A LETTER FROM ÖZGÜN OLIVE  

Being a "family business” is necessary and a universal truth for olive oil business, and it applies to Özgün Olive as well. In the production history of the family tree, which spans over a century, there have been four significant milestones. The first milestone is when according to population exchange in 1922 Sucu family members settle in Ayvalik coming from Mytilene.  Their reputation helps them earn their surname “Sucu” after the Surname Law this is because they used to trade water for homes on donkeys. Yet, the main source of livelihood is olive business. Olive trees grow on slope lands which were allocated for exchanged citizens by government as a general principle are still productive, even today and this helps us understand that the most advanced techniques were used for harvest and process at that time. The third generation of “Sucu” family is in charge of managing the business today and takes it as a responsibility to respectfully commemorate their descendants who knew and performed modern production during the early years of most difficult times of our Republic.

The second turning point coincides with 1955. After Ayvalik was connected to mains water system, Sucu family could not trade water anymore. What remains to them was “their reputation”, the most important aspect of trade. And what is more important is that they learned a very crucial thing that they need to focus on only one job in production. Since then, Sucu family members have never gone away from the concepts of olive and olive oil, because they knew most about their productions… They have also realized the virtues of being a family company then.

In 1990, highly educated third generation of Sucu family forms a structure that will keep production and trade alive together. The decision to carry out the business activities under the name of Ozgun Olive would be the third turning point. They make a strategic decision with the increase in sales volume that is fed by created confidence. They abandon the current workplace for olive business and olive oil extraction and they start factory production. However, the transition is not a decision for a mass production; it is only a venture for adding scale increase in quality. We cannot claim that 2500 tons of olive oil and 500 tons of olives per year are still produced naturally at Ozgun Olive service area which is located at the Ayvalik entrance of Izmir-Canakkale highway, but to be more accurate we can say that they are prepared naturally. With the “lithography system" whose preparations has already been started, Ozgun Olive will start adding the flavor of the traditional purity to its product reputation in 2011 October.

We do not know what “turning points” Ozgun Olive will experience in the coming period. There are two clear cases that we know: First, fourth generation is going to take over the control before Sucu family starts “dahlia production". Second, we are going to try institutionalization without embracing mysterious words such as “qualified production” or “boutique items” but with standard and performance. We think that, our certification of ISO 22000, which comprises of HACCP standard, the gold key for the production of olives and olive oil and our exports to Canada and Germany at a modest scale are our first measurements of this. What do you think of it?

We do not say “If you pass by”... a familiar word, but we say “ either in summer or winter, you are definitely going to happen to pass Mount Ida, Ayvalik, which is told in Iliad of Homer, mythological hero of the Aegean Region, and there will also take you from Troy to Likta. It will be our pleasure to welcome you at the place of Ozgun Olive in the Aegean Region. We are happy that we do not have the word “Vendor-Client” in our business understanding which Romanco W. Faulkner used interchangeably with "dirty money". We would like to greet you with "merhaba" which was referred by Cevat Sakir, Fisherman of Halicarnassusas as the most sincere word in Turkish.

Best Regards,, and “Goodbye” ( by Aegean saying)

Ahmet Sucu

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