Vestel is a Turkish brand that is sold in many countries around the world in white goods and television. Zorlu family is behind the brand. So who is the leader of this family and what is his story?
The name behind Vestel is Ahmet Nazif Zorlu. He was born in 1944 in Denizli. Today, Zorlu is the Chairman of Zorlu Holding, one of Turkey's largest industrial conglomerates, with more than 60 companies, approximately 25 thousand employees and exports to 146 countries.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, who was born in 1944 in Babadağ district of Denizli, started his working life in the textile industry at an early age. Dealing with the textile trade in the first years of its business life, Zorlu added production to the trade in 1976 and took the first steps to carry the Group to its present industrialist identity.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, who founded his first company, Korteks, in 1976, established Zorlu Holding in 1990, and incorporated the Vestel brand into Group companies in 1994. Ahmet Nazif Zorlu's entrepreneurship, which he started with the textile industry; continued by establishing companies operating in many different fields such as white goods, electronics, real estate, energy, metallurgy and defense.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu was awarded the "Spanish Royal Order of Civil Merit" by King of Spain Juan Carlos I in 2007 for his contributions to the development and strengthening of relations between Spain and Turkey.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, who founded the Mehmet Zorlu Education, Health, Culture and Solidarity Foundation in 1999 and has given scholarships to many students to date, continues to offer a future to young people with the educational institutions that he supported.
Ahmet Nazif Zorlu is married and has three children.
Drawing attention with his 3 billion dollar wealth in 2020, Ahmet Nazif Zorlu was in the 21st place with his fortune of 1.3 billion dollars in the Forbes Turkey list of the 100 Richest Turks in 2017.
In 2004, he bought the Concord company, which produces curtains in France.
Zorlu, which also has investments in South Africa and the USA, ranked 620th in Forbes' 2006 "Billionaires List" with a fortune of $1 billion.
Mini-interview
When did you start your business life?
The place where I was born and grew up is the Babadağ district of Denizli. In our case, every house was an SME. Everyone had 1-2 looms. Traders from all over Turkey used to come to our place. The linen market was set up, and everyone would bring their linen. We saw the trade there for the first time. Children aged 6 to 7 also worked at home. The children who did not work would be reproached by saying, "So-and-so's child has woven 2 sheets, you are not yet at this age". I started working when I was 7-8 years old. I was working at home on the loom, going to my father's shop 2-3 days a week. I didn't study after I finished primary school, I said to my father "I want to be a businessman".
Did you have a 'business man' figure in your mind at that age?
In those years, businessmen with fedora hats and ties were coming to our district. I was caring for them. I dreamed of opening a shop in Istanbul. I also had self-confidence, I was saying, "I will go and sell this property in Istanbul."
How was it that you left Denizli?
I always had the urge to get out of there. I saw that we receive a lot of orders from the Black Sea region, I said to my father, 'Let's go and sell the goods on the spot'. We went with my uncle. However, that job was a disaster. We came back from Trabzon in a sunken state. I was left with 6800 TL worth of goods from the bankrupt company. I said to my father, 'Let me make this money capital for myself. I started this way when I was 15-16 years old.
What was the turning point in textiles?
I went to the fair in Italy with a friend, but we don't know any other language than 'Thank you'. I saw a bedspread with a peacock on it. Something tremendous. We went to the man, we can't tell our problem. Somehow we found the Turkish representative of the machine that produced it. I said 'this stuff sells'. We finished the negotiation of the machine without my father even knowing. When we returned, we started production in Bursa. Then you know how we sold that peacock duvet cover… So the industry started. I will not be modest, home textile has become a brand in Turkey over time. Everyone followed us to a point. But in the meantime, I did not see how the children grew up. I spent at least 15 days a month abroad.
When did you buy Vestel?
I am a good observer. During my travels abroad, I saw that things in textile started to turn to electronics. When the late Turgut Özal said 'the future is in electronics', we bought Vestel, which was sunk in 1994. And Vestel became the export leader in all sectors in 7 years.
I PICKED, SHADED AND SELL!
There is a group that has become one of Turkey's largest holdings in the first generation. What do you think is the secret of this success?
The most important thing is to own your job, to love your job, to fall in love, to be in love...