Kaasmakerij Ozgazi in Etten-Leur is the most modern white cheese factory in the world. Brothers Adem (37) and Numan (33) Akturk are the second generation leading this impressive company, which processes 800,000 liters of milk daily and generates an annual turnover of 150 million euros. In their view, the success is based on three factors: the factory's location, the high quality of Dutch milk, and the flexibility provided by their own can factory in Rucphen. A fourth success factor is the brothers' perseverance. "Standing still is not an option for us."
"We have a world-class product," says Numan. "Traditionally, white cheese of the feta type is consumed in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. Our father already became a market leader in that 'ethnic' market. Since the beginning, we have also been exporting our cheese to Germany, France, and the UK." Today, Özgazi’s cheeses and yogurts are available under its own brand and 18 private labels in stores worldwide. Adem adds: "Initially, Hello Fresh Europe sourced feta for their meal boxes from Greece, but now every pack of white cheese in those boxes comes from our factory."
Beyond the dream
The talented brothers—both having completed their master's degrees in Business Studies from the University of Amsterdam—complement each other well. Adem is the go-getter, while Numan is the connector. Adem explains, "We trust each other completely and are always focused on our business. We grew up in the factory. During our vacations and weekends, we packed cheeses and labeled plastic lids." Numan adds, "We have grown far beyond our father's dream. Now that we lead in our specific market, we focus on how to maintain that control and how to expand."
Pizza Cheese
The factory is fully automated, ensuring the consistent quality of Özgazi products—a key reason for their great success. Recently, a new production line for Greek-style yogurt, packaged in kilogram buckets, was added. Numan says, "We are in talks with European supermarkets to supply this quality yogurt as a private label product." The brothers also see opportunities in producing kashkaval, a hard mozzarella-like cheese they plan to introduce as pizza cheese in the international market. Producing butter is another idea. "When you make cheese from milk, you have cream left over. We can certainly do something with that."
Strong Network
White cheese, Özgazi’s main product, is becoming increasingly popular, partly due to the rise in vegetarian eating habits. "This development is favorable for us and can help us grow to process 1 million liters of milk per day. Greece, where official feta originates, does not have as strong a dairy network as the Netherlands. So, if you want the best quality, you should come to us."
