The Bearing Industry Mogul who built his 25 sqm shop into a 12,000 sqm company
Mr. Aram Markaroğlu, founder of Özevren Rulman, was born in Istanbul. He spent his entire childhood in Şişli district, which was very close to the heart of the bearing trade in Istanbul. Therefore, he naturally was familiar with the industry from his very early years. Actually, if you asked me to summarize him, I’d say he was “born into it” and grow up at the roots of the Turkish bearing industry.
He was involved in the trade first at “Karakoy Thursday Bazaar” (Karaköy Perşembe Pazarı) which many called a “Trade University” back then. Until his military service, Mr. Markaroğlu absorbed the notion of his artisanship which was shaped by the trade culture of “Karaköy Bazaar”. After completion of his military service, he started to work as chief of the bearing segment at Viktor Bali, which was one of the fastest growing companies in the area at that time and decided to start his own business in 1982. He successfully founded his own company thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit and interpersonal skills. A decision that was taken after working ten years in the bearing industry.
His company Özevren Rulman, is today still actively serving the bearing industry for more than 40 years now.
Özevren Rulman was founded as a 25sqm bearing shop. The company’s first import experience was in 1991. Throughout the 90s, Özevren Rulman grew even more by introducing its own MRS bearing brand and signing a deal of distributorship with HCH, which was at the time, one of the biggest factories for deep groove ball bearings.
From 2000 on, Özevren Rulman started to grow even more rapidly, with the help of its wide marketing activities, experience and network all over the country, the company helped NSK brand to enter the Turkish market. In the 2010s, Özevren started to work with the Schaeffler group and gained a remarkable momentum with brands such as FAG / INA and became a market leader. From then on, Özevren Rulman was recognized as a front-runner in the Turkish bearing trade and became a well-known company with its large and ready-to-ship stock.
From 1982, the year the company was founded, until today, Mr. Aram’s company has been growing and adding new local branches throughout Turkiye. The company has reached a 100+ large team, along with a fleet of over 40 vehicles, serving all the regions and 81 provinces within Turkiye.
The company is active at all the key segments of the Turkish manufacturing industry, on a 24/7 basis, with the motto: “Two Partners, One Aim”.
Özevren’s main strategy has always been supplying manufacturers and end-users directly. A strategy that resulted in setting up the branches at key and crucial industry locations with a high level of industrial activity.
The company has currently in total 9 branches with a cumulated storage capacity of 12.000 square meters. Which makes Özevren Rulman the regional leader in terms of local network, logistics and capacity. While bearings are at the center of its product portfolio, Özevren supplies also products related to engines, reductors, linear products, chains, belts and other power transmission products.
The main industries served are the iron & steel, chipboard, woodworking manufacturing, heavy industries, railway and mining facilities. In terms of OEMs, the company focusses on machine producers, engine and reductor producers, compressor, pump producers and agriculture machine producers.
Main brands in Özevren’s portfolio are SCHAEFFLER (FAG/INA), NTN-SNR, IKO, ZWA, MRS, BEGA, MARSTON DOMSEL, ZIMAS, OMEGA, VOLT, SUPTEX, LIMON, SINOMA and many other.
