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Our Founder
Our Founder
An industrialist pursuing a distinctive model of development... A pioneer in bringing industry to Anatolia... A leader who blended local values with a global vision... An innovative investor devoted to science and technology... A patriot who never lost his connection to the land of his birth... A philanthropist who put people before everything else... A visionary who believed in the power of civil society... An art lover who cherished cultural heritage...
Born in 1928 in Nevruz village in the Yenice district of Çanakkale, Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur completed his primary education at Yenice Primary School and his secondary education at Balıkesir High School. After graduating in Economics from Robert College in Istanbul, he studied Business Administration in the United States. On returning to Türkiye, he established the Bodur-Eğinlioğlu Edirnekapı Cotton Yarn Factory in partnership with his father and father-in-law.
Believing that Türkiye would develop through industrialisation and that development should begin in Anatolia, Bodur laid the foundations of Türkiye's first ceramics factory in the Çan district of Çanakkale in 1957. Following the Çanakkale Seramik factories, founded with the support of his family, employees and local people who believed in him, he established numerous companies operating in sectors including construction chemicals, defence and aerospace, moulds, mining and transportation, forming Kale Group.
Throughout a career spanning more than 65 years, he helped establish leading civil society organisations such as the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Foundation, the Turkish Heart Foundation and TEMA. Through the Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Welfare Foundation, established in 1991, he also made significant contributions and investments in social fields, particularly education and employment.
Bodur received the Czechoslovak State Order and the Italian state honour "Cavaliere del Lavoro" in 1985, the Republic of Türkiye State Medal of Distinguished Service in 1997, and the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Distinguished Service Award in 2006. In 2007, the Italian Ceramic Society presented him with the International Aldo Villa Award for his contributions to the ceramics industry. He was awarded honorary doctorates by Karadeniz Technical University in 1994 and Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in 1997.
With a keen interest in Turkish music and literature, Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur wrote poems that were set to music by leading Turkish composers and released in two albums, "Yıllarca" and "Miras".
İbrahim Bodur, who made major contributions to the development of Turkish industry, passed away on 23 May 2016.