According to Burak Söylemez of the Turkish company IMGE Industrial Cooling Systems, there is a noticeable difference between the requirements for cold chain logistics and other cooling solutions between Asia and Europe. While the European market has a larger emphasis on quality, the Asian market is geared towards to lower prices.
“Quality and cheap prices do not match,” says Söylemez. According to the export manager, quality and cheap solutions are inherently a trade-off for each other. Being based in Turkey, the company has a unique position between the two different markets. However, IMGE shares most of its attitudes with the European market.
The factory in Istanbul is used to assemble the systems that are requested by customers. The different components of these systems are provided by specialized partner companies in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. These companies have specifically been sought out by the company for their technological edge over competing companies in the sector for cold chain logistics.
“While we’re not offering the best price, we do offer the best quality. I’d say our prices are at a medium level, instead of lowest or premium. In order to achieve quality, you need to innovate. We’re constantly searching for the latest in technological developments, such as by attending events like Fruit Logistica. A cold storage room built by specifications that were cutting edge five or six years ago, can’t possibly compete with solutions that are currently available.”
Competition in the cold storage sector is fierce. That same competition also shows the difference between Asia and Europe. “Asian companies that provide cold chain logistics and other solutions are really cheap. They make use of Chinese components and are aggressively working on the promotion of their brand. However, Chinese components are definitely inferior to the ones from Europe. Most Chinese machine parts will last only for a couple of years.”
According to Söylemez, the quality is also seen in the products that are being stored. “Our ripening rooms show quality, with bananas turning out shiny and strong. We checked out the bananas that were stored with solutions that were provided by Spanish and Asian competitors, and those bananas tended to be soft. Quality is crucial, as soft bananas are detrimental to the banana market as a whole.” IMGE is currently working on new technology that works with carbon dioxide. Another major trend is cold chain logistics aimed at the online retail sector, which is currently trending.
Another important factor for success besides innovation is a reputation as a reliable service provider. “When we give our word, we keep our word. We may lose money, but we’ll never forget our promises. Otherwise, we couldn’t work as a company. Our customers need to be able to trust our service.”
The company was founded in 1994. They've been working at an international level with customers ranging from Denmark, Macedonia and Romania in Europe, to Senegal and Kenya in Africa, to eastern markets like Iraq and Afghanistan. The company cover all types of solutions and systems with regards to cooling for fresh produce. Controlled atmosphere for apple and pomegranates; Ultra Low Oxygen (ULO) for potatoes; ventilation and control systems for onions and lastly, Glycol cooling systems. They provide banana ripening chambers, citrus systems, cold storage rooms and logistics with 12 offices worldwide and one major factory in Istanbul,” Söylemez concluded.
For more information:
Burka Soylemez
IMGE Industrial Cooling Systems (Turkey)
Tel: 0090-242-311-65-15
Email: burak@imgesogutma.com
www.imgesogutma.com
“Quality and cheap prices do not match,” says Söylemez. According to the export manager, quality and cheap solutions are inherently a trade-off for each other. Being based in Turkey, the company has a unique position between the two different markets. However, IMGE shares most of its attitudes with the European market.
The factory in Istanbul is used to assemble the systems that are requested by customers. The different components of these systems are provided by specialized partner companies in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. These companies have specifically been sought out by the company for their technological edge over competing companies in the sector for cold chain logistics.
“While we’re not offering the best price, we do offer the best quality. I’d say our prices are at a medium level, instead of lowest or premium. In order to achieve quality, you need to innovate. We’re constantly searching for the latest in technological developments, such as by attending events like Fruit Logistica. A cold storage room built by specifications that were cutting edge five or six years ago, can’t possibly compete with solutions that are currently available.”
Competition in the cold storage sector is fierce. That same competition also shows the difference between Asia and Europe. “Asian companies that provide cold chain logistics and other solutions are really cheap. They make use of Chinese components and are aggressively working on the promotion of their brand. However, Chinese components are definitely inferior to the ones from Europe. Most Chinese machine parts will last only for a couple of years.”
According to Söylemez, the quality is also seen in the products that are being stored. “Our ripening rooms show quality, with bananas turning out shiny and strong. We checked out the bananas that were stored with solutions that were provided by Spanish and Asian competitors, and those bananas tended to be soft. Quality is crucial, as soft bananas are detrimental to the banana market as a whole.” IMGE is currently working on new technology that works with carbon dioxide. Another major trend is cold chain logistics aimed at the online retail sector, which is currently trending.
Another important factor for success besides innovation is a reputation as a reliable service provider. “When we give our word, we keep our word. We may lose money, but we’ll never forget our promises. Otherwise, we couldn’t work as a company. Our customers need to be able to trust our service.”
The company was founded in 1994. They've been working at an international level with customers ranging from Denmark, Macedonia and Romania in Europe, to Senegal and Kenya in Africa, to eastern markets like Iraq and Afghanistan. The company cover all types of solutions and systems with regards to cooling for fresh produce. Controlled atmosphere for apple and pomegranates; Ultra Low Oxygen (ULO) for potatoes; ventilation and control systems for onions and lastly, Glycol cooling systems. They provide banana ripening chambers, citrus systems, cold storage rooms and logistics with 12 offices worldwide and one major factory in Istanbul,” Söylemez concluded.
For more information:
Burka Soylemez
IMGE Industrial Cooling Systems (Turkey)
Tel: 0090-242-311-65-15
Email: burak@imgesogutma.com
www.imgesogutma.com