The Success Story of Hammam Design Radiator

The iF award winner has become one of the leading manufacturers of towel warmer production in Turkey. Their function-first aesthetic attracts customers, above all, in Europe.

The Turkish company Hammam Design Radiator has long been on a mission to sell design, satisfaction and fashion with Radiators that are essential for everyone’s comfort and health. With hard work and enthusiasm, the siblings Burçak and Oğuzhan Cellat and their team are now one of the leading manufacturers of towel warmer and decorative radiator production in Turkey.

And they are even the only iF award winner from Turkey in this sector within the 65 years of competition history. Functional, minimalistic and sustainable are words summing up their design language which is explicitly shown by the award-winning towel warmer SPIN. Co-owner and Marketing Director Burçak Cellat says: “In retrospect, the iF DESIGN AWARD 2019 makes us feel that we are earning from our investment that we have been making in our business.” How did they become so successful?

In the early 2000s, this success story was still unthinkable. Co-founder Faruk Cellat died in a car accident in 2001, five years after the company was founded. “When we lost our father, we were two kids with no business experience”, Burçak says and continues, “Compared to other companies that are already operating in the market for 100 years, we were lots of steps behind.” She joined the business in 2003 when her brother had already been trying to set up a new strategy with a handful of employees. After a while they built up a brand name, grew in recognition and in size – now the company comprises of 130 employees.

The portfolio of Hammam Design Radiator includes a variety of 2500 pieces from more than 100 models, some of them even hand-made. The brand follows a function-first aesthetic. Thus, making a design of a product unique means to consider all the different aspects, ranging from function, quality, certification requirements and prize – a radiator remains badly designed if the heating doesn’t work efficiently although the heating elements are visually strong.

“Investing in know-how, people, technology, research and development and new ideas has always been a part of our strategy to produce value-added products.”

A significant part of their products is exported to Europe and installed at places where people usually spend their vacation – in hotels and other tourist accommodations. What unites all of their customers is the demand for technological innovation and high engineering quality which, in fact, reflects the corporate strategy appropriately. Even the name gives it away – Hammam, a Turkish bath from ancient times whose central heating system showed highest technology standards. Currently, their research and development department receive government funding for their engineering projects. “Investing in know-how, people, technology, research and development and new ideas has always been a part of our strategy to produce value-added products”, Burçak says.

While many businesses face a series of backsets during the coronavirus pandemic, and even Hammam Design Radiator reports lower profit margin, Burçak speaks proudly about survival: “Being financially strong helped us to manage the economic risks. Our broad stock of raw material also enables us to continue production with less delay.” Goals to set in 2021? The company plans to launch their online sales website and new product models – be prepared with a larger portfolio of services and products until the markets will rise again.