The Brothers' Passion

He pledged to start up a business with him if he survived.  Fulfilling his promise, Hakki left his CPA job and researched what products he could import from Turkey to the United States.

He settled on natural stone and within a short while granite, marble, limestone, travertine and slate became the brothers’ passion – imported not only from Turkey but from 25 other countries as well.

Today, the two brothers split administrative duties for AKDO, the brand name given to retail products, and SILKAR, the name given to the operations where both retail and commercial products are produced.

Hakki is responsible for the North American market and Erdogan manages the rest of the international operation, including ownership of six quarries and two state-of-the-art factories in Turkey.

These stone production facilities occupy an impressive 1,356,250 square foot space. The cutting edge equipment housed at the factories allows for countless options for customized products, perfect for commercial projects. 

It also allows the research and development teams on both continents to produce original stone mosaic collections that are highly esteemed within the industry, and coveted by interior designers.

With thousands of products supplied by Silkar’s manufacturing plants, coupled with numerous resources for slabs and tiles from around the world, the AKDO brand is able to offer customers the very best in both quality and selection.  The vast assortment of AKDO products is available through a dealer network of over 1,000 locations throughout Europe and the U.S.A.

SUPERB QUALITY AND ORIGINAL DESING
After the success of the stone slab, tile and mosaics, AKDO expanded its offering in the United States to include glass – not the regular low-end poured glass variety – but beautiful hand-made collections of superb quality and original design. An additional high quality product, through-body porcelain, has also been added to the company’s offerings. This is a business that thrives on quality and brilliance.

The AKDO/Silkar showrooms, located in Turkey and in the United States, are acclaimed for their sophisticated presentation of product, which creates a gallery aesthetic unique to the industry.  The spaces are a gathering place for designers and architects who come not only to educate themselves about natural stone, but also to find inspiration from the beautiful materials showcased.

Designed by an award-winning architect, the AKDO Showroom in Connecticut is available for the trade and their customers, and showcases the company’s vast collection of natural stone slabs, tiles and mosaics. Also featured are tiles and mosaics in slate, glass and porcelain. Visitors can view stocked items first hand, as well as see the very newest in design trends, custom options and new product introductions.

The showroom’s minimalist clean lines create an art gallery feel, perfect for the breath-taking array of mosaic panels, exotic slabs and stone tile displayed there.  In-house product specialists are on-staff to make the selection process fun and easy. 

AKDO’s space also features a warehouse and distribution center to house its huge inventory of products, allowing the company to turn orders around quickly and conveniently. AKDO’s unique racking system and rail carriage allows designers, architects, retailers and their clients to easily view its vast selection of slabs from all over the world.

COUNTLESS PRODUCTS
There are two Silkar/AKDO showrooms in Turkey, one in Antalya, and one in Istanbul.  The beautiful spaces display an overview of the countless products Silkar can produce made-to-order.  Commercial contractors frequent the showrooms to browse products and meet with Silkar’s experienced Architectural Department. 

This department employs several architects who work to make every commercial project seamless.  They do this by analyzing the job’s plans to provide the perfect product, and offering solutions to keep a project within budget.  Customers can also take advantage of Silkar’s 3D software, which allows them to build a three-dimensional rendering of whatever space they need natural stone products for.

The AKDO brand has come to represent innovation and commitment to quality.  Their mosaic designers have mastered the art of creating original patterns that are instant classics, sure to stand the test of time. The key to the success of the products is that cutting-edge products are produced from classic stones to generate mosaics that have an appealing aesthetic, suitable for both contemporary and traditional environments. The proprietary mosaic designs are exhibited at several annual international trade shows in award-winning booths, always attracting the attention of the industry.

AKDO/Silkar is equally as committed to providing superb customer service.  The product is of the highest possible standard and it is vital to maintain this excellence in every facet of the company. To this end, on-going training is high on the list of fundamentals for each department. The caliber of the employees is an added value to all of the AKDO/Silkar customers.

OVER 100 PEOPLE
The growth of this company is legend – from its humble beginnings back in the 1990’s it has expanded greatly. The United States operation started out as a source for retail products and residential spaces. It now also employs a commercial and hospitality division. Apart from the Connecticut location, which supports a staff of over 100 people, there is a thriving Californian location, a manufacturing facility in China and imminent operation in Atlanta, Georgia. The European side of business provides over 400 people with jobs, and for over a decade has been a leader in fulfilling natural stone needs for commercial projects.  A German showroom is slated for next year.

Hakki and Erdogan Akbulak’s dream was born from a tragic situation and realized through hard work and passion for innovation.  The brother’s collaboration fulfilled it’s mission of strengthening the bond between family, and across the world people benefit: through designing with AKDO products, working with helpful AKDO/Silkar representatives, and being employed at one of the many locations across the world.
(Advertorial)