ESSEL SELÜLOZ & KÂĞIT SAN. TİC. A.Ş.

What ESSEL SELÜLOZ & KÂĞIT SAN. TİC. A.Ş. does

ESSEL SELÜLOZ & KÂĞIT SAN. TİC. A.Ş. ("Essel Kağıt") is a privately held Turkish family-owned tissue paper manufacturer founded in 2011, headquartered in İzmit-Kocaeli, with corporate roots tied to the first A.Celli-supplied Çaycuma factory commissioned in 2005. The company operates four manufacturing facilities across northern (Çaycuma, Zonguldak) and southern (Osmaniye) Turkey, anchored by Turkey's and Europe's largest tissue paper machine — the Toscotec AHEAD 2.2L PM3 at Osmaniye producing 270 tons/day on a 5,700 mm trim width. Aggregate capacity is 130,000 tons/year of reels and 1.5 million parcels/month (18 million parcels/year) of finished goods across 600+ SKUs, with all converting lines featuring zero-touch (hands-free) packaging supplied by Futura and Plusline.

The product portfolio spans three categories: semi-finished jumbo rolls sold to converters, branded finished consumer products (AQUA premium 3-ply, AQUA BAMBU bamboo-fiber, DROP double-ply, and DROP NATURA 100% recycled — the latter winner of the 2023 International Career Awards "Environmental Friendly Paper Brand of the Year"), and private-label manufacturing for retail chains. An Away-From-Home (AfH) line of dispenser napkins, dispenser towels, and Z napkins — operated jointly with sister company Yöntem Kağıt Ltd. under shared Esen family ownership — has been a leading Turkish position for over 20 years. Technology differentiators include proprietary JOI embossing with Hydro-bond glue-free embossing, TT NextPress shoe-press dewatering, third-generation TT SYD steel Yankee dryer, and multi-stage thermal energy recovery hoods.

Essel sells through a sales-led B2B model targeting converters, retail brands, and private-label manufacturers in 60+ countries across five continents, supplemented by participation in international trade shows (Tissue World Miami 2026, Beauty Istanbul 2026). The company holds a comprehensive certification stack (ISO 9001/14001/22716/27001/45001, OHSAS 18001, FSC, ISEGA food-contact, TSE, Sıfır Atık zero-waste, Kosher) and does not publicly disclose revenue, pricing, or unit volumes.

Name

ESSEL SELÜLOZ & KÂĞIT SAN. TİC. A.Ş.

Legal name

Essel Selüloz ve Kağıt Sanayi Ticaret A.Ş.

Website

https://essel.com.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Essel Kağıt is a privately held Turkish tissue paper manufacturer operating four factories in Çaycuma and Osmaniye, producing 130,000 tons/year of reels and 18 million parcels/year across 600+ SKUs for converters, branded consumer markets (AQUA, DROP), private-label clients, and Away-From-Home channels in 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tissue Paper Manufacturing

NAICS

Paper Manufacturing (322), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222), Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing (322291), Paper Mills (322120)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670), Paper Mills (2621)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Tissue Paper (Facial, Toilet, Paper Towels, Napkins) (IMAMAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Away-from-Home (AFH) Tissue & Wipers (Commercial/Institutional) (IMAMAGAB), Tissue Converting & Private Label Manufacturing (IMAMAGAH), Paper Towels & Tissue Dispensers (Consumer/At-home) (CRAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Tissue paper manufacturing
• Jumbo roll supply
• Private label tissue
• Consumer tissue products
• Away-from-home tissue

Headquarters

HQ city

İzmit, Kocaeli

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Jumbo Roll (Semi-Finished) Sales: Manufacturing and sale of tissue jumbo rolls (semi-finished reels) for tissue paper converters. Core B2B revenue stream. Contact for jumbo roll sales: [email protected].
2. Branded Consumer Products: Sale of finished branded tissue products under AQUA, AQUA BAMBU, DROP, and DROP NATURA brands covering toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and tissues. Distributed domestically in Turkey and internationally.
3. Private Label Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing of tissue paper products under retailer or buyer private labels. B2B arrangement with international and national manufacturers.
4. Away-From-Home (AfH) Products: Sale of tissue products for away-from-home settings including dispenser napkins, dispenser towels, and Z napkins. Dedicated export contact: [email protected].

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Essel manufactures tissue paper products across approximately 600 SKUs, supplying semi-finished jumbo rolls (parent reels) to tissue paper converters, branded finished consumer products under the AQUA, AQUA BAMBU, DROP, and DROP NATURA brands, private label tissue products for retail chains, and Away-From-Home (AfH) tissue items including dispenser napkins, dispenser towels, and Z napkins. Production is vertically integrated across four Turkish facilities using high-speed automated paper machines, Futura/Plusline converting lines, and zero-touch (hands-free) converting and packaging systems.

