Government incentives had begun to bear fruit in garment investments across Anatolia. The support given to manufacturers through development agencies and KOSGEB flowed back into the economy as production, profit and employment. Ihsan Kurtar, founder of Terkonsan, which made new investments in Kahramanmaras, described this transformation from his own experience.

In the interview, Kurtar shared the move from made-to-measure tailoring to factory production, the trouser line set up after the jacket line, and the points he watches when choosing machines. This article covers his experience together with the technical questions an investor must answer when a garment machinery park is set up and expanded.

The sentence that stood out in Kurtar’s words concerned the importance of pressing systems: in his view, pressing is the makeup of a sewn suit. This view also explains why the pressing department should never be the last item considered when a garment machinery park is planned.

The sections cover the definition of a garment machinery park, the staged setup of jacket and trouser lines, machine selection criteria, investment planning with support programs, and quality assurance in subcontract production. The aim is to offer a framework that any business investing in suit production can apply.

1. KAHRAMANMARAS, WHERE INCENTIVES BECAME PRODUCTION

Production and machine investment in garment manufacturing.

Kahramanmaras is an industrial city with strong garment and ready-to-wear production. According to Ihsan Kurtar, factories suited to production are ready in the city and are waiting for new investments. At the time of the interview, Kurtar stressed that the province had used incentives best over the last 35 years and thanked the state.

A large part of the city’s production is carried out in the specialized industrial estate built for tailors and garment makers.

According to Kurtar, the estate was built on 242,000 m² and production by sectoral trade groups takes place in 160,000 m² of enclosed space. This structure made it easier to move small workshops into a quality, factory-based environment.

Collective production areas such as a specialized industrial estate share infrastructure costs and give businesses an orderly production environment.

Being able to plan needs such as energy, steam and compressed air at factory scale creates a solid base for a garment machinery park. The effort Kurtar gave for years on behalf of his colleagues also helped build this base.

Two institutions stood out on the support side. KOSGEB supports the machinery and equipment investments of small and medium-sized businesses, while the Eastern Mediterranean Development Agency (DOGAKA), which also covers Kahramanmaras, supports regional development projects. Terkonsan planned its growth steps by benefiting from both channels.

2. What Is a Garment Machinery Park and Why Does It Matter?

A garment machinery park is the whole of the machines, benches and equipment a ready-to-wear business uses from cutting to shipping. In suit production, this whole consists of cutting, sewing, intermediate pressing, final pressing and quality control stations. The capacity of each station directly affects the workload of the next.

A well-designed garment machinery park prevents bottlenecks on the line. If the pressing department cannot match the speed at which the sewing line turns out jackets, products wait, in-process stock grows and delivery dates slip. A garment machinery park is therefore planned by considering the whole line, not item by item.

Capacity planning is based on the standard time of each operation. When the total sewing and pressing time of a jacket is divided into operations, the number needed at each station can be calculated; this work is known as line balancing. Machines bought without line balancing create idle capacity at some stations and bottlenecks at others.

Ihsan Kurtar describes machine selection as “a very complicated subject,” but adds that some truths of the market are clear. In his view, which machine and brand to use at key points is known in the sector. This experience shows why reference companies and field-proven solutions matter when a garment machinery park is built.

In a suit, quality is measured not only by stitching but also by the form of the product. The shoulder line, collar roll and front appearance of a jacket and the leg line of a trousers largely emerge in pressing.

The effect of the pressing department within a garment machinery park is therefore greater than its share of the investment.

A correctly built structure shortens labor time, standardizes product quality and makes it easier to meet the expectations of subcontract customers. A wrongly built one leads to constant adjustment on the line, rework and dependence on the operator. In this respect a garment machinery park is not a cost item but an infrastructure that determines a business’s competitiveness.

3. FROM MADE-TO-MEASURE TAILORING TO SERIES PRODUCTION: TERKONSAN’S JOURNEY

From made-to-measure tailoring to series production.

Ihsan Kurtar was born in the center of Kahramanmaras in 1949; after finishing primary school he began the trade in 1961 as an apprentice to a tailor. After learning the work, he opened his own workplace as a made-to-measure tailor in 1972. For many years he practiced high-quality made-to-measure tailoring.

