Şişecam Celebrates the 90 Years of Progress

What began as a modest operation with just 400 employees focused on fulfilling Türkiye's essential glass needs has evolved into a global leader. Today, Şişecam operates 45 production facilities across four continents and employs over 24,000 dedicated professionals worldwide. This milestone reflects not only Şişecam’s remarkable growth but also its unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in the glass industry.

Şişecam stands as one of the cornerstones of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s vision to establish a self-sufficient nation and a national glass industry in the early years of the Turkish Republic. Beginning with the essential mission of producing items such as gas lamps and medicine bottles for a young nation, Şişecam has grown to operate 45 production facilities in 14 countries across four continents, employing over 24,000 people. As the company celebrates its 90th anniversary, it reflects on a legacy of growth, innovation, and dedication to excellence, contributing to a sustainable, self-sufficient future for the world.

Şişecam’s CEO Görkem Elverici says the following about the company’s 90th anniversary: 

“With a proud 90-year history inspired by the vision of our Founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Şişecam continues to solidify its leadership across its main fields of activity. Our global culture, uniting individuals from 35 different nationalities and encompassing 23 languages, enables us to create value for our entire ecosystem. Through strategic investments, cutting-edge technologies, and a strong commitment to R&D, Şişecam has established itself as one of the world’s largest producers in its sectors. The milestones achieved along this journey reflect the invaluable contributions of our employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, stakeholders, and business partners. As a company that not only shapes the present but also the future, Şişecam will continue to emerge stronger from every challenge, advancing with an unwavering commitment to sustainable growth and long-term value creation.”

Today, Şişecam stands as the only global company operating in all core areas of glass production. It leads the world in glassware and chrome chemicals, ranks among the top four players in glass packaging and the top five producers in flat glass. Additionally, Şişecam is one of the two largest producers of soda ash globally.

Leveraging its exceptional workforce, strategic alliances, cutting-edge R&D capabilities, and innovative technologies, Şişecam steadily advances toward its goal of becoming one of the top three global players in its major business areas. With a clear focus on sustainable growth, Şişecam continues to invest in environmentally responsible production processes and strengthen its position in key markets. The company remains dedicated to creating long-term value for its stakeholders and contributing to the advancement of the glass industry globally.

Şişecam’s 90-Year Story

• With the decision of the Council of Ministers, the task of establishing the Turkish glass industry was assigned to Türkiye İş Bankası by Atatürk.
• The Paşabahçe Factory carried out its first production on July 4, 1935, with 400 people.  
• The factory was officially inaugurated on 29th November 1935 by Prime Minister İsmet İnönü.  
• In 1961, Paşabahçe received its first export request from the USA. The first products were shipped to the USA via sea within a month.  
• Şişecam began producing flat glass in Türkiye in 1959 and glass packaging in 1967. Soda Sanayi was established in 1969.  
• In 1976, Şişecam established Türkiye’s first corporate R&D center.  
• Şişecam became publicly traded on the Istanbul Stock Exchange on January 13, 1986.  
• Its first investment outside Türkiye was made in 1997 to Georgia in the field of glass packaging.  
• In the first half of the 2000s, it expanded with investments in Egypt, Bulgaria, Russia, and Italy.
• In 2011, Şişecam launched the ‘Glass and Glass Again’ project, one of Türkiye’s most comprehensive sustainability and social responsibility initiatives, aimed at promoting glass recycling.  
• In the same year, it contributed to education by establishing the Vocational of Technical Sciences at Mersin Tarsus Organized Industrial Zone, an excellent example of education-industry collaboration. In 2019, Şişecam completed the construction of the Şişecam Yenişehir Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. In its 90th year, Şişecam will continue to support education with new school projects in Lüleburgaz and Tarsus.  
• In 2017, Şişecam implemented its sustainability vision under CareforNext.
• In the second half of the 2000s, it continued its investments not only in Türkiye but also in Italy, India, Hungary, Slovakia, Egypt, and Romania.  
• In 2019, it made its first production investment in soda ash in the USA.
• In 2020, at Şişecam’s 85th anniversary, it consolidated all its operations under “One Şişecam.”  
• In 2024, to shape the production technologies of the future, Şişecam launched the Plant of the Future platform, calling on all its stakeholders to participate.  

In the same year, it acquired all shares in its joint soda ash operations in the USA. This strategic move brought Şişecam one step closer to global leadership in the fields of soda ash and natural soda ash.