Turkey

Hotel exhibition helps support tourism growth

25 March 2010



The Anfas Hotel Equipment Exhibition celebrated its 21st birthday in 2010. Held in Antalya, Turkey’s centre of tourism, the fair covers all aspects of the industry from food and catering to laundry, textiles, and furnishings. Janet Taylor reports


As Turkey’s main tourist centre, Antalya is the natural home for a hotel exhibition especially at a time when tourism is becoming increasingly important.

The region houses 850 four and five star hotels and has a total bed capacity of half a million. In 2009 it attracted 9million tourists. In addition, Antalya is also the largest area for horticulture.

The exhibition, which has been held annually for 21 years, is becoming more and more international says Mehmet Dükkanci, exhibitions’ group co-ordinator at fair organiser Anfas. This year’s show attracted more than 200 exhibitors. The exhibition attracts both the big hotel groups and representatives of public service bodies and government institutions.

The show also includes special events such as a chefs’ competition where entrants come from all over the world.

In a show that covers every aspect of the tourism industry, the laundry and textiles sector is just one of several on show but it is still important.

Tolkar claims to be the largest manufacturer of laundry equipment in Turkey. Cenk Karace, the company’s president, said the company had two main reasons to be at the exhibition.

First, the company operates three large central laundries in Antalya as well as manufacturing equipment. It also has offices in the region in addition to its headquarters in Izmir and has installed “hundreds of machines” in Antalya’s hotels.

Then the exhibition also provides a good meeting place for customers and distributors.

Several competitors were also exhibiting, another reason to be represented. Developing technology was at

the centre of the Tolkar stand as it presented a gas-heated washer-extractor from its Smartex division. This is a first for the industry, Cenk Karace told LCNi.

It was developed by Tolkar’s research and development manager Tulga Simsek and will be marketed under the company’s Miracle brand.

Heating the water for washer-extractors by gas rather than steam gives laundries serving the seasonal hotel business a big advantage as it allows machines to be heated individually. This leads to more efficient energy use, especially out of season.

A laundry using steam-heated machines will have to run its boiler at full capacity even if only a couple of machines are in use.

The effectiveness of this development has been proved and Tolkar has a reference hotel laundry in Antalya completely equipped with gas-heated machines.

The Miracle machines can adjust water and energy in line with the load. Tolkar is offering a three month trial of the machines.

Vega Systems, Turkey, the Istanbul-based subsidiary of the Netherlands’ manufacturer, was opened in 2006. It has been exhibiting at Anfas since the company started. In addition to selling equipment, it also operates its own laundry in Istanbul, which was opened last year.

Vega, Turkey, has a network of dealers and as well as selling to the home market also exports to Ukraine, Azerbaijan Russia, Kazakstan and Iran.

The parent company specialises in feeders and folders but Vega Turkey is also the European distributor for the washers and dryers made by Image of Thailand.

Additions to the washer and dryer range included 75 and 81kg washers and 112kg dryers.

The Tolon company was founded in 1937 by the grandfather of general manager Ömer Tolon and claims to have pioneered many developments including Turkey’s first domestic laundry equipment.

The company has been exporting to the Far East for the past ten years, but in 2009 formed a partnership with the Almeti Group and now sells to European countries such as Germany and Belgium. Ömer Tolon says that the Turkish market is beginning to develop from a technological point of view. It has a growing tourism industry and the country’s location gives it a strategic advantage.

The company’s main product range has been washers from 20 – 150kg and dryers from 20 – 200kg and it recently adapted its washers to be more eco-friendly.

Two years ago it expanded to produce folders and towel folders. Its range also includes ironers, which have been modified to save energy.

Miele, Turkey was established in 1999 as a subsidiary of the German company. Originally it concentrated on selling cleaning equipment for laboratories but two years ago it brought in laundry machines from Miele’s Professional and domestic ranges. It sells the Miele Professional machines to both hotel and hospital laundries and was exhibiting at the Anfas show for the second time.

The stand’s focal point was the recently launched Octoplus range.

These 8kg machines, a washer and matching dryer, present advancements in customised control with over 70 options on the washer and 40 plus on the dryer. These options can be grouped into packages including a group for hotel laundries. Features such as the patented honeycomb drum contribute to gentle linen handling. The machines are eco-friendly – on a standard cottons’ program, the washer uses 60% less water and 30% less energy than its predecessor.

Özdemir Keçe specialises in industrial felts for the laundry market and other manufacturing sectors. The company has been established for around 12years.

General manager Nusret Özdemir says the company serves a worldwide market, selling directly to customers. He is an established exhibitor at Anfas and has also taken stands at Texcare International in Frankfurt and similar events.

The laundry product range includes polyester, Nomex-polyester and Nomex clothing, press clothing folder and towel folder belts, and calender guide tapes.

Varol Textil is a family business supplying textile products to rental laundries, hotels and the consumer market. It is situated in Denisi, capital of Turkey’s textile industry.

As well as supplying the Turkish market it exports to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakstan, Israel, Iran and also the Netherlands. Ysar Varol said that this was the second time his company had shown its products at Anfas. Last year it sold through a wholesaler but Varol now supplies customers directly.

All products are 100% cotton and the portfolio includes towels, sheets, pillows and pillow cases. The emphasis is on quality – for instance, towels are 400 - 500gsm. Varol will customise towels and linen, although a minimum quantity is required.

Netpak is an international service provider that specialises in hygiene products. It sells products to Turkey, USA, the Far East and Middle East. Its main brand is Carpex. An important product in this range is a hands-free, sensor-controlled paper towel dispenser, which is particularly suited to food service businesses.




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