Well-sewn work was appreciated and business volume grew. For a while the workshop sewed suits that mixed made-to-measure and ready-to-wear work. As conditions made series production necessary and his colleagues around him encouraged him, Kurtar moved into factory-based garment production.

Kurtar’s career was not limited to his own business. For more than 34 years he served as head of the Chamber of Tailors and Garment Makers, working to solve his colleagues’ problems and to defend their rights before public institutions.

Kurtar, who says he loves people and takes great pleasure in serving them, placed this duty at the center of his life.

Kurtar describes Terkonsan in one sentence as “education, quality, production.” The knowledge of measurement, fitting and handwork that came from made-to-measure tailoring formed the basis of product quality in factory production too. According to Kurtar, customers noticed this knowledge, experience and quality in series production as well.

The move from made-to-measure tailoring to series production also requires building a garment machinery park. In a made-to-measure workshop one master finishes most of the product alone, while in a factory the work is divided into dozens of operations, each with its own machine.

The success of this division depends on choosing machines not to replace craftsmanship but to carry its standard.

4. FROM THE JACKET LINE TO THE TROUSER LINE: GROWING THE PARK STAGE BY STAGE

When Terkonsan moved into factory production, it benefited from KOSGEB support and began sewing 300-400 jackets a day in the first stage. In the first setup of the garment machinery park, only the machines of the jacket line were bought. This choice concentrated capital on the product that demands the most labor and skill.

The quality achieved and the trust built on the jacket line determined the next step. With DOGAKA support, Terkonsan set up the trouser line and became able to produce the whole suit in its own factory. At the time of the interview, production had reached 500 suits a day.

Staged growth is a sound path in garment machinery park planning. The experience gained on the first line makes clear which machines, at what capacity and in what layout will be installed on the second line. The return on the first investment also contributes to financing the next one.

When the trouser line is added, matching the jacket with the trousers opens a new planning topic.

In a suit, the jacket and trousers must come from the same fabric, the same batch and the same color tone; for this reason, the cutting plan and flow speed of the two lines are considered together. A balance between line capacities reduces the stock of semi-finished goods waiting to be matched.

In a staged setup, infrastructure should be thought of broadly from day one. If steam generation, vacuum and compressed air lines and the electrical panel are sized to carry the load of the second line, later expansion proceeds without interruption. This approach lets the factory move to new capacity without stopping production as the garment machinery park grows.

5. THE PRESSING DEPARTMENT: THE MAKEUP OF THE SUIT

Bucks and presses in the pressing department.

According to Ihsan Kurtar, pressing systems are very, very important, because pressing is the makeup of a sewn suit. However careful the stitching is, the first impression a product gives is formed in pressing. The pressing department is therefore the place within a garment machinery park where quality is most visible.

In suit production, pressing is done in two main stages. In intermediate pressing, seams are opened, interlining is fused and parts are prepared for the next sewing operation. In final pressing, the product receives its final form with steam, pressure and vacuum.

Kurtar stresses that the jacket is a buck (form) job. Malkan Machinery made bucks to suit Terkonsan’s jackets, and PLC-controlled fully automatic presses delivered a pressing result far above expectations. A product-specific buck ensures that the form the model aims for is repeated on every product in the shoulder, collar and front areas of the jacket.

In Kurtar’s description, the pressing department is not made up of presses alone. Terkonsan had its ironing presses, ironing benches and installation work done by Malkan Machinery, and it bought the pressing systems of its newly set-up trouser line from Malkan Machinery as well.

Planning presses, benches and installation from a single source makes it easier for the pressing department of a garment machinery park to work as a whole.

Efficiency in the pressing department depends on the quality of the steam and the power of the vacuum. Dry steam gives the fabric even moisture, while sufficient vacuum draws off moisture and heat and sets the form.

When these two infrastructures are built correctly, the pressing equipment in a garment machinery park gives results that are both fast and consistent.

Malkan Machinery’s German strategic partner Indupress and its integrated approach to the pressing department are also introduced separately on the site.

6. CRITERIA TO WATCH WHEN CHOOSING MACHINES

The first criterion is capacity balance. The hourly capacity of each station is calculated according to the target daily output and shift pattern; pressing stations are planned in a number that can handle the output of the sewing line. Setup times arising from model variety and fabric changes are also considered in the capacity calculation.

