Although they may seem as good memories when we look back now, they were very difficult years. The idiom starting from scratch actually defines us. It all started with a very small capital and an 8-square-meter office. Our office was furnished with the office items brought from our houses. We were doing all the work ourselves.
Mr. Cihan Yusufi, who met the logistics sector at the beginning of university, tells that he started to work in a logistics company in his first year at Marmara University Labor Economics and Industrial Relations department and says “Logistics was not a choice; however, not continuing the business of my family was a choice.” and adds that he continued in logistics due to the fact that it is an international business. After working in a logistics company for about two years, Mr. Uğurhan Kiçki, his childhood and university friend, and he decided that they should do something for themselves and took the first steps of Ünimar in September 1994.
“We have brought a new vision to Turkey in terms of partial transportation”
Mr. Cihan Yusufi explains the reasons why they entered the sector with partial sea transportation, which was not very common at that time, although they did not have much logistics experience: “I attribute this to the vision that our training provided to us.” Mr. Yusufi continues: “I can easily say that the experiences I had during my education life have a positive effect on my human relations, perspective on life and my vision. Partial transportation was an area that was not very popular and which had a small commercial volume in the 90s, but I could foresee that it had great potential for the future period in the logistics company I worked with. Uğurhan was thinking of the same thing as me because he was also working for a logistics company after university.
We saw that we made the right choice over time. We have come to a different position in the market by cooperating with international agencies and specializing in maritime partial transportation services. Our know-how and experience in this field have guided our operations and investments in the following years. It has also provided a significant advantage in our transition to other services in supply chain management. When we look back, we can easily say that we have brought a new vision to Turkey in terms of partial sea transport and that we have become a great power.”
“There is a bond of trust between our customers and us”
Mr. Cihan Yusufi, who attributes Globelink Ünimar’s success in 25 years to the trust established between the two partners and customers, believes that convincing people is an art of energy. Mr. Cihan Yusufi, who underlines that their strong cooperation which was formed as a result of the 25-year history of Global Ünimar results from the bond of trust between them, says: “We have long-term customers and we have become friends with them since we grew up together in this process. As we kept our promises to them, they felt they could trust us. Trust is the first word you can hear about Globelink Ünimar.”
A landmark: CWT Globelink
Mr. Cihan Yusufi says that the partnership with CWT Globelink, one of the four largest companies in the world in partial sea transportation, is also established with trust and that this trust has continued after leaving the management to them.
Mr. Yusufi, who states that their partnership with CWT Globelink was an important milestone in achieving Ünimar’s goals, continues: “From our point of view, the fact that CWT Globelink, which is an experienced, powerful company with international business experience, shared the same vision with us gave us a significantly positive power from the first moment and continues to do so. We set sail for a whole new page, thanks to our expanding business volume and network after the Joint Venture with CWT Globelink. Globelink Ünimark currently has nine offices in Turkey, more than 200 employees, more than 100 Globelink offices in 31 countries, more than two thousand agencies and more than 16 thousand customers.”
Ünimar grows together with its customers
Mr. Cihan Yusufi says that in the first years of the company they were learning the key parts of the business on one hand and they were searching the ways of doing better in their business on the other hand and adds that their priority to offer a better service instead of being satisfied with the current one has not changed for 25 years. Mr. Yusufi says “Ünimar has always gone towards where its customers have taken it.” and continues: “We are constantly structuring ourselves in accordance with the demands of our customers. We have never invested in assets. We provide solutions to customers with the right people and the right subcontractors and have never limited our facilities.
We produce optimal solutions according to customers’ requests and demands. Therefore, as Globelink Ünimar, we are proud to be among the first companies providing transfer service to third countries in the field of partial sea transportation. When we look back, the awards that we received from our valuable solution partners like Lufthansa, Turkish Cargo, and Qatar Airlines make us proud of the fact that we do our jobs right. We are planning to provide international road transport, storage, internal distribution, and door-to-door transport services to our customers as of 2021.”
“We enjoy the pleasure of being ‘us’ rather than ‘me’”
Mr. Cihan Yusufi, who says that they have experienced many good things to make them proud in the last 25 years, expresses his feelings as it follows: “Being able to produce with a structure built from scratch, to reach the determined targets, to contribute to the country’s economy is a really good feeling and very enjoyable. Sharing successes with all of my valuable colleagues adds even more meaning to this feeling. We have turned into a collective structure over the past years and now, we enjoy the pleasure of being ‘us’ rather than ‘me’.
I describe Globelink Ünimar as a family environment that is reliable, warm, cautious but which is open to change because we have always been a company that prioritizes human. We consider and evaluate every project that may contribute to the development of the staff. The fact that we have not invested in assets until now does not mean that we will not do so later. However, our priority is to establish the right technology and manpower infrastructure to manage these assets.”
“We will carry the reliability of Globelink Ünimar to e-commerce”
Mr. Cihan Yusufi, who says “Our goal for 2019, when we are getting prepared to celebrate our 25th year, is clear: to be an integrated logistics service provider in line with the demands of our business partners as a company that can use human resources efficiently, closely follow and apply technology.”, states that the company’s goal for the next term is to carry the reliability of Globelink Ünimar into the field of e-commerce and fast cargo transportation. He says that they actually wanted to enter the sector earlier but they acted cautiously due to the situation of both Turkey and the world economy and adds:
“We are currently working to start fast cargo transportation services. We know that we have very strong competitors, but we also know that we have long-term business customers who trust us. We are thinking of starting mainly in e-export in accordance with the demands of the customers. The world is going towards here and Turkish companies have to start from somewhere because technology brings both new business areas and obscurity. It is accepted by everyone that the sector will undergo a big transformation, but nobody knows the limit of the size of this transformation yet.”
Continuing to contribute to NGOs
Mr. Cihan Yusufi, who serves as UTIKAD Vice President, Assembly Member at the Chamber of Shipping and Logistics Committee Member at the Service Exporters Union, considers taking part in NGOs as tasks to be carried out voluntarily, willingly and by sparing significant time and he continues: “Due to the structure of the positions and the tasks we take in NGOs, it is very valuable that you share your experiences gained over years with your community and stakeholders in the sector. I love being in all the positions where I am now and I enjoy the work we do. As Globelink Ünimar, we care about social responsibilities. For 25 years, we have always supported non-governmental organizations like TEMA, AÇEV, Darüşşafaka, which are important for Turkey. Globelink Ünimar, which provides support to young people, as well as organizations, sponsored SPARC Robotics Team, which represents Turkey in the international robot competition previously.
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