Product overview

Essel is a tissue paper manufacturer producing approximately 600 types of products across four main brands: AQUA (premium 3-ply toilet paper and towels), AQUA BAMBU (bamboo fiber products), DROP (quality-affordable double-ply products), and DROP NATURA (eco-friendly recycled products). Product categories include semi-finished jumbo rolls for converters, branded consumer products (toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, tissues), and private label manufacturing. Key product lines span toilet paper (1-40 roll packs), paper towels (2-12 roll packs and 50m rolls), napkins, and Z-fold towels. All products feature zero-touch automated production, 100% pure cellulose from FSC-certified sustainable forests, and 100% recyclable packaging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AQUA: Premium tissue paper brand with ultra-soft 3-ply design, produced with JOI tissue technology. Does not contain ink, dye or perfume. Produced and packaged untouched by human hands. Packaging made of 100% recyclable material. Sourced from FSC-certified industrial forests.
• AQUA BAMBU
• DROP
• DROP NATURA

Products and services

• AQUA

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 million parcels produced in 1 year (record production as of Q1 2022)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ToscoteccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Tuscany-based tissue machine manufacturer supplying the AHEAD 2.2L tissue line (PM3) on a turnkey basis at Essel's Osmaniye mill. PM3 has a net trim width of 5,700 mm and production capacity of 270 tons/day, making it Turkey's biggest and most productive tissue machine. The turnkey supply includes stock preparation, TT Headbox-MLT, TT NextPress shoe press, third-generation TT SYD steel Yankee dryer, gas-fired TT Hoods with thermal energy recovery, OPTIMA slitter rewinders, electrification and controls, dust/mist removal systems, and YES Connect-Vision AR remote service. Start-up occurred in 2021.
• FuturacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Italian converting equipment supplier providing two converting lines — one for Essel's Osmaniye facility and one for Çaycuma-Zonguldak. Both lines feature JOI embossers with Hydro-bond for glue-free embossing, innovative tail-sealing application system, unique trim cutter combined with log saw, and integrated packaging solutions. Lines are based on the advanced together integrated system. Expected start-up within Q3 2021, with Osmaniye line established January 2022.
• PluslinecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Packaging technology partner supplying Plusline packaging technology which converts logs into shelf-ready packs, including the Overpack automatic high-speed bundler, as part of the Futura converting lines ordered by Essel and sister company Yöntem Kağıt.
• A.Celli PapercoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2005Italian supplier of high-technology turnkey tissue plants. Installed the first plant at Çaycuma (2005) producing ~30,000 tonnes/year. Also completed a steel Yankee rebuild order for Essel's tissue machine at Çaycuma, supplying a 12-foot steel Yankee and new headbox to improve formation and energy consumption. Partnership dates back to 2005 and has been instrumental in Essel's growth.
• Yöntem Kağıt Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEssel's sister company with shared management (Cumhur Esen and Abdurrahman Esen). Jointly ordered two Futura and Plusline converting lines for plants in Çaycuma-Zonguldak and a new facility in Osmaniye. Both companies are expanding from AfH (Away-From-Home) tissue products into consumer tissue products together. Essel and Yöntem together have been leading players in AfH tissue products for more than 20 years in Turkey.
• ISEGAminorOthersGerman testing and certification institute that provides food-contact safety certification for Essel's AQUA and DROP paper towels. Both product lines are certified safe for use with food by ISEGA.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WEPA Industrieholding: German family-owned European tissue manufacturer with strong AfH and private-label focus. Comparable business model (family-owned, private-label-heavy, multi-country production) and overlapping customer base in European retail and HORECA.
• Metsä Tissue: Finnish tissue manufacturer owned by Metsä Group (Swan, Tento, Katrin brands), operating tissue mills and converting across Europe. Comparable mix of consumer, AfH and private-label business with sustainability-led positioning similar to Essel's DROP NATURA.
• Essity: Swedish global tissue and hygiene leader (Tork, Tempo, Zewa, Lotus brands). Sets competitive intensity in branded consumer and AfH tissue across Europe and MENA — the primary large-cap incumbent Essel faces in export markets.
• Sofidel Group: Italian-headquartered global tissue manufacturer (Regina, Nicky brands) with extensive European production footprint. Competes with Essel in European retail and AfH channels and sets the regional benchmark on scale and conversion technology.
• Kimberly-Clark: Global tissue and hygiene multinational (Kleenex, Andrex, Scott) competing in branded consumer and AfH tissue worldwide. The largest-scale benchmark against which Essel's export ambitions must compete on brand and distribution.
• Cascades: Canadian tissue and packaging group with tissue operations across North America and Europe, focused on recycled and sustainable tissue. Comparable sustainability positioning and AfH/private-label orientation versus Essel's DROP NATURA line.

Direct peers

• Hayat Kimya: Turkey's largest tissue and hygiene company (Molfix, Bebem, Papia, Familia brands), manufacturing consumer tissue, AfH products and jumbo rolls domestically. Closest direct Turkish competitor with comparable multi-brand, multi-category strategy and large export footprint.
• Eczacıbaşı Yapı Gereçleri (Vıtrak): Turkish tissue manufacturer operating the Selpak brand across consumer and AfH segments. Direct competitor in both branded retail tissue and AfH/dispenser formats in Turkey and export markets.
• Lila Group: Privately held Turkish tissue manufacturer producing consumer tissue, AfH products, and jumbo rolls. Competes directly with Essel in Turkish and export markets across similar brand and private-label channels.

Emerging players

• Solaris Paper (Asia Pulp & Paper / Sinar Mas affiliate): US-based tissue manufacturer with Turkish operations (Solaris Niğba) supplying branded and private-label tissue. Regional competitor with similar positioning in Turkish and adjacent export markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/esselcomtr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esselcomtr

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ESSEL SELÜLOZ & KÂĞIT SAN. TİC. A.Ş.