The second criterion is how well the garment machinery park suits the product. In a business making suits, presses divided by jacket area, product-specific bucks and programs adjustable to the fabric are decisive. A garment machinery park is shaped by the range of products to be made; there is no ready-made list for every business.

The third criterion is automation and repeatability. PLC-controlled presses apply steam, pressure and vacuum times through a stored program; so even when the shift and the operator change, the result stays the same. This feature also shortens operator training time in newly built factories.

The fourth criterion is the balance of price and quality. Kurtar says that thanks to Malkan Machinery they could buy presses at a suitable price and in the forms they wanted. In an investment decision, not only the purchase price but also energy consumption, maintenance cost and access to spare parts are taken into account.

The fifth criterion is after-sales service. Kurtar finds Malkan Machinery’s after-sales service very good.

A press standing idle on the line affects the flow of the whole line, so access to service matters as much as price in a garment machinery park decision. In his words, “whenever you call, they are by your side.”

The last criterion is references. Kurtar’s statement that their research showed they should choose Malkan Machinery indicates that the decision rests on field results. The experience of companies making similar products in the same region is one of the most reliable sources of data for an investor.

7. LAYOUT PLAN AND MATERIAL FLOW

Pressing stations in the layout plan.

A garment machinery park is not just a machine list; the placement of the machines inside the factory also determines efficiency.

In suit production the flow generally starts in the cutting room, continues through sewing and intermediate pressing stations, and ends with final pressing and quality control. Reflecting this order correctly in the physical layout prevents products from being moved unnecessarily.

Intermediate pressing stations are placed right next to the related sewing operations. This way a part whose seams have been opened or whose interlining has been fused moves on to the next operation without waiting.

Doing intermediate pressing in a collective department away from the line, on the other hand, increases transport time and the risk of parts getting mixed up.

The final pressing department is set up close to the exit of the sewing line and the quality control area. Carrying a pressed jacket over a long distance may cause it to wrinkle again and lose its form. Hanging transport systems are one of the common methods of preserving the form of the product at this stage.

In the layout, the routes of the steam, vacuum and compressed air lines are planned together. Gathering pressing stations in one area shortens line lengths and reduces heat loss and pressure drop. When the garment machinery park expands, spare connection points are left on the lines so that new stations can be connected easily.

The working environment is also part of the layout. The heat and humidity produced in the pressing department must be balanced with ventilation and lighting; an arrangement in which the operator can see the product comfortably and work without tiring supports quality and occupational safety together.

These details help a garment machinery park investment deliver the expected efficiency in the field.

8. INVESTMENT PLANNING WITH SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Two support channels played a role in Terkonsan’s growth: KOSGEB in the move to factory production, and a development agency in setting up the trouser line. The programs of these institutions open through periodic calls; the scope, support rate and conditions differ in each program. Current conditions should be confirmed with the relevant institution before applying.

In a support application, the strongest basis is a well-prepared project file. The target capacity, employment plan, machine list and expected effect of the investment are defined concretely. In an application for a garment machinery park, a project is easier to evaluate when the technical features of the machines and their relation to the line are shown clearly.

In supported investments, the garment machinery park should also be thought of for the long term. The purpose of support is for the business to create lasting production, profit and employment, which is possible only with machines that work efficiently for years.

As Kurtar stressed, the success of incentives is measured by their conversion into production, profit and employment.

The investment schedule of the garment machinery park should follow the periods of the support program. When machine delivery, assembly, completion of the installation and operator training follow a realistic order, the factory starts production on the planned date. Planning the installation work together with the machine supplier reduces the risks in this schedule.

9. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STANDARDIZATION IN SUBCONTRACT PRODUCTION

Pressing quality and repeatability in subcontract production.

At the time of the interview, Terkonsan was making suits as a subcontractor for a large company that had become a brand on the market.

In subcontract production, the brand sets the design, fabric and quality criteria; the manufacturer is obliged to meet these criteria at the same level in every batch. This obligation directly affects the choice of a garment machinery park.

Brand customers generally work through sample approval, measurement tables and intermediate inspections. The approved sample must be repeated in series production with the same measurements and appearance. In a garment machinery park, programmable presses and product-specific bucks help preserve the form achieved in the sample across thousands of products.

