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Turkish American Chamber of Commerce & Industry e-Newsletter - Issue: 10 - March 2011 View our profile on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook View our videos on YouTube 

Dear TACCI Member & Friend: 

TACCI is on multiple social media platforms. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and now on View our videos on YouTube for latest updates! TACCI member companies, submit us your videos for better exposure. 

 

TACCI is going to be at the Nassau Trade Show on April 12: More info & registration HERE


TACCI ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TAKING PLACE ON APRIL 27. ALL THE MEMBERS ARE INVITED! Make sure to renew your membership until April 8 in order to secure your place. Details of the event will be announced.

 
We proudly honor TACCI ANNUAL GALA 2011 Sponsors
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IN THIS ISSUE
Exclusive Interview with Mr. Mehmet Bilici - TACCI Member & President of Istikbal Furniture USA
TACCI was at the Brooklyn Trade Show
TACCI Board Members Meet H.E. Mehmet Ali Sahin
TACCI President was a speaker at American Indian Business Summit in Las Vegas
The First Turkish American Leadership Conference
TACCI Executives Paid a Visit to NY State House of Representatives
TACCI Hosted ISPAT President Ilker Ayci.
TACCI MEMBER NEWS BULLETIN

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Mehmet Bilici - TACCI Member & President of Istikbal Furniture USA

TACCI had an exclusive interview with one of the well-known Turkish entrepreneurs of the tri-state area, Mr. Mehmet Bilici, who told us about his work life and his "Turkish Mall" project. 

 

bilici bilici2

 

Mr. Bilici, could you please tell us about yourself and Istikbal USA?

 

I have been living in the USA for more than 30 years now.  I studied Administration in Turkey. Prior to my business career, I received a Business Administration degree from Anadolu University and a master degree in International Relations from Farleigh Dickinson University. Even though I received several job offers from different institutions in Turkey upon completing my education, I decided to start my business life in the US. Back then one of Turkey's biggest problems was its trade balance deficit. So as an entrepreneur, I wanted to promote Turkish products here, from the beginning. This is now our biggest pride. Also, introducing a Turkish brand and making it well-known in one of the toughest markets, is another thing we are proud of . All the retailers that we do business with etc. know about us, especially our trademark "Click - Clack". This represents the sound that the sofa beds make when you convert them into a bed. It is as simple as that. Until 2008 our sales had rapid growth but the recession suspended the growth a bit somewhat. In 2008, our yearly volume of import from Turkey was more than 1000 containers a year. We are and have been probably the biggest Turkish company in means of container volume with the US. 

 

We are located  in a place (Clifton, New Jersey) where the population is very diverse: both Americans and the international community reside here. The number of Turkish population in this region is close to half a million, thus it's the biggest in the country. Including all the other Turkic people, the number goes up to one million. This has been very helpful in spreading the word, since there people are familiar with our line. But our main target has always been reaching out to all of the US and that's what we have been trying to achieve. Turkish brands and products have been doing very well, especially in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, therefore so the we have high demand from these people. Only a very small part of our sales are made to the Turkish community, right now. People from Russia, Poland, Balkan countries and the rest of the US are now appreciating our quality and service. 

 

Could you please tell us about your Turkish Mall Project?

 

Turkish Mall Project is something we have been working on for the last 5 years. We have been doing trade between Turkey and the US for the last 15 years and we have witnessed a lot of companies fail because of the distributors and the wholesalers they work with. The simply can not make enough profits to survive. Our goal is to create a direct connection between those companies and the consumers here. It's a win-win project. It is planned to be right here, in this big space we already have.

 

We also want to share our experience with the newcomer companies from Turkey who are looking to invest in the US. Therefore, we envisioned the "Turkish Mall" project, to serve as a "one-stop-shop" for the people of the region, where they can find all their needs from clothing to home appliances, from furniture to groceries. We are planning to create a premium shopping facility where distinguished Turkish brands are represented. 

 

Our world today, is very small and globalization has reached everywhere. Our brand can be found in many chain stores and we keep receiving Thank You letters from those stores for the quality of our service. It is also not that easy to be featured in those big stores (JC Penney, Raymour & Flanigan, Eldorado, etc.) because the customer satisfaction is crucial and you should meet those requirements to be there. We do not only carry furniture items. We have all kinds of mattresses, bedding products, carpets, window needs. That gives us to chance to provide almost all needs of a home.

 

How did your paths cross with Istikbal? And what's the story behind their operation in the US?

