KITA Logistics is one of the leading logistics companies within Turkey, providing services across air, land and sea. Now, with its 30th anniversary just around the corner, the company has been busy laying out its plans for the next 30 years. CEO Sevdil Yıldırım shared more, during an in-depth interview with Imogen Ward.
Established in 1996, KITA Logistics has a holistic approach to the heavy goods transportation sector – covering air, land and sea.
“Thanks to our focus on international solutions, we grew significantly within a short period of time,” said CEO Sevdil Yıldırım. “And by 1997, we had become the first logistics company in Turkey to gain ISO 9001.”
From there, the company’s success soared, and in 2001, it took a major leap into the international market when it acquired more than 75% of German company Birkart Globistics.
KITA has continued to increase its presence internationally ever since, and today has eight offices dotted across the globe (in Turkey, Germany, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan).
“We have nearly 20,000 square metres of indoor storage facilities at our disposal,”
explained Ms Yıldırım. “Additionally, thanks to our fleet of 44 trucks and global transportation solutions, we have shipped over 10,000 freight tonnes by air, 45,000TEUs in sea freight and 7,889 road shipments. As a result, we expect to close this year with a turnover of approximately €110 million, representing a growth of over 40 per cent compared to 2023.”
With such strong results on the horizon, KITA is poised to enter 2025 on a high note. Coupled with the company’s 30th anniversary, the year promises to be a milestone worth celebrating.
An anniversary to remember
For KITA, the past 30 years have been marked with one success after another.
As the company prepares to celebrate this milestone, it intends to not only honour the
past, but also pave the way for an even more promising future. This anniversary serves as a valuable opportunity to lay the groundwork for the next 30 years of growth and innovation.
“We envision becoming a brand that fully embraces sustainability, and to achieve this, we are making it the core focus of our goals for the next 30 years,” revealed Ms Yıldırım. “To kickstart this, we will remain aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on four specific goals: Decent Work, Economic Growth, Partnerships for the Goals and Life on Land.”
In line with these commitments, the company is supporting the work of Yol Açık Yola Çık Association. Following the devastation caused by a 7.7 magnitude
earthquake in Turkey on 6th February 2023, Yol Açık Yola Çık Association began delivering humanitarian aid to Hatay City Centre. These efforts were then ramped up once more, following a second major earthquake only two weeks later.
Through Yol Açık Yola Çık Association’s entrepreneurship programme, KITA aims to contribute to the revitalisation of the earthquake region, while also breaking new ground in the field of entrepreneurship in the logistics sector.
Having previously contributed to the opening of Hatay’s first earthquake Psycho-Social Therapy Centre and children’s activity house, KITA already has a strong relationship with Yol Açık Yola Çık Association.
The company also launched its Yuvaloji project, with the intention of helping stray and abandoned animals within the region.
“We launched the Yuvaloji project to provide these animals with shelter, nutrition, sterilisation and opportunities for adoption,” said Ms Yıldırım. “So far, through our cooperation with sensitive municipalities and shelters, we have established several Paw Clinics where these animals are given all the care and treatment they need.”
KITA established the first of these shelters in Göktürk, in partnership with Istanbul Eyüpsultan Municipality, and is now preparing to open another one in Aydın Söke.
Green growth:
• KITA sponsors several sports teams, including Yozgat Girls Handball Team and the Altınboynuz Rowing Team.
• The company also regularly protects, improves and supports the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, and currently plants one tree for every 1,000km its vehicles travel on international roads.
• KITA also supports the education of young people who are new to the sector, through the courses offered by ÜTİKAD.
Embracing digitalisation
While KITA’s future plans emphasise a strong commitment to social responsibility, the company is equally focused on internal investments in order to elevate its ESG standards.
Fully aware that progress demands evolution, KITA is currently embracing a digital transformation to better prepare for the future.
“We always take care to cooperate with world-class brands, especially in relation to developing and supporting technology,” explained Ms Yıldırım. “While we fully support the digital transformation of our sector, we understand that the first steps have to come from within.”
As part of this digital transformation, KITA has already enhanced the digital footprint
of its Accounting and Finance departments. The next phase will be focused on advancing business intelligence and digitising operations across Sales, Brand and Human Resources. At the same time, KITA expects to increase the traceability of its operational processes by implementing global ERP software SAP and Salesforce.
Additionally, the company is closely assessing the progression of AI and its usefulness within the industry. This software is expected to save the industry around $1.5 trillion by 2030 and could be crucial to KITA’s own development.
“I recently had the honour of joining a panel at Vision 100, one of Turkey’s premier symposiums on digitisation and artificial intelligence,” shared Ms Yıldırım. “While there, I highlighted the critical need for multiple competencies in a rapidly digitalising world and emphasised the profound impact that AI and digital transformation will inevitably have.
“To elevate KITA to the next level in logistics, a comprehensive digital and green transformation is essential. That’s why we’re taking bold, strategic steps to drive this change forward.”
Streamlined for success
While AI is set to greatly enhance efficiency across the logistics sector, KITA is not relying solely on this technology to improve its operations. In March, KITA was granted the European Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) licence, which it believes will bring significant benefits to its customers.
Designed to improve the efficiency of its customs process, while offering faster transit times and serving clients more efficiently, the AEO licence is hugely beneficial for the logistics company.
“The AEO licence is a valuable gain for both us and our customers,” explained Ms Yıldırım. “It greatly accelerates the customs process – saving time and money for our exporters.
“With the AEO licence, transportation to Europe is carried out with an electric declaration instead of a TIR Carnet. This means that the round-trip is reduced from an average of 12 days to nine. We hope that obtaining this certificate will contribute to the agility of our trade volume and the development of our national economy.”
With a new CEO at the helm and a greener vision for the future, KITA’s path seems brighter than ever.
“KITA is a highly valuable brand within the logistics industry,” commented Ms Yıldırım. “Despite 2024 being a difficult year, I am pleased to have joined when I did. We have undertaken significant initiatives to identify the most effective, strategic steps forward, guided by rational policies to navigate this challenging landscape efficiently.
“Achieving sustainable profitability and growth is challenging with short-term, sales-driven approaches; that is why we are so focused on implementing long-term improvements.
“KITA Logistics is a brand that offers the most suitable bespoke solutions to its stakeholders with the best human resources and technical infrastructure. However, in the near future, we aim to become a leading and pioneering brand within our region by emphasising the elements that will differentiate us.” n