After pressing, inspection looks at measurement deviation, shine, marks, loss of form and symmetry.

The source of a defect found in inspection is traced backward; if the problem is in pressing, the program or buck is corrected, and if it is in sewing, feedback is given to the relevant operation. This cycle spreads quality assurance across the whole line, not a single station.

In a subcontract relationship, the brand may also monitor the production process through audits. In an audit, the maintenance records, program lists and quality control records of the machines may be examined; records kept in order show the manufacturer’s reliability in concrete terms.

In subcontract production, delivery time matters as much as quality. In a factory making 500 suits a day, a station stopping for hours can upset the delivery plan. Reliable machines and fast service are two basic elements that protect the continuity of a subcontract relationship.

Malkan Machinery’s quality policy and quality certificates were also recognized by an independent institution in 2013 with the TSE quality award.

10. TRAINING, HUMAN RESOURCES AND AFTER-SALES SERVICE

At the time of the interview, 110 people worked at Terkonsan. Kurtar says they make quality suits by using trained, skilled staff and automatic machines together. This statement shows that a garment machinery park and human resources complement each other.

Using modern machines and automatic systems in the factory makes the operator’s job easier but does not make the operator’s knowledge unnecessary.

Placing the product correctly on the buck, choosing the right program and noticing a defect at once all require a trained operator. However advanced a garment machinery park is, it cannot give its full potential without this knowledge.

Training gives its best result when it is given during commissioning on the business’s own products. Working with real fabric and real models, operators learn the logic of the programs, while the maintenance team takes over daily checks and simple adjustments. Terkonsan’s order of “education, quality, production” is therefore no coincidence.

After-sales service is the continuation of training. When a new model, a new fabric or a capacity increase comes, work with the supplier’s technical team speeds up the updating of programs and bucks. That Kurtar has worked with Malkan Machinery for 20 years shows that this continuity has turned into a long-term partnership.

According to Kurtar, this trust is not limited to Terkonsan; dozens of companies making similar products make the same choice in their pressing systems. When businesses making the same product in the same city share experience, a new investor can more easily base the garment machinery park decision on field results.

This approach also finds its counterpart in Malkan Machinery’s values: people first, then machines. The approach to customer satisfaction is explained in the customer satisfaction policy.

11. CONCLUSION

Terkonsan’s story shows how a career that runs from tailor’s apprenticeship to factory production can grow through support programs and the right machine decisions.

A structure that began with the jacket line reached production of 500 suits a day with the addition of the trouser line. In this growth, the garment machinery park was the tool that carried craftsmanship into series production.

Ihsan Kurtar’s experience is a reminder that the pressing department is the face of quality in a suit. A product-specific buck, PLC-controlled presses, installation planned from a single source and fast service keep this department working at the same standard for years.

With the experience accumulated since 1971 and an export network reaching 95 countries, Malkan Machinery stands by the manufacturer on this journey.

12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where should one start when setting up a garment machinery park? First the product range and the target daily capacity are determined. Then the cutting, sewing, intermediate pressing, final pressing and quality control stations are listed with capacity balance in mind; the infrastructure is sized according to this list.

Why is the pressing department so important in suit production? The form of the product and its first-glance appearance emerge in pressing. In Ihsan Kurtar’s words, pressing is the makeup of the suit; even a well-sewn product loses value with wrong pressing.

Can a garment machinery park be set up in stages? Yes; Terkonsan set up the jacket line first and the trouser line afterward. In a staged setup, sizing the infrastructure from the start to carry the load of the second line makes later expansion easier.

What does a product-specific buck provide? The buck carries the target form in the shoulder, collar and front areas of the jacket. A product-specific buck helps repeat the form approved in the sample on every product in series production.

How should the machine list of a garment machinery park be prepared for a support application? The technical features, capacities and place in the line of the machines should be written clearly. Current support scope and rates should be confirmed with KOSGEB or the relevant development agency before applying.

What does the garment machinery park change in subcontract production? In subcontract production, the brand expects the same quality level in every batch. Programmable presses and product-specific bucks provide this repeatability, while fast service protects the delivery plan.

Where should pressing stations be placed in a factory? Intermediate pressing stations are set up next to the related sewing operations, and final pressing close to the exit of the sewing line and the quality control area. This layout reduces transport time and the risk of the product wrinkling again.