Tirsan Kardan

What Tirsan Kardan does

Tirsan Kardan Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. is a privately-held Turkish manufacturer of cardan shafts (driveshafts) and related driveline and steering components for the global automotive and industrial sectors, founded in 1957 and headquartered in Manisa within Turkey's Tiryakiler Group of Companies. The company's core product is the Kardan Mili (cardan shaft) — designed and produced in-house across light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, buses, off-highway/military, and industrial machinery applications — alongside transmission flanges, steering columns, and axle shafts. Manufacturing is conducted on an integrated 60,000 m² campus spanning Tirsan 1, Tirsan 2, and Tirsan Campus in Manisa, with a second production facility in Villanova d'Asti, Italy (Tirsan Europe, operational from 2020) and an annual capacity of approximately 1.5 million shafts. The company operates a Ministry of Industry and Technology-certified R&D Center with a 3,000 m² test facility including a heavy commercial vehicle road simulator that compresses 8–10 months of vehicle-level durability testing into 8 weeks.

The business model is B2B and OEM-anchored: Tirsan supplies cardan shafts directly to global light and heavy commercial vehicle OEMs — including Mercedes-Benz, Ford Otosan, Volkswagen, Isuzu, Iveco, Otokar (buses), Temsa (buses), FNSS (defense), and Kamaz (heavy commercial, including Dakar Rally trucks) — alongside 18 OES customers, 32 Turkish distributors, 108 Tirsan Shaft Service aftermarket points, and 82 industrial application firms. Distribution is supported by logistics warehouses in the United States (South Carolina), Germany, and Italy that enable JIS (Just-In-Sequence) and JIT (Just-In-Time) delivery to global OEM assembly lines. Approximately 80% of production is exported to 62 countries across 6 continents, with the business holding IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications plus a Ford Q1 quality award.

The Tiryakiler Group is family-owned (Tiryaki family controlling all shares) with Mehmet Tiryaki as Chairman of the Board and Tolga Özer as CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee; subsidiaries include Tiryakiler Oto Makine, Tirsan Russia (local production since 2012), Tirsan Europe, and Tirsan Servis. The company's stated corporate vision targets $350 million consolidated group turnover, and Tirsan Kardan has ranked among Turkey's Top 500 Industrial Enterprises since 2015 and within the TIM Top 1000 Exporters, reaching 636th in 2025 (up nine places year-over-year). R&D output includes 193 registered patents and utility models with 110 applications, and the R&D Center ranked 1st in Turkey's Group A R&D Centers Performance Index in 2018.

Name

Tirsan Kardan

Legal name

TİRSAN KARDAN SANAYİ VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ

Website

https://tirsankardan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Tirsan Kardan is a privately-held Turkish manufacturer, founded in 1957, that designs and produces cardan shafts (driveshafts), transmission flanges, steering columns, and axle shafts for global automotive OEMs — including Mercedes-Benz, Ford Otosan, Volkswagen, Isuzu, Iveco, Otokar, Temsa, FNSS, and Kamaz — exporting 80% of output from facilities in Turkey and Italy to 62 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Drivetrain Components

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Transmission and Power Train Parts Manufacturing (33635), Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (333613)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Axle, Differential & Final Drive Manufacturing (Front/Rear/E-axle housings) (IMACAHAG)

Keywords

• Cardan shaft manufacturing
• Automotive drivetrain components
• Driveshaft OEM supply
• Transmission flange production
• Steering column manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Alasehir

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. OEM Direct Supply: Direct supply of cardan shafts to global automotive OEMs including Mercedes-Benz, Ford Otosan, Volkswagen, Isuzu, Iveco, Otokar, Temsa, FNSS, and Kamaz. Serves as approved supplier for OEM and OES customers in Turkey and worldwide.
2. Spare Parts Sales: TIRSAN branded shaft and shaft component products distributed globally through OES, distributors, cardan shaft services, industrial applications, and special vehicle/equipment manufacturers. Maintains high stock diversity and specialized 24/7 accessible team.
3. Industrial Applications: Cardan shafts and components for industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers, serving 82 industrial application firms in Turkey and worldwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tirsan Kardan designs and manufactures cardan shafts (driveshafts), transmission flanges, steering columns, and axle shafts for the automotive industry. The company serves as a direct OEM supplier of power transmission components for light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, buses, off-highway vehicles, and industrial machinery, operating integrated production facilities in Turkey and Italy with an annual capacity of 1.5 million shafts.

