About Yasar Group

Throughout the 70s, the company continued to grow and establish its name within the paint sector. The first steps of working with international partners were taken in 1963 with the start of paint production licensed under the company, Sadolin of Denmark.

The know-how and experience gained through the ’60s in the paint industry were transported to the ’80s with the establishment of Ortadoğu KVK in 1984, a joint venture with the Danish Kemiks Vaerk Koege company which produces dyeing materials and auxiliaries for the textile sector. In line with the development of national economy, these years saw many investments into diversified sectors in addition to paint, all carefully targeted to the requirements of the country and of the Aegean Region in particular, where the activities were concentrated: food, tissue, fertilizers, beverages, and water, tourism, foreign trading. The Group undersigned numerous firsts in these sectors during these years.

Numerous pioneering products were developed in these sectors by the Yaşar Group over the years.

The first printing inks were produced in 1968;

The first privately owned Milk Production Plant was founded in 1973;

As goods started to be exported abroad, the Yaşar International Trade Group was established in the 1970s. This led to an increase in production and trade with international markets.

In 1974, the Yaşar Group entered the tourism sector with the opening of the 1,100-bed capacity Altın Yunus Resort in Çeşme.
In the 1980s the Yadex Company was established in Germany, in response to the increase in international exports.

The first privately owned paper factory, Viking Paper, was added to the Group’s portfolio in 1982.

Then in 1984 and 1985, the Group made their first investment in the food sector. This was backed by the establishment of Turkey’s first spring water bottling plant, Pınar Su, the first fish farming facility, Pınar Fisheries, and the first privately owned integrated meat facility, Pınar Et.

• 1100-bed Tourist Resort, Altin Yunus Çeşme – 1974
• Privately-owned Paper Factory, Viking Kağıt – 1982
• Spring Water Bottling Plant, Pınar Su – 1984
• Aquaculture Fish Farming Facility, Pınar Deniz – 1985
• Privately-owned Integrated Meat Facility, Pinar Et- 1985
  

 In the 2000s, Yaşar Group decided to focus on paint and food sectors that it deems as its core businesses drawing from its pioneering initiatives, strong base of culture, experience and know-how.  New Pınar factories, producing milk and milk products, were opened in Izmir and Eskişehir to extend the Pınar reach into Mid and Eastern Anatolia.  Marketing activities started to spread beyond the domestic market. In the 1970s, global markets opened for exported Pınar products, and the brand gained international recognition and visibility.

By the year 2000, the Yaşar Group had started to penetrate Europe with the founding of Pınar Foods GmbH.  That same year, the Group entered the Middle East and Gulf Region and gained a significant volume of business in those regions, where the HDF-FZCO company, a subsidiary of Yasar Holding, was active. 

In 1996, the Group acquired four new springs and built plants, namely at the Madran spring in Aydın, the Gökçeağaç spring in Sakarya, the Akçaağaç spring in Isparta and the İnegöl spring in Bursa.

Growth of the Dyo paint brand was also seen internationally, as new partner companies were established in Eastern Europe, Russia and Africa.

In addition to production at its three coatings factories in Turkey, the paint business expanded its operations into Eastern Europe and Russia. The DYO brand strengthened in Romania after local paint production was started there.  In 2004, the Group entered the Egyptian market. 

Over the years, the Yaşar Group has introduced new, innovative and practical products to consumers, due to the continued core investment made in the Group’s Research and Development team.  Recent product launches have included organic milk, prebiotic milk, probiotic-prebiotic yoghurt in the food sector, as well as hybrid products and the integration of nanotechnology in the paint sector.  

In 2007, the Yaşar Group signed the United Nations Global Compact. Within this framework, an annual report is produced, describing sustainable activities and outlining future goals.  In 2017, with the view that gender equality is significant both for economic and social development, the Group signed the ‘CEO Statement of Support,’ which supports women’s employment.  By joining the Ministry of Family and Social Policy’s ‘Equality in the Work Place,’ the Group committed to increase women’s employment and advance their working conditions.

In 2014, Dyo further expanded its operation with the opening of a new factory for Dyo Powder Coatings in Turgutlu.  In 2015, Pınar Süt established a new plant in Şanlıurfa, in addition to its existing production plants in the Aegean and Central Anatolian regions. On becoming fully operational, the factory aimed to contribute to the economic and development of the Southeast Anatolian region.

The Yaşar Group follows its strategic path of focusing on its core businesses. It has been a key contributor to the development of the Turkish private sector over the past 72 years.

The Group takes pride in having been the initiator of the Dyo Art Competition in 1967.  This was the first painting contest to be organized in Turkey by the private sector, and has continued over the years on an annual basis.  In 1985, the first private-sector art gallery, namely the Selçuk Yaşar Art Gallery, was opened by the Group.

The Group’s core commitment to investing in the arts, culture and education continues via the supported activities of the Yaşar Foundation for Education and Culture, as well as via the Selçuk Yaşar Foundation for Sport and Education.

Over the long term, the Yaşar Group will continue being a leader in its core businesses, demonstrate its commitment and awareness raising of social responsibility issues, and further develop its role as a global player showcasing its leading brands of Pınar and Dyo