Kent Gıda

Kent Gıda is a Turkish confectionery company whose documented history reaches back to 1927. The company’s official history says its foundations were laid that year; it began production at a modern facility after moving to Istanbul in 1956. The company expanded from sugar into chewing gum in 1960 and subsequently introduced a series of locally recognized confectionery products. These include Missbonbon, Tofy, Tipitip, Madlen, Olips, Topitop and Jelibon, launched across the 1970s and 1980s. Its portfolio has included sweets, chocolate, jelly confectionery and chewing gum. A Russian-language Wikipedia entry also describes a broader range that includes baked goods, biscuits, powdered flavoured drinks, sweeteners and flavourings, and says products are exported to more than 65 countries; those details are not confirmed by the supplied official Kent history page. Kent’s history is closely tied to the development of the Turkish confectionery industry. The company’s official account says that by 1990 it had obtained Turkish Standards Institute and manufacturing-competency certification and had become a leading confectionery, gum and chocolate producer and exporter in Turkey. Its Kent Bayram television campaign began in 2000 and has continued as a campaign emphasizing the importance of the Bayram holiday and traditional values. Ownership changed as the company became part of international confectionery groups. Cadbury acquired a majority stake in Kent Gıda in 2002 and brought Intergum together with Kent in 2007. After Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury in 2010, Kent became part of Kraft Foods. Kraft’s 2012 separation of its global snacks business created Mondelēz International, under whose umbrella Kent Gıda San. ve Tic. AŞ. continues to operate in Turkey. The official history identifies Mondelēz International Holdings LLC as the umbrella entity. A Russian-language Wikipedia entry gives Gebze as the company’s current headquarters, previously located in Istanbul. The official website presents Kent Gıda as an operating company and provides corporate and investor-information sections.

The official Kent Gıda history traces the company’s foundations to 1927. It records a move to Istanbul in 1956, when production began at a modern facility, followed by the start of chewing-gum production in 1960. The company built out its confectionery range with a succession of products: the first member of the Miss sugar family, Missbonbon, in 1971; the first Tofy product in 1973; Tipitip, described by the company as Turkey’s first large chewing gum featuring a cartoon character, in 1974; Madlen chocolate and filled bonbon Olips in 1980; Topitop in 1986; and Jelibon, described as Turkey’s first jelly candy, in 1987. The official account says Kent had become a leading producer and exporter of confectionery, chewing gum and chocolate in Turkey by 1990, and notes that the company received Turkish Standards Institute and manufacturing-competency certification that year. In 2000, Kent began its Kent Bayram television advertising campaign. The company describes the campaign as emphasizing the importance of the Bayram holiday and recalling traditional values; it says the campaigns have continued. Ownership then shifted through a sequence of international acquisitions. Cadbury acquired a majority of Kent Gıda’s shares in 2002. In 2007, Cadbury also acquired Intergum and brought the two companies together within Kent Gıda. Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury in 2010, bringing Kent into Kraft Foods. In 2012 Kraft separated its global snacks business under the Mondelēz International name. Kent Gıda San. ve Tic. AŞ. continues to operate in Turkey under the Mondelēz International Holdings LLC umbrella, according to the official company history. The supplied Russian-language Wikipedia entry gives the formal founding date as 8 January 1958 and says the company’s headquarters are now in Gebze, having previously been in Istanbul. This differs from the official history’s 1927 account of the company’s beginnings; accordingly, 1927 here refers to the company’s stated historical roots, not an independently verified legal incorporation date. The Russian-language entry also lists additional product categories and export reach, but the supplied official history does not substantiate those details.

• 2013

  Included among Turkey’s leading exporters and industrial companies

• 2012

  Mondelēz International established

• 2010

  Kent joins Kraft Foods

• 2007

  Intergum brought together with Kent

• 2002

  Cadbury acquires a majority stake

• 2000

  Kent Bayram television campaign begins

• 1990

  Certification and industry leadership

• 1987

  Jelibon launched

• 1986

  Topitop launched

• 1980

  Madlen and Olips introduced

• 1974

  Tipitip launched

• 1973

  First Tofy product introduced

• 1971

  Missbonbon introduced

• 1960

  Chewing-gum production starts

• 1956

  Production begins in Istanbul

• 1927

  Company history traces its beginnings to 1927

A Turkish confectionery producer with a heritage spanning decades, known for a broad sweets and chewing-gum portfolio and for campaigns linked to Turkish holiday traditions.

• Missbonbon

  A sugar confectionery product introduced in 1971 as the first member of the Miss family.

• Tofy

  A confectionery brand family whose first product was introduced in 1973.

• Tipitip

  A chewing-gum product launched in 1974; the company describes it as Turkey’s first large chewing gum featuring a cartoon character.

• Madlen

  A chocolate product introduced in 1980.

• Olips

  A filled bonbon introduced in 1980.

• Topitop

  A confectionery product introduced in 1986.

• Jelibon

  A jelly confectionery product launched in 1987; the company describes it as Turkey’s first jelly candy.

1. 1Kent Gida | Mondelēz International, Inc.mondelezinternational.com
2. 2Kent Gıda Tarihçe | Mondelēz International, Inc.mondelezinternational.com
3. 3Kent Gıdaru.wikipedia.org
4. 4Kent Gıdawikidata.org
5. 5Our History | Mondelēz International, Inc.mondelezinternational.com
6. 6Who We Are | Mondelēz International, Inc.mondelezinternational.com