 

I made my first attempts to do trade between Turkey and the US, in the beginning of 90s. I started with carpets, I was importing Turkish carpets to the US market. Then, I had the chance to meet the executives of Istikbal, which was starting its operation outside Turkey. In 1995, we brought two containers with Istikbal products. However those products were the exact same products that were designed for the Turkish customers and it took us a long time to sell them. Then, with slight changes and customizations according to the US market, we started selling more and more each month. Our products are mostly multi-functional. Families love Istikbal products because of the huge storage space we provide within our products. After becoming a fairly known brand, we talked with the headquarters of Istikbal and we told them that we also want to do wholesale along with retail. Istikbal Turkey was very eager as well, so we started distributing the products to more than one hundred stores in a year. And this led to a partnership in 2001. Right now, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary with a customer base of 2000 retailers.

 

 istikbal mall

 

What are the future goals of Istikbal USA?

We are trying to focus on increasing our sales in different ways, including our wholesale, our sales in the chainstores and also our sales on the internet. We are already featured in very well-known US chain stores and we are planning to expand this network. Our products are becoming more popular day by day. Our "click-clack" system (a special futon system which allows easy storage) has been well-known among the industry players. We are already a very well-trusted brand in the region and we are wishing to make this the same in all of US. We also want to get back to our plan about opening stores, which we had suspended because of the recession. Finally, our target is to make all of the products of Istikbal available in the US. Currently we are carrying all types of items but we want to bring all the available options simultaneously to the US market. 

istikbal1 

istikbal2 

What are your thoughts about TACCI? What would you like to say to the other members?

 

We have been members of TACCI since its establishment, in order to support its efforts to increase bilateral trade between the US and Turkey. US is a huge economy with it's giant population. Turkey and US have very close political relations however the economic relations are still not at the desired level as we all know. Personal efforts are never enough so organizations like TACCI are very important and I personally believe that all the Turkish American businesses should support it.

 

What are your recommendations to those who are trying to become successful in the US?

 

We have been receiving job applications continuously... Currently we have more than 50 employees in our operation. Our first priority has always been being able to work as a team. The way we live our lives has changed tremendously. Improving personal skills and education in general are crucial today. Our doors are open to people who analyze themselves right and who have something to contribute to our network. I do not believe that unemployment is one's destiny. I believe it's about being incapable and not doing anything to fix it. The conditions will comply with your efforts at the end of the day. 

 

Thank you for your time and your support for TACCI!

 

Interview by Safak Dogan / safakd@turkishuschamber.org

 

TACCI was at Brooklyn Trade Show by Cardinal Trade Group on March 15

 

TACCI at Brooklyn Trade Show by Cardinal Trade Group
Video from TACCI's Participation at Brooklyn Trade Show

Turkish - American Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TACCI) took part at the Brooklyn Trade Show organized by Cardinal Trade Group on March 15 at the Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. TACCI was an Official Community Partner and the sole Turkish organization and one of the few chambers of commerce that was a part of the event. Prior to the event, TACCI informed all its members about the event and many TACCI member companies including Istikbal USA, Shirt by Shirt, HSBC, Turkish Airlines, Henry York Advertising, Marmara Manhattan Hotel, Chinook Science, Ziraat Bank, Vakifbank, Gulluoglu, Herzfeld & Rubin, Kulen Law, Dervish and Derya Staffing were promoted via printed materials distributed throughout the event. Hundreds of participants visited TACCI's section during the visiting hours and they were given information about TACCI's history, structure and activities. Overall, it was a very efficient exposure for TACCI and its member companies. A sincere thanks from TACCI to all of our Sponsors, Exhibitors and Attendees for making this a fantastic day of Business in Brooklyn. 

TACCI Board Members Meet H.E. Mehmet Ali Sahin, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

TACCI Board Member Mr. Mark Meirowitz reports:

 

 

 

On Wednesday, March 23, 2011, several members of the Board of Directors of the Turkish American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TACCI) met with H. E. Mehmet Ali Sahin, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

 

Speaker Sahin expressed to the TACCI Board members present at the meeting that he wanted TACCI to communicate to the American business community as well as to Americans in general the fact that Turkey's economy is thriving and welcomes US investment, and also that Turkey is a vibrant democracy.

 

Celal Secilmis, president of TACCI, discussed the background and activities of TACCI, and provided a description of what TACCI is presently involved in and what its future plans are.

 

Also present at the meeting with the TACCI Board members and Speaker Sahin were Turkey's Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Namik Tan; Suat Kiniklioglu, MP, Chairman of the

Turkish-American Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group; and Consul General Mehmet Samsar.

 

Following the meeting with the TACCI Board, Speaker Sahin addressed a large and enthusiastic gathering of the Turkish American community.

