Merinos Factory opens in Bursa
The establishment of twenty factories was foreseen as part of the First Five-Year Industry Plan launched in 1933. One of the biggest investments in the field of textiles was the Sümerbank Wool Factory to be opened in Bursa. The groundbreaking ceremony of the factory took place on November 28, 1935 with the participation of Prime Minister İsmet İnönü and Minister of Economy Celal Bayar. The establishment was completed in as little as twenty-six months and went into operation on February 2, 1938. President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk inaugurated the factory.
As the first wool worsted establishment in Turkey, the Merinos factory was initially producing only woolen yarn; however, with the addition of weaving and chemical finishing units in 1944 and 1946, respectively, it evolved into the largest integrated plant in the Middle East. Having made significant contributions to its respective sector and the development of the city of Bursa, the institution was closed after it was privatized in 2004.
