Gemak Celebrates 15 Years in the UK

Gemak Celebrates 15 Years in the UK

“Delivering End-to-End Dairy and Food Processing Projects”

It was in 2011 that Gemak’s UK operation was established in the Northwest of England, led by Kursat Uysal, now the third generation working in the dairy equipment and processing field and based in Manchester.

Kursat Uysal explains:

“I grew up spending part of my school holidays in the family business office and factory, originally set up in the 1950s by my great-uncle as the sales agent for Westfalia Separator. This was followed in the 1970s by my father industrialising the relationship with a newly built factory in Istanbul, Turkey, producing over 10,000 small cream separators per year under exclusive licence from Westfalia Separators Germany, continuing until the early 2000s. After my university studies, I joined the family business in 1997, which is when my relationship with Gemak and my interest in processing plants began.

Fast forward to 2011 — we identified a gap in the UK dairy equipment sector for small to medium-sized producers, particularly those making specialised products. To simplify: you either had to be ‘big dairy’ to afford