 

Speaker Sahin is a lawyer who graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Law.  Prior to being electrd as the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 2009, Speaker Sahin previously served in leadership posts in the Turkish Parliament, and as the Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister and as the Minister of Justice.

 

It was a tremendous honor and privilege to be given the opportunity to meet with H. E. Speaker Sahin. 

 

TACCI President was a speaker at American Indian Business Summit in Las Vegas

TACCI President Mr. Celal Secilmis visited Las Vegas as a guest speaker at the 5th Annual Reservation Economic Summit (RES 2011) & American Indian Business Trade Fair. He delivered a speech to more than 1300 people and he had talks with several chamber leaders about the collaboration between the Turkish American business community and the American Indian business community. He also attended the Natural Stone Fair where he had talks with several Turkish companies.

 

The First Turkish American Leadership Conference

TACCI President Mr. Celal Secilmis and TACCI Director Mr. Safak Dogan attended The Turkish-American National Leadership Conference which is jointly sponsored by the two major Turkish American umbrella organizations - the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and Federation of Turkish-American Associations (TADF) - was held in Washington, USA. The event featured several important panels, gala dinners and networking events between March 17-20. TACCI Board Member Mr. Mark Meirowitz was also among the speakers at the event. Many distinguished politicians, artists, community leaders, students and representatives of the Turkish American community from all over US attended this very important event. The next one is scheduled to be held in New York City next year.

 

WATCH a 30-minute video report ONLINE - courtesy of Turkish American TV

 

TACCI Board Executives' Visit to NY State Senate

 

On March 10, a group of TACCI executives and representatives from the Turkish American community paid a friendly visit to the House of Representatives in Albany, NY and met the leading law-makers of the state 

 

TACCI President Celal Secilmis, Vice President Sevil Ozisik, Board Member Ridvan Sezer, TADF Vice President Can Kaplan, Vice President of Turkistan Community Turan Ayaz had important appointments with several congressmen and they had to chance to meet and discuss the ways of future collaboration.

Photos: TurkishNY.com


TACCI Hosted ISPAT President Ilker Ayci 

On Wednesday, March 9, Turkish American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TACCI) hosted a Lunch in Honor of Mr. Ilker Ayci, President of Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT), with the attendance of TACCI Board Members and Premium Members. 

More than 20 attendees including Turkish Consul General Mr. Mehmet Samsar, ISPAT President Mr. Ilker Ayci, TACCI President Mr. Celal Secilmis, Vice Presidents Ms. Sevil Ozisik, Mr. John Driscoll and Mr. Tahir Erimli, Commercial Attache Mr. Ahmet Canli, Economic Attache Ms. Ayse Akkiraz Dagdur, TACCI Board Members Mr. Ridvan Sezer, SARK USA Representative Mr. Tolga Kaan Isik, The Marmara Manhattan Representative Mr. Cengiz Yakut, Istikbal USA Representative Mr. Mehmet Bilici, ISPAT Senior Project Director Mr. Veyis Toprak, ISPAT Chief Project Director Mr. Arda Ermut and Mr. Gregory Fukutomi from Bernstein Global.

During the lunch, TACCI President Celal Secilmis and ISPAT President Mr. Ilker Ayci gave speeches and thanked TACCI for the organization of the event. Mr. Ayci shared interesting facts and figures about the economic growth, the government incentives for the foreign investors and the success story Turkey has created during the last 8 years. Mr. Ayci emphasized that the he likes to talk with solid facts and internationally acclaimed statistics, and he thinks all the Turks in the world, should focus on promoting the favorable environment in Turkey and should fight with the misleading advertisements about Turkey. He also said that he is proud to be a part of this success story and added that Turkey's economy is growing not only because of the government or the private sector, but because of all the different efforts coming from everyone involved in the business. He gave brief information about the different sectors that ISPAT is focused on and he introduced the leading industries in Turkey by detailed numbers. Finally, he reminded that ISPAT is directly linked to the Prime Minister's Office, and they are aggressively working on getting more FDI to break the previous record of $22.5 in year 2007. Mr. Ayci stated that they are visiting 4 countries including USA in 9 days. The other visits will be to Russian Federation, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, accompanied by Prime Minister R. Tayyip Erdogan. At the end of the lunch, Mr. Secilmis presented Mr. Ayci a special gift, cufflinks with New York City seal as a thank you for all his support, on behalf of TACCI Board of Directors.

