Dolu’s toy factory, established in 1975 in Istanbul, Turkey, is counting down the days to its move to a new, modern facility in 2021.
The first phase of production of Dolu’s new factory will be up and running in January 2021, with additional machines ordered to support the growth in capacity that the new facility will offer. The plan is to have all existing machines and offices moved into the new facility by July 2021.
The new factory is located close to the Bulgarian border, situated on the main route to Europe with easy access to the main ports. The closed area will measure 55,000 square metres in total, which includes brand new offices and a purpose built 1,000 square metre showroom. This makes the capacity of the new factory five times greater than the current production facility. With significantly increased capacity, the company plans to expand its product offering across both its toys and baby ranges.
Last year, Dolu was awarded the title of ‘Largest Toy Exporter in Turkey’, and it anticipates that productivity will be increased even further by the new factory. In addition, the company will be integrating state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable technologies into the brand-new facility, including the latest solar energy power solutions, which will result in it being one of the lowest emission factories in the whole of the toy industry.
Speaking exclusively to Toy World about the new factory, Steve Richardson of SJR Associates, UK distributor for Dolu, commented: “Due to the increased demand for Dolu products this year, we have pushed ahead with the building and development of our new factory in Istanbul. We are looking forward to seeing the first phase opening for production in January 2021, and also to seeing our new permanent showroom in action. Alongside the growth and expansion of our production facilities, we plan to broaden our range of toys and baby products, while we are also working on options for sustainable products, set to launch in 2021.”
He added: “We’re confident that the new facility will give us even greater capacity in 2021. Clear winners for us in 2021 were the outdoor items, including slides, playhouses, tractors, ride-ons and sand & water tables. It was also encouraging to see demand continue for these items long beyond the summer season into the autumn/winter period, and we are confident that many of these lines will sell well in the run-up to Christmas. That will set us up for an exciting year in 2021.”
For more details on Dolu’s 2021 range, please contact UK representatives Steve and Ria Richardson of SJR Associates on 07850779797 or 07877443733, or email sales@sjr-associates.co.uk.
Read more about the new factory in the November issue of Toy World, here.
