What Karimex does

Karimex Hazelnut Industry is a privately held Turkish food processing company founded in 2008 and headquartered in Ordu, the center of world hazelnut production in the Black Sea region. The company processes and exports four primary product categories: natural hazelnuts, processed hazelnut kernels, bio/organic hazelnuts, and Rainforest Alliance certified hazelnuts. Its core operations revolve around hazelnut processing supported by comprehensive quality assurance systems, full farm-to-finished-product traceability, and sustainability and social responsibility programs (SENİ, ÇİMEN, KSK, KÇT).

Karimex serves a dual customer base. Its primary segment is industrial — bulk hazelnut supply to food manufacturers and confectionery companies for use in chocolate, baked goods, and processed food production. A secondary channel targets retail consumers via the baccadan.com direct-to-consumer online store under the Önce Kalite sub-brand. The company has built a credentialing stack of 10+ international certifications, including ISO 22000, Rainforest Alliance, SA8000, and ICS, which function as procurement prerequisites for ESG-conscious European and global buyers.

The business model is B2B commodity-adjacent processing and export, with sales generated through direct enterprise relationships and international trade show presence (BioFach, AAHAR, ISM). Karimex is ranked 6th in Turkish hazelnut and hazelnut product exports and 7th in 2024 hazelnut export rankings. Its wholly owned subsidiary AZOF (AZOF Organik) operates as the dedicated organic/bio hazelnut processing brand and is positioned as the only organic hazelnut brand in Turkey. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the company is founder-led under Board Chairman Mehmet Albayrak, with no disclosed institutional investment, venture capital, or acquisition activity.

Name

Karimex

Legal name

Karimex Hazelnut Industry

Website

https://karimex.com.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Karimex is a Turkish hazelnut processor and exporter headquartered in Ordu that supplies bulk and certified hazelnut products to industrial food manufacturers, confectionery companies, and retail consumers in Europe and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ordu

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hazelnut Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling processed hazelnut products including natural hazelnuts, processed hazelnut kernels, bio/organic hazelnuts, and Rainforest Alliance certified hazelnuts to industrial customers and retail markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Karimex is a Turkish hazelnut processor that sources, processes, and exports hazelnut products from its base in Ordu, Turkey. Its core offerings include natural whole hazelnuts, processed hazelnut kernels for industrial food production, organic (bio) hazelnuts, and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable hazelnuts. The company supplies bulk hazelnut ingredients primarily to food manufacturers and confectionery companies, while also selling packaged retail hazelnut products through its baccadan.com online store.

Product overview

Karimax is a hazelnut production and export company established in 2008 in Ordu, Turkey, located at the center of world hazelnut production. The company offers four main product categories: Natural Hazelnut (whole raw hazelnuts), Processed Hazelnut Kernels (industrial-grade processed kernels), Bio Hazelnuts (organic certified), and Rainforest Alliance Hazelnut (sustainably certified). The company positions itself as an innovative player in the processed hazelnut sector with over 30 years of industry experience and more than 10 certificates demonstrating professional production in international standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AZOF: Organic hazelnut brand; AZOF Integrated Facility Investment focused on organic products. Described as the only brand in Turkey for organic hazelnuts.
• Önce Kalite

Products and services

• Natural Hazelnut Whole raw hazelnuts in their natural state, sourced from the Black Sea region of Turkey, known for producing the world's highest quality hazelnuts. Sold to industrial food manufacturers and retail customers.
• Processed Hazelnut Kernels Processed hazelnut kernels that have been cleaned, sorted, and prepared for industrial food production and manufacturing applications. Supplied in bulk to confectionery and food manufacturers.
• Bio Hazelnuts Organic hazelnuts certified to meet organic farming standards, produced using sustainable agricultural practices without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Positioned as the only organic hazelnut processing brand in Turkey, under the AZOF subsidiary.
• Rainforest Alliance Hazelnut Hazelnuts sourced from farms certified under the Rainforest Alliance sustainability certification program, meeting international environmental and social standards. Targeted at food manufacturers and brands seeking sustainable ingredients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 6th in Turkish hazelnut and hazelnut product exports
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AZOF (AZOF Organik)coreOthersAZOF is Karimex's subsidiary brand, described as the only brand in Turkey in organic hazelnut processing. AZOF represents Karimex's integrated facility investment in organic hazelnut processing, forming the core of their bio/organic product line.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainforest Alliance certification partnership allowing Karimex to offer sustainably sourced hazelnuts meeting international sustainability standards for environmentally and socially responsible production.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kavukçu Fındık: Turkish hazelnut processor and exporter offering shelled, natural, and roasted hazelnuts to industrial food and confectionery buyers. Comparable to Karimex in scale tier, regional sourcing, and B2B export focus.
• Siba Food: Turkish hazelnut and dried fruit exporter offering natural, organic, and processed kernels to industrial and retail channels. Comparable to Karimex in product portfolio, certifications, and export-led business model.
• Poyraz Fındık: Black Sea-based Turkish hazelnut processor and exporter supplying confectionery and food manufacturers in Europe and Asia. Direct regional peer to Karimex with overlapping sourcing geography and buyer base.
• Balsu Gıda: One of Turkey's largest hazelnut processors and exporters, headquartered in the Black Sea region. Directly competes with Karimex in bulk and processed hazelnut kernels for industrial and confectionery customers globally.
• Gürsoy Tarım Ürünleri: Turkish agricultural products exporter with a strong hazelnut portfolio serving confectionery and industrial buyers in Europe. Closely overlaps Karimex in sourcing region, certifications, and customer base.
• Durak Fındık: Established Turkish hazelnut processor and exporter supplying natural, roasted, and value-added hazelnut products to international food manufacturers. Highly comparable to Karimex in product mix and export-oriented GTM.

Others

• Barry Callebaut: Global chocolate and cocoa manufacturer that consumes hazelnut ingredients for filled and specialty chocolate products. Represents a key industrial demand pool that Turkish processors like Karimex supply.
• Ferrero: World's largest hazelnut buyer (e.g., Nutella, Ferrero Rocher) and a major indirect customer for Turkish exporters including Karimex. Highly relevant as the anchor demand-side counterpart shaping pricing and specifications for the entire Turkish hazelnut industry.

Broad incumbents

• Olam Food Ingredients (ofi): Global ingredient supplier with a large nuts and agri-commodities platform including hazelnuts. Competes with Karimex at the industrial buyer level, but with much broader category, hedging, and logistics capabilities.
• Cargill: Global agricultural commodity giant with cocoa and nut supply chains serving confectionery customers. Overlaps with Karimex in hazelnut sourcing for industrial chocolate and bakery clients, but at a vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@oncekalite
• Xx.com/karimexhazelnut
• Facebookfacebook.com/karimexhazelnut

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Karimex