"So we heard that a stream was running through here, we came to drink it. We poured it into a glass, drank, and stayed here," says Haji Cemil Ercan from Gaziantep who established Beypazarı Mineral Water Enterprise in 1957 in an environment of impossibilities. The journey started with the offering of one glass of mineral water. And now his son, Niyazi Ercan, says their goal is to become a world brand. Beypazarı Mineral Water was founded 57 years ago as a small enterprise with just 10-15 employees. The mineral water was manufactured in an enterprise that started in a jerry built place with local people, and it is now exported to many countries around the world. In Turkey, it addresses 27% of the market share. Comparing the rise of its factory, whose foundations he laid with his bare hands, to the development of a human being, Haji Cemil Ercan summarizes the process they experienced as, “A child is born, then he grows, develops and becomes a big man. When we were first here, there was no electricity, water nor phone,” he continues, and notes that they didn’t think of anything but working and arrived at their current position through continuous work. And the jerry built enterprise from 57 years ago is now a great facility established on an area of 65.000 m2. The company established with 100% domestic capital, was granted a consumer quality award, best beverage award and EU quality award. He always remembers that the establishment of this factory started with an offering of a glass of mineral water, and offering a glass of mineral water to those visiting the factory courtyard has become a tradition. Stating that everybody coming to Beypazarı has the right to drink a glass of mineral water from the factory, Haji Cemil Ercan is also proud of the employment he has provided with his factory. THE FAMILY COMPANY IS ENTRUSTED TO NIYAZI ERCAN Niyazi Ercan, son of Haji Cemil Ercan, turns the enterprise founded by his father into a market leader. Noting that preserving the leadership is not so easy, Ercan says, “This business is like riding a bicycle. The moment you stop pedaling, you will fall. Therefore you need to continually progress at high velocity. We haven’t retreated just because we have become a leading actor. Becoming the leader was hard, but remaining one is even harder.” Not only manufacturing for the domestic market, Beypazarı Mineral Water exports 15% of its annual production. Noting that they export to countries such as Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Germany, Australia, France, Lebanon and Libya, Ercan says, “Differently from the mineral waters abroad, our mineral waters are rich in minerals and have a sharp taste, which attracts a lot of attention abroad”. FILLING CAPACITY OF 300,000 BOTTLES PER HOUR Having the filling capacity of 300,000 bottles per hour, at Beypazarı Mineral Water Facilities, the taste is highly valued and the product is supplied to the market after several tasting procedures. The factory also stands out with the characteristics of providing the world’s highest production under one roof. Using glass bottles due to health and hygiene reasons, the company also has private laboratories for various inspections. Including the fruit aroma versions, which constitute the recent trend, in their product range, Beypazarı Mineral Water values R&D efforts as well. The Company’s Managing Director Niyazi Ercan says, “With our investments we try to use latest technologies and developments” and underlines that they are taking firm steps forward in becoming a world brand but it requires a lot of patience and hard work. "2014 EUROPEAN QUALITY AWARD" GOES TO BEYPAZARI MINERAL WATER Seventh International Leaders of Branding Intelligence Summit organized by Lob'in Europe was held in June 2014 in Sarajevo. In the 7th International Leaders of Branding Intelligence Summit which took place with the support of DMW (European Diplomats Association), the prominent figures from Turkish business world and their colleagues in Balkan countries came together to increase their market share and to share their experiences in quality and innovation. Beypazarı Mineral Water succeeded in being among the major companies awarded the 2014 European Quality Award.