capacity is production from 313 looms and the potential to subcontract brings the total to 750 looms, he said. "My customers push me to produce always higher level products."
