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to the downtown highway constructions and legal expropriation
activities carried out by the authorities, and the environmental
pollution in the Centrum, it was deemed better for the LEATHER
PRODUCTION FACILITIES so long located in Izmir-Yesildere and
its surrounding to move out of the city for a new settlement
for further economic activity.
Therefore, the Leather Industrialists mostly
concentrated at the Izmir - Yesildere region founded Izmir
Leather Industrialists' Cooperative Construction Works with
138 partners, each with a limited liability in the year 1984.
They commenced activities within a new settlement plan with
an aim to increase their contribution in the country's economy.
In line with the decision of the Board of
Consultants formed by the authorities of the Governor General
of Izmir Province, the present land of the free zone was purchased
at a distance of 3.5 kilometers to the Menemen - Maltepe village,
having taken into consideration its convenience for the leather
industry. Settlement plans and the joint treatment plant projects
as well as drinking and utility water, sewage system, roads
and energy distribution projects for the factories followed
the purchase.
In the reconstruction plan prepared, land
usage was distributed as follows:
911.038 m2 (% 56.2) as industrial plant areas
and secondary industrial areas,
102.485 m2 (% 6.3) as social and administrative areas,
237.181 m2 (%14.6) as roads,
22.365 m2 (%1.4) as parking lots,
347.404 m2 (%21.5) as recreation grounds.
As a result of the joint activities carried
out with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the second
half of the 1988, our zone was included within the government
program under the name of the Izmir Organized Leather Industry
Zone and an Enterprising Committee was formed, whose members
consisted of those from the Office of the Governor of Izmir
Private Administration Directorate, Aegean Region Chamber
of Industry and the Cooperative Constructions Work.
Contracts for the construction of infrastructure
and electricity establishment were signed on 18.12.1988 and
in 1990 respectively and both were completed by 31.12.1991.
Construction of the wastewater treatment plant was started
on 01.12.1991and upon its completion by 10.26.1993,
The zone started to operate after Mr. President Süleyman DEMİREL made its inauguration. The zone is made of 189 parcels, hosts 247 companies with activity licenses. 3222 people were employed in the zone in 100 active companies with the figures of year-end 2004. While its sale capacity was 500 million $ in 1997, its trade volume increased up to 309.160.857,27$ in 2004, after it was transformed into a free zone.
3) TODAY
Menement Leather Free Zone is dominant on the leather markets of EU countries, Russia and Middle East and it is the only center that has leather treatment system in Turkey and it is an industrial center which is a leader in the procurement and treatment of raw leather. İzmir Menement Leather Free Zone, which is the right address for leather processing and production, offers parcels with established infrastructure and factory premises ready for use, especially for secondary industries of leather sector and all heavy metal industry.
Trade companies can rent close- open spaces for storage purposes. In addition, decree of General Directorate of Customs, under Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of Customs, (dated 21.02.2004 and numbered 2004/2) foresees the performance of the entry transactions of goods without EU origin to the free movement, from our zone.
All companies engaged in investment/production or commercial activities have to obtain activity license from General Directorate of Free Zone, State Undersecetariat of Trade, in order to work in İzmir Menement Leather Free Zone.
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