Product overview

Tirsan Kardan is a manufacturer of cardan shafts (drive shafts) and related automotive components. The company operates as part of the Tiryakiler Companies Group and produces a comprehensive product portfolio including Kardan Milleri (Cardan Shafts/Driveshafts) as its primary product line, Transmisyon Flanşları (Transmission Flanges), Direksiyon Kolonları (Steering Columns), and Aks Milleri (Axle Shafts) for passenger cars. The company also maintains a Spare Parts division that distributes TIRSAN-branded products through global sales channels. Products serve light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, buses, off-highway vehicles (construction machinery, military applications), and industrial applications. The company produces at facilities in Turkey (Manisa) and Italy (Villanova d'Asti) with a production capacity of 1.5 million shafts across 60,000 m² of manufacturing space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kardan Milleri (Cardan Shafts / Driveshafts) Primary product line of driveshafts/cardan shafts for light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, buses, off-highway vehicles, and industrial applications, featuring high torque capacity, lightweight flexible design, lifetime lubrication-free joints, improved NVH characteristics, and extended warranty.
• Transmisyon Flanşları (Transmission Flanges) Transmission flanges used by Original Equipment Manufacturers and Tier 1 firms for power transmission applications in commercial vehicles.
• Direksiyon Kolonları (Steering Columns) Steering lower shafts (i-shaft) and mechanical adjustment mechanism steering columns for commercial vehicles, used by Original Equipment Manufacturers for steering system applications.
• Aks Milleri (Axle Shafts) Axle shaft solutions for passenger cars offering high torque capacity fixed-speed joint design, optimized shaft geometry and material selection for lightweight construction, long service life, improved NVH performance, and enhanced fatigue and impact resistance.
• Yedek Parça (Spare Parts) TIRSAN-branded shafts and shaft component spare parts distributed globally through OES, distributors, cardan shaft services, industrial applications, and special vehicle equipment manufacturers worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million shafts production capacity annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and minor.

• Manisa Celal Bayar University (MCBÜ) Teknokent TTOmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Tirsan Kardan participates in the SkyTech Program organized in collaboration with Manisa Teknokent TTO and TUSAŞ. The program strengthens university-industry cooperation and provides opportunities for student projects with academic mentorship.
• TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Collaboration partner in SkyTech Project Competition organized with Manisa Teknokent TTO. Supports university-industry cooperation projects.
• Ege Orman Vakfı (Aegean Forest Foundation)minorOthers · 17 December 2025CSR partnership for environmental sustainability through Tirsan Kardan Memorial Forest project. Thousands of seedlings planted through tree donation initiative.
• LÖSEV (Foundation for Children with Leukemia)minorOthers · 30 November 2025Corporate social responsibility partnership. Employees participated in mandarin harvesting activity at LÖSEV Natural Life Farm to support charitable cause.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Meritor (Cummins): Meritor, now part of Cummins, is a major supplier of drivetrain, axles, brakes, and driveline components for commercial trucks, trailers, and off-highway equipment. It directly competes with Tirsan Kardan in heavy commercial vehicle driveline shafts and related components supplied to global CV OEMs.
• Dana Incorporated: Dana is one of the world's largest Tier-1 suppliers of driveline components including drive shafts, axle shafts, and propshafts for light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles. Both companies compete head-to-head as suppliers to global OEMs for cardan/prop shaft assemblies in commercial vehicle platforms.
• NTN Corporation: NTN is a Japanese Tier-1 supplier of bearings, constant-velocity joints, and driveline components for automotive and industrial applications. Comparable to Tirsan Kardan in supplying CV joint and driveline assemblies to global commercial vehicle OEMs.
• BorgWarner: BorgWarner is a global Tier-1 automotive supplier with a strong driveline portfolio including all-wheel-drive systems, transfer cases, and driveline components. Comparable to Tirsan Kardan as a Tier-1/2 driveline supplier serving the same global OEM customer base and increasingly focused on electrified drivetrain solutions.
• JTEKT Corporation: JTEKT is a major Japanese automotive supplier of driveline components, steering systems, and bearings. JTEKT and Tirsan Kardan overlap directly in steering columns/intermediate shafts and driveline component supply to global commercial vehicle OEMs.
• IFA Group: IFA Group is a mid-sized European specialist in drive shafts, propeller shafts, and steering columns serving commercial vehicle and industrial OEMs. Closely comparable to Tirsan Kardan in product focus (cardan shafts, steering columns), customer profile (CV OEMs), and positioning as a mid-tier driveline specialist.
• American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM): AAM is a leading Tier-1 driveline and powertrain supplier specializing in axles, driveshafts, and driveline assemblies for light trucks, SUVs, commercial vehicles, and off-highway markets. Directly comparable to Tirsan Kardan in product line (driveline/drivetrain components) and customer base (global automotive OEMs).
• Nexteer Automotive: Nexteer is a global Tier-1 supplier specializing in steering and driveline systems, including steering columns and intermediate shafts (i-shafts) for passenger and commercial vehicles. Directly comparable to Tirsan Kardan's product portfolio in steering columns and driveline components supplied to OEMs.
• GKN Automotive (Dowlais Group): GKN Automotive, now part of Dowlais, is the global market leader in constant-velocity (CV) joints and drive shafts, serving virtually every major automaker. It is the most direct competitor to Tirsan Kardan for automotive driveshaft systems, particularly in light commercial and passenger vehicle applications.

Broad incumbents

• ZF Friedrichshafen: ZF is a global Tier-1 supplier with a broad driveline and chassis technology portfolio including transmissions, axle systems, and driveline components for commercial vehicles. Compared to Tirsan Kardan, ZF operates across many more product categories but overlaps directly in commercial vehicle driveline modules and integrated systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tirsan.kardan.9

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tirsan Kardan