ACAR
EST. 1980 — İSTANBUL
Printing · Binding · Packaging · Publishing
Once there
was nothing.
Then there
was everything.
A story that began in a 50m² basement in Cağaloğlu in 1980. Today — 42 countries, 250 people, one unwavering commitment to craft.
45Years of Experience
80%Export Rate
42Export Countries
250+Employees
The Beginning
From Tokat to
the world.
Brothers Zekeriya and İhsan Acar left their village in Tokat for Istanbul with nothing but ambition. They became apprentices at Sermet Matbaası in Cağaloğlu — Zekeriya at 13, İhsan at 12 — learning every mechanical detail of the press trade.
In 1978, still teenagers, they co-founded Kısmet Mücellithanesi in a 60m² basement. 1980 marks the official birth of Acar Group — a date the family considers their true milestone.
1980
“Difficult conditions can become a driving force for progress. If you keep your word and stay true to your craft, no one can keep you from your destination.”
Four Decades
The story of
a relentless
climb.
Through economic crises, fires, inflation, and a global pandemic — Acar Group never stopped growing. Each decade brought new challenges, and each challenge became a lesson that shaped the culture of the company.
1980sThe Foundation
Hands as machines, walls as classroom.In an era where bookbinding was done entirely by hand, the Acar brothers built their craft from the ground up in Çemberlitaş. In 1982 they acquired Tomurcuk Matbaası, creating one of Istanbul’s first integrated printing-and-binding operations. Then came the Macintosh in 1986 — while competitors insisted “tipo will never die,” Acar embraced the future.“Macintosh’s magic was understood at first by only Acar and a handful of other print houses.”Zekeriya Acar
1990sFirst Exports
Suitcase trade to a global vision.Acar expanded — first through suitcase trade to Russia in 1993, then via the Frankfurt “Paper World” fair. By 1997 the company had grown 60% year-over-year. The move to a 9,000m² facility in Haramidere — when friends called it “the middle of nowhere” — proved visionary.“The question ‘what will happen?’ matters just as much as ‘what has happened?'”Zekeriya Acar
2000sGlobal Reach
Turkish quality on the world stage.Offices opened in Moscow, Almaty, Frankfurt, Tashkent. With 200 corporate clients and exports to the USA, Israel, UK and Netherlands, the company reframed its mission: not just to print, but to brand.“Knowing how to produce and how to build a brand at the same time — that is what matters.”Zekeriya Acar
2010sNew Generation
The second generation steps forward.Acar diversified — founding ABM Yayınevi (2011), Acar Atelier (2018) and Azim Kutu ve Ambalaj (2018). The second generation began leading divisions under a formal Family Constitution. Acar became the first company in Turkey’s print sector to receive FSC certification.“Never tarnishing the name of Acar — that is the most important value we inherited from the first generation.”Faruk Acar
40+
Numbers That Speak
45+Years of Experience
42+Export Countries
80%Export Rate
250+Employees
From a basement in Cağaloğlu
to 42 countries.
to 42 countries.
Our Companies & Brands
One group,
many voices.
From printing and binding to leather goods, publishing, packaging and sustainable stationery — Acar Group has grown into a diverse family of companies, each with its own identity.
01Acar BasımPrinting & BindingThe heart of the group. Full-spectrum printing, binding and packaging under one roof — where the story began and where craft still lives.
02ArweyNotebooks & PlannersSold from China to Brazil. Functional pockets, perforated pages, lay-flat binding — notebooks that bring handwriting back.
03Note EcoSustainable StationeryFSC-certified notebooks with TEMA Vakfı. Every sheet becomes a new leaf in a managed forest — writing that gives back.
04Acar KurumsalCorporate GiftingCustom diaries, calendars and gifts with patented designs — where innovation and R&D meet institutional identity.
05Acar AtelierLeather GoodsBoutique leathercraft since 2018 — producing for leading European brands with a young, dynamic team that thinks as well as it makes.
06BAÂDesign & AccessoriesNamed after the last letters of “matbaa.” Bags named after women writers. The bridge between print and leather.
07ABM YayıneviPublishingLiterature, history, science, children’s books — a publisher that treats knowledge as a responsibility.
08Azim KutuPackaging & BoxesCreative, research-driven packaging. A team that doesn’t just execute trends — it sets them.
09Acar GroupHoldingFSC, SEDEX, ETI, ISO, BRC, IOP, FOGRA certified. 15,000m² production space. 4 overseas offices. A shared future.
What We Stand For
Principles that never change.
◇
Word as ContractFrom the earliest days of Cağaloğlu, a handshake and a date meant everything. “When they said they’d deliver, they delivered.” This culture has never wavered.◇
Human First60% of skilled staff have worked with Acar for over 15 years. People who joined as 14-year-old apprentices are now department heads.◇
Embrace ChangeAcar adopted the Macintosh before competitors understood it existed. The pattern is consistent: see the future, move first.◇
Quality as DefaultWhether a job is urgent or routine, quality is never a variable. FSC, ISO, SEDEX, BRC — a codified commitment to excellence.◇
SustainabilityFirst in Turkey’s print sector to receive FSC certification. Every Note Eco notebook uses forest-cycle paper — responsibility built into the product.◇
Family UnityA formal Family Constitution governs the transition between generations — the architecture of a company built to outlast its founders.The Next Chapter
The second
generation
is already here.
Savaş, Faruk, Seçkin, Sevgi and Semanur grew up racing transpallet trucks through the factory floor. They sorted phone directories at the kitchen table after school. By the time they formally joined, they already understood the company — not from a management book, but from the ground up.
Today they lead divisions, shape strategy, and carry forward a culture of ethics, craft and care built across two generations and 40 years.
Trust yourselves. Be courageous. See the future. Be principled. Work hard and honestly.
Stand behind your word in every circumstance. Do not let your own thinking limit what you can achieve.
If others can do it, so can you. Every era has its own difficulties. What matters is moving forward despite them.
Your ability to turn obstacles into advantages is what will set you apart. This thinking will never go out of style.
— Zekeriya & İhsan Acar, to the next generation
40
Acar Group — Est. 1980
We design.We produce.
We export. We grow. From a 50m² basement in Cağaloğlu to 42 countries across the globe. The next 40 years have already begun.