Uludağ Mineral Water

Foundation Date: 1930 

Founder: Mehmet Hakkı Erbak Bey 

History: Keşiş Dağı Mineral Waters was founded in the 1870s through a partnership by Ibrahim Talat Paşa, who was one of the members of a family that was close to the Ottoman court, his brother-in-law Mehmet Fuat Bey, one of his in-laws Giritli Sıtkı Ulusu, and a French entrepreneur Monsieur Bouroussin. After the passing away of Mehmet Fuat Bey, his shares were passed on to Sıtkı Bey and Ibrahim Talat Paşa, who then continued to manage the mineral water company. 

In 1912, the Ottoman Emperor of the time, Sultan Mehmed Reşad, granted the first mineral water license of the Ottoman Empire era to Keşiş Dağı Mineral Waters. 

In 1917, after the passing away of Ibrahim Talat Bey, his wife and his son, being his heirs, demanded that half of the shares would be passed on to them and initiated the legal processes. In accordance with their demands, the inheritance processes were finalized, making Şerife Hanım and her son the new partners of the company. After a short period of time their shares were purchased by an Italian businessman Guido Paradi, and also in the same years, Monsieur Bouroussin took his leave of the partnership by trading his shares with the other partners of the company. 

In 1925, one of the founding members of the Institute of Turkish Medical History, Şevki Bey, suggested that the name “Keşiş Dağı” (meaning the Monks’ Mountain) be changed into “Uludağ” and as of 1926, Keşiş Dağı was started to be called as Uludağ. Following this change in name, the company applied for a change in their name from Keşiş Dağı Mineral Waters to Uludağ Mineral Waters, and after the approval of the application, the company name was changed into Uludağ Mineral Waters. In 1931, the company was granted the privilege to use the title “Turk” in the company name by Mustafa Kemal, then the president of the republic. Therefore the company name was changed into Uludağ Mineral Waters Turkish Incorporated Company. 

As the company continued to grow and develop, in 1930, Mehmet Hakkı Bey founded the Nilüfer Soda Pop Factory and started producing soda pop under the brand name Nilüfer. In 1933, his son Nuri Erbak, invented and patented a new beverage which would be produced under the name Uludağ Soda Pop and introduced the beverage to the Turkish market. In the same year, the owner of the Nilüfer Soda Pop factory, Mehmet Hakkı Bey, an insurance broker from Bursa, signed a dealership agreement with Uludağ Mineral Waters Inc,, which made him the head retailer of Uludağ Mineral Waters in the province of Bursa, in the town of Yalova and in the thermal springs district in Yalova. 

In 1933, Mehmet Hakkı Bey took over all the administrative rights of Uludağ Mineral Waters Turk Inc. Company on himself. Guido Parodi passed his shares in the company to Neriman Erbak, Nuri Arbak’s wife, in 1954. In 1958, following the passing away of Sıtkı Ulusu, in accordance with the will he made in 1954, all his shares of the company were inherited by Nuri Erbak. As a result of all these, in 1958, all the company shares belonging to the Uludağ Mineral Waters Turk Inc. were gathered in the hands of the Erbak familiy. The fact that, all the shares of both Nilüfer Soda Pop and Uludağ Mineral waters now belonged to one family necessitated and brought about countless new enterprises and investment. 

Famous for: Natural mineral waters, fruit flavored natural mineral waters, soda pops and fruit juices 

Promo Video: www.uludagicecek.com.tr/hakkimizda/uludag-icecek.aspx

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