20
Never stop innovating,
says Birim Makina
Electric cars, real-time monitoring screens, smart welding robots and solar panels covering the roof of
its new production facility near Izmir: Türkiye’s recycling machinery manufacturer Birim Makina is put-
ting a lot of effort and money into becoming future-proofed.
Birim Makina may be a modern com-
pany but it has always cherished its
roots. Olive trees surrounding the
company’s new production halls are
not just ordinary landscaping trees;
they come from the family’s own plan-
tation nearby. ‘It is important to know
where you’re coming from, and we’re
very proud of our family history,’ says
managing director Aykut Karahan.
NEW HOUSING
It’s been a crazy year so far for Birim,
says Karahan, who has been at the
helm of the company for ten years.
Under his leadership, the production
area has recently expanded to 50 000
m², with 35 000 m² (five halls) currently
in use. Total investment: EUR 8.4 mil-
lion. This year, a new 10 000 m² weld-
ing factory was opened, featuring
state-of-the-art robots operating 24/7.
On top of that, Birim Europe has been
set up in Germany to better serve the
European market. The company also
introduced a new 1 000-tonne cutting
force shear with side press.
GOOD AND BAD TIMES
Business is going well, the md says
during a tour of the facility where
impressive pieces of equipment are
built and assembled. One is a shear
for a recycler in Dubai, another is
being prepared for shipment to a steel
mill in India while a three-ram baler
will soon find its way to a customer in
Türkiye.
‘Roughly 80% of our business is
export,’ says Karahan. The other 20%
is domestic. With Türkiye among the
top 10 steel producers in the world,
Birim has always gained a lot of busi-
ness from the steel sector. ‘Obviously
not every year is good for recycling
equipment sales. Let’s put it this way:
A U T H O R | P H O T O Martijn Reintjes
Aykut Karahan:
‘What two
welders do in
15 days, this
robot does in
three to four
days.’
20-21_turkey_birim.indd 20 03-07-2024 16:44
