Farplas

During his factory visit, Mr. Varank saw firsthand the parts for TOGG designed and produced by Farplas, its production capability, and R&D projects.   

Turkiye’s Industry and Technology Minister, Mr. Mustafa Varank, visited the Farplas Çelikel, Kanca, and Toyotetsu factories in the TOSB Automotive Supply Industry Specialized Organized Industrial Zone. Mr. Varank was accompanied by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Dr. Tahir Büyükakın; TOSB Chairman of the Board, Dr. Mehmet Dudaroğlu; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vehicle Supply Manufacturers Association (TAYSAD), Albert Saydam; and TOSB Board Members. Ömer Burhanoğlu, İgal Zakuto, Oğuzhan Deniz and TOSB Regional Manager, Murat Demir, also attended the visit.

During the factory tour of Farplas Automotive, which specializes in manufacturing interior and exterior polymer-based complex parts for the automotive industry, Fark Holding CEO and Board Member, Ömer Burhanoğlu; Farplas CEO, Haluk Akçalı; COO, Soner Başköy; and CTO, Murat Peker, provided Mr. Varank information regarding the parts designed and produced for TOGG (Turkiye’s Automobile Enterprise Group.) They also presented on Farplas’ current progress in mobility related R&D initiatives. In addition, Mr. Varank got on the production line himself and assembled the metal sheet of the fan carrier used in the Renault Megane. 

In the interview he gave after his visit, Mr. Varank emphasized the importance of design, saying, “Before, when I thought of Farplas, I immediately thought of a factory only producing plastic parts. However, today I realize that this is a company that collaborates with other global giants in the automotive industry, especially in engineering and designing the interior and exterior of cars.” Varank also stated, “As we all know, the automotive industry is transforming, and our domestic suppliers and manufacturers need to generate more added value to keep up. This, of course, can only be achieved through engineering and design. In this respect, Farplas is among Turkiye’s key domestic suppliers in the automotive industry with its high annual revenue and global network of engineering offices and production facilities.

Moreover, Farplas is one of the important stakeholders of the TOGG project–a project that has captured and is leading the electric and autonomous vehicle transformation in the industry. Therefore, I took this opportunity to learn more about their contributions to Turkiye’s automotive industry. I was very impressed by the automation and digital processes in its factories that should set an example for Turkiye. I am grateful to them for bringing such facilities and production capability to Turkiye and for collaborating with global brands with their engineering and design expertise. I hope to achieve great things with them in the coming years.”

Fark Holding CEO and Board Member, Ömer Burhanoğlu, stated that they design and produce all of the parts around the driver seat where the driving experience happens, such as the control panel, door panels, center console, overhead lighting, and ventilation units. Burhanoğlu said, “We designed a brand-new model cockpit for TOGG. Apart from that, we are working with TOGG to produce various parts such as spoilers, charging points, and antenna units on the top. TOGG is not merely a vehicle project for us; it is also a transformation platform. Through this transformation platform, we have had the opportunity to test innovative technologies that we have developed for new generation vehicles and to showcase our strengths in these areas. We would also like to thank TOGG for providing us with this opportunity. Of course, Farplas goes far beyond manufacturing the physical parts of a vehicle by investing in human and physical resources as well as R&D. We aim to become an important player in the electronic software industry and the world of mobility.” Burhanoğlu noted that in addition to collaborating with most of the 16 main industries in Turkiye, Fark Holding works abroad with global brands such as Ford, Toyota, Tesla, and Dacia. He also stated that they have operations in Romania, Slovenia, and Thailand.