 

NEWS FROM TACCI MEMBERS

 

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ATEKSIS 

New TACCI General Member Ateksis is a leading provider of Professional Audio/Video, Broadcast, Security, Lighting, and Communication Systems Solutions active over 20 countries. With its North American office in New Jersey, Ateksis has been providing technologies that combine innovation, quality and reliability and focuses on providing advanced technologies with its system design, consulting,engineering, installation and integration capabilities to Televisions Studios, Airports, Malls, Hospitals, Government Institutions, Construction and various other companies since 1998. Ateksis also provides distribution, marketing, pre- and post-sale support and maintenanceservices to many leading manufacturers like Bosch Security Systems, Sony, Clear-Com, Aastra, Ascom to local and regional markets. Ateksis, with its various business units, defines itself asone-stop-shop for all professional technology needs. www.ateksisusa.com

 

 

 

New TACCI General Member Brown Lloyd James helps you read the trends, understand your targets, design imaginative communications strategies, and tip opinion in your favor. The power of your ideas, carried across our network of the world's leading corporate, political, cultural, and media figures, can create the business, social policy or diplomatic reality you envision. Brown Lloyd James, a worldwide leader in strategic communications, works with highly reputable clients including Forbes, IBM, Walt Disney and Oxford University on government relations, adverting and reputation management. BLJ's sophisticated public relations support and expertise of non-traditional diplomacy have ensured success in their efforts to strategically promote clients. Facilitated by a strong reputation in the State of Qatar, BLJ has assisted Doha Bank, Al Jazeera, QatarGas, and many others with client promotion through active communication. www.brownlloydjames.com

 

 

lazzoni logolazzoni promo 

New TACCI General Member Lazzoni Furniture USA actually dates back all the way back to the 1950's when it was first established as a trademark in Turkey. The company owes its growth to producing goods of only the highest quality, persistent tracking of new technologies and an unmistakable eye for innovation. It is precisely this openness to change that has allowed the company to propel in to one of Europe's finest furniture stores. This energy is highlighted by the fact that Lazzoni did not survive, but actually grew at substantial rates during times of hardship in the national economy. In a firm where there is so much emphasis placed on new, groundbreaking movements - the emphasis for the future is to go global. Lazzoni trades with Europe, Africa, and Australia. The company aims to enter the U.S. market with a flagship store in Chelsea, New York City. The firm is also open to holding meetings with potential franchisees.

 

New TACCI Young Executive Member Mr. Fausto Vasquez-Sosa of HSBC USA 

 

  

OMNI targets Dubai for next outpost: Turkish marine-insurance broker Omni is adopting a conscious policy of internationalising with an office in Dubai set to follow the opening of outposts in London and Genoa. READ MORE

 

Turkish Airlines Present: 

Istanbul: The Capital of Shopping

One of Eurasia's most exciting destinations, Istanbul is known for its 500-year-old Grand Bazaar featuring a maze of locally made jewelry, crafts and tiles. Istanbul, with its increasing number of modern shopping centers, is in the spotlight again thanks to the first annual "Istanbul Shopping Fest", held from March 18th through April 26th. This 40-day celebration will feature round-the-clock shopping and sales, fashion shows, concerts and festivities at the city's 90 modern shopping centers in addition to its traditional shopping venues such as the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. Timed to coincide with Passover, Easter and Nevruz, the festivities will also celebrate Istanbul's multicultural identify by paying homage to these holidays.

Click for more i
nformation

 

 

 

ATTENTION TACCI MEMBERS!
Do you have news & offers that you want to share with thousands of TACCI e-Newsletter readers? Submit them now! Send them to: info@turkishuschamber.org

CALENDAR

 

APRIL 9:

Finans Network Networking Dinner with Robert Powell, Senior Editor of the Economist Intelligence Unit. More info and registration link HERE

 

APRIL 12: 

Trade Nassau, the largest b2b trade show in Nassau County from last fall returns. Trade Nassau is creating countless opportunities by bringing together premier businesses from Long Island and the greater metropolitan area with national corporations, entrepreneurs, non-profits, government agencies, business advocacy groups and the media. TACCI is a community partner and will have its own table so feel free to stop by!

 

APRIL 27: 

TACCI Annual General Assembly will take place on this day. Details will be announced. SAVE THE DATE!

 

MAY 2:

Famous Turkish violinist Burcu G�ker is performing at Carnegie Hall along with her friends from Florida State University. Do not miss this great event. MORE INFO & TICKETS

 

 

MAY 10:

Gateway to International Trade 2011

TACCI is among the participants, representing Turkey. 

 

 

MAY 19:

Turkish American Business Forum (TABF) Annual Gala - REGISTER HERE

 

MAY 26:

Turkish Flag Ceremony in Wall Street sponsored by TACCI. Details to be announced soon.

 

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OUR PREMIUM MEMBERS 2010-2011

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