Sweden's leading ventilation systems developer Systemair HSK has opened Turkey's first factory that holds a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certificate.

Choosing Turkey as its manufacturing base for the Middle East and Balkans, the company built the factory with an investment of 15 million euros in the Dilovası Machinery Specialized Industrial Zone located in Gebze, a well-known industrial district in Kocaeli province.

An opening ceremony was held on Thursday with Swedish Consul-General Therese Hyden, Kocaeli Governor Hüseyin Aksoy, Systemair CEO Roland Kasper as well as senior executives from Systemair subsidiaries in various markets, as well as Systemair employees and a large number of guests in attendance.

Located on an area of roughly 28,000 square meters, the newly inaugurated manufacturing facility is Systemair's largest investment worldwide in the last two years.

With this investment, Systemair HSK became the first air conditioning company to use funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The factory has a capacity to manufacture 4,500 air handling units per year. Systemair HSK which has exports to over 25 countries aims to double its share of exports from 30 percent to 60 percent within five years with the productions at its Dilovası plant.

The Sweden-based company, founded in 1974, manufactures products including mainly air handling units as well as fans, air distribution equipment, air curtains and cooling products. It operates with 27 factories and sales offices in 56 countries in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and South Africa, providing employment to 5,500 people.

In his address at the opening ceremony, Systemair HSK CEO Kasper expressed that they came to Turkey with big goals, and emphasized their goal of growing through employment-oriented investments.

Kasper called attention to Turkey's critical importance for Systemair due to its geopolitical position, its young and dynamic population, its economic growth and high potential.

"Our new factory which we have particularly positioned as a manufacturing base for the Middle East and the Balkans will assume a strategic role for our company toward its goal of becoming a regional power. With this investment, we also aim to increase our exports to the Turkic Republics and to the United Arab Emirates," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Systemair HSK Factory Manager Ayşegül Eroğlu said that HSK, a Turkish heating, ventilation, air conditioning company founded in 1981, merged with Systemair in 2012.

"After the merger, as Systemair HSK we took part in a large number of mega projects, most notable of which include the new airport in Istanbul as well as eight city hospitals, the North Marmara Motorway tunnels, and strategic defense industry projects," Eroğlu added.