Strong Participation from DENİB in Marble İzmir International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair

Strong Participation from DENİB in Marble İzmir International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair

Denizli Maintains Its Nationwide Leadership in Processed Natural Stone Exports

DENİB President Osman Uğurlu: “We will continue to contribute by maintaining our strong dialogue with sector representatives.”

Marble İzmir International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair, which brings together the natural stone sector, has opened its doors for the 31st time this year. The fair, which will continue for four days until 17 April 2025, is once again hosting strong representation from Denizli, with 41 exhibitors.

Denizli Exporters Association (DENİB) President Osman Uğurlu, Board Members Cüneyt Demirkan, Murat Tosunoğlu, Süreyya Çalışkan, Celil Kılınç, and Secretary General Uğur Dayıoğlu visited the exhibiting companies and conveyed their wishes for success.

On the first day of Marble İzmir Fair, the “Natural Stone Sector Consultation Meeting” was held under the hosting of DENİB and the organization of DENMERDER. The meeting, which brought together leading names from the sector and members of the press, was attended by Denizli Chamber of Commerce President Uğur Erdoğan, Denizli Chamber of Industry President Selim Kasapoğlu, Denizli Miners and Marble Producers Association President Mehmet Serter, Turkish Miners Association President Mehmet Yılmaz, TÜMMER President Hanifi Şimşek, Aegean Minerals Exporters' Association President İbrahim Alimoğlu, General Director of Mining and Petroleum Affairs Arslan Narin, and Head of the Permit and Easement Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Aytunç Nane.

Visiting member companies participating in the fair and making evaluations regarding the event, DENİB President Osman Uğurlu stated:

“Marble İzmir Fair continues to be one of the most important global meeting points of our natural stone sector. I believe that this platform is highly valuable not only in terms of trade, but also in terms of sharing knowledge, technology, and vision.

This year, we are participating in the fair with 41 companies from Denizli. Fifteen of our companies operate in the fields of machinery and natural stone technologies. We visited the stands of our member companies one by one and conveyed our wishes for success. On this occasion, I once again wish all our companies a productive fair. At the meeting held after the first day of the fair, we came together with both distinguished guests and sector representatives. In a sincere environment, we discussed the current state of the natural stone sector, developments in global markets, and the steps that can be taken to enhance the sector's competitiveness. We concluded this gathering, where we shared our Association's work for the natural stone sector and our goals for the new period, with strong dialogue and exchange of views established with sector representatives.

As Denizli, I believe that our greatest strength in the natural stone sector lies in our experience dating back to ancient times. The relief of a stone cutting machine discovered during excavation works in Denizli clearly shows that the point we have reached today is not a coincidence, but something inherent in the nature of our city.

Today, 90 percent of marble exports from our city consist of processed natural stone. This corresponds to an annual value of USD 250 million. We achieve our competitiveness through our value-added production approach. In fact, we crown this success by ranking first nationwide in processed natural stone exports.

As for export figures, in 2025, Denizli recorded exports worth USD 277 million in block marble and processed natural stone. The mining sector accounts for a 6 percent share of Denizli's total exports.

We also started 2026 with an increase. Since the beginning of the year, we have reached USD 76.2 million in block marble and natural stone exports with an increase of 7 percent. We also observe an increase in our sector's exports in the first half of April. These figures demonstrate the stable structure of our sector.

Today, as exporters from Denizli, we stand out not only with our production strength, but also with our ability to reach a wide geography. We export processed natural stone to 110 countries and block marble to 37 countries. In processed products, we are active in high value-added markets such as the United States, France, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Romania. In block marble, China, India, Brazil, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates are among our prominent markets.”

We stand out in competition with our environmentally friendly production approach

Given the fact that competition in global trade today is determined not only by price, but also by an environmentally friendly production approach, President Uğurlu said, “Denizli's natural stone sector advances not only through aesthetics and quality, but also through its sustainability vision. At our Association, we observe strong interest in training programs for the mining sector on sustainability, the EU Green Deal, and CBAM. I can state that exporters from Denizli view sustainable production not as a preference, but as a responsibility.

In Denizli, a vision of leaving a livable world to future generations is pursued through environmentally sensitive mining practices, waste management, energy efficiency, and a production approach focused on recovery.

Believing that we will further advance our strong position in international markets through our production approach, with focus on quality, design and added value and grounded in respect for nature, I hope that Marble İzmir Fair will open the door to new collaborations for our sector and I hope all participants have a productive fair.”

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