TAKING THE PRESSURE Turkish expansion tank manufacturer Nema Makine enjoys both the infrastructure of being part of a larger European Group and the dedicated loyalty and expertise of its skilled local workforce. Industry Europe spoke to export area manager Murat Erol to find out how these two strengths are used to their best advantage. Emma-Jane Batey reports.
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stablished in 1998 in Gebze, Turkey, just 30 miles east of Istanbul, Nema Makine is focused on the manufacture of high quality pressure vessels, also called expansion tanks, for a wide variety of watercentred applications. As a key part of the German family-owned Winkelmann Group, Nema Makine is able to draw on the considerable resources of the Group in order to maintain its excellent market position. The Winkelmann Group is now managed by the fourth generation of the founding family, and consists of 18 independent business units, including six production and distribution companies, eight sales operations and one steel trading company. The Group is more than 100 years old, and employs more than 2500 people worldwide.
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Family support
Export area manager Murat Erol told Industry Europe how the company’s position in the Group supports its day-to-day activities. He said, “The Winkelmann Group is a solid family company which focuses on mechanical engineering, the automotive industry and the heating and hot water sectors, so there is a clear synergy in our activities. We are able to draw on the many years of experience within the Group to ensure that we are developing, manufacturing and supplying the best possible pressure vessels for our customers, as well as enjoying the wider purchasing and international support benefits of being part of a long-established Group.” Nema Makine moved its production facilities to Duzce in 2009, a further 100 miles
east of Istanbul, increasing its production area from 7000m2 to 20,000m2, with a further 30,000m2 for sales, IT and commercial support functions. The new company building is well-stocked with state-of-the-art equipment including the latest fully automated and highly efficient machine park to create its products. Mr Erol added, “We take continuous investment in our manufacturing and support facilities very seriously, and our modern production site is a great testament to that dedication. We are able to produce high quality pressure vessels which are then used by a range of sectors worldwide.” The company’s pressure vessels, or expansion tanks, are equipped with replaceable membranes and are used in closed water heating and cooling systems to absorb excess
