With the closure of the Düsseldorf wholesale market, özTürkuaz Handels GmbH was also forced to look for a new location. After months of searching, the management of the company, which was founded in 2012, found what they were looking for on Emscherstraße in the north of Gelsenkirchen. "In the new, over 3,000 m² hall with a ten-year location guarantee, we will continue and expand our business operations with renewed vigor," reports co-managing director Vahit Can (pictured below) in an interview on site.
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
After a smooth move, the new company headquarters opened on January 1, 2025. Can: "Most of our existing customers in the Düsseldorf area have remained loyal to us and are now supplied with our own vehicles. Otherwise, we see ourselves primarily as a cash and carry and a point of contact for retailers and resellers. Although I have lived in Gelsenkirchen for many years, I was pleasantly surprised by the high level of customer demand in this region. Since the move, we have already gained many new customers, primarily Arab and Turkish stores, even though we have done very little in the way of customer acquisition."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comThe company headquarters covers a total area of around 3,500 square meters (3,000 square meters of operating space + 500 square meters of shared space). The hall is also equipped with cold storage, photovoltaics, and new sanitary facilities.
Despite the move, customers can continue to expect the same service, emphasizes Can. "Our cash and carry is open every day from 4 a.m., and we continue to offer a wide range of fruit and vegetables from all over the world, including our exclusive brands such as Goldenpac and the like." In general, this year's season has been challenging in many ways, but the fruit wholesaler continues. "There have been serious crop losses this year for sweet cherries and stone fruit from Turkey due to frost. The weather has also had a negative impact on crops in large parts of Spain. Watermelons, on the other hand, saw good availability coupled with consistently high demand. Although we continue to rely on direct imports, we are fortunately not tied to any one supplier, which allows us to respond flexibly to current developments at the procurement level."
In contrast to the 'previous' catchment area, demand in the Gelsenkirchen area is primarily focused on standard products (e.g., tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons), while unusual items such as exotic fruits and the like are less in demand. Can: "We are already seeing a positive development here and also regard it as our task to enrich the product diversity of the local retail trade."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Italian watermelons
Growth potential at new location
All in all, the management of özTürkuaz Handels GmbH has not regretted the move to Gelsenkirchen. "We also held talks with the Dortmund wholesale market and the new wholesale market in Hilden, but decided against it for several reasons. Due to the low level of competition in the neighborhood and the additional operating space, we see further growth potential. We are considering expanding our product range in the future to include dry goods such as pasta, canned goods, nuts, and dried fruits. In addition, we want to strengthen our position in the catering sector. However, our initial focus is on expanding our workforce and our vehicle fleet," he concludes.
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
A look inside the cold storage facilities
For more information:
Vahit Can
özTürkuaz Handels GmbH
Emscherstrasse 62
45891 Gelsenkirchen
Tel: +49 176 20201412
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/pinagmbh/
