At the invitation of the Georgian National Investment Agency (GNIA) and the USAID-funded Economic Prosperity Initiative (EPI) program, the CEOs of several leading Turkish companies in the apparel industry visited Georgia from October 13- 16. The visit was lead by Mr. Cem Negrin, the chairman of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association (TGSD). Currently, TGSD has approximately 400 members, all of which are leaders in the Turkish apparel industry.
The Turkish apparel sector delegation paid a visit to Georgia with the patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia in the framework of Georgian Fashion Week. On October 13 a roundtable meeting was conducted at the ministry, where delegation members were informed of the current investment climate in the country, the special incentives the Georgian government has introduced for the development of the apparel sector and the success stories of the Turkish apparel companies already operating within the country. Later CEOs from leading Turkish apparel companies visited the local manufacturer of the clothing factory (ELSELEMA) located in Tbilisi. On the same day, the Prime Minister of Georgia, H.E Nika Gilauri, met with several Turkish apparel manufacturers.
The renowned Turkish companies visiting Georgia included Koton, Seleksiyon Tekstil, Negreti Tekstil, Ogretmen Corap (PENTI), STFA and Istanbul. These are the companies who manufacture clothing for such well-known brands like CAVALLI, SCERVINO, Zara, Mango, GAP, H & M. The production of the above-listed manufacturers exceeds over a million units of clothing per month.
From October 14- 16, site visits were conducted to the regions of Georgia. Turkish delegation members visited the BTM Textile factory in the city of Batumi located in the Ajara region and were also given an opportunity to explore potential investment locations in the Guria region of Georgia.
The GNIA closely cooperates with the EPI program with the aim of exploring and promoting the development potential of the apparel industry in Georgia. Concrete investment projects are on offer to investors in line with sector-specific studies. The Georgian companies are assisted in terms of establishing new business contacts and advancing export opportunities. The GNIA and the EPI assist local apparel manufacturers to gain knowledge of best practices in the industry, help to increase the production efficiency of apparel manufacturers, as well as the availability of skilled apparel workforce.
While the GNIA actively promotes the development of the apparel industry in Georgia, on September 22-24, a delegation of GNIA members headed by Keti Bochorishvili, GNIA director and Apparel and Tourism Manager for the EPI, also participated in a major Istanbul fashion trade fair called Collection Premiere Istanbul (CPI). Over three days at the CPI, the GNIA team conducted pre-scheduled B2B meetings with leading Turkish companies in the apparel industry, informing them of the sector development opportunities in Georgia and the favorable business climate in the country. Individual meetings were also held with international buyers and distributors, representatives of retail and wholesale trade companies, as well as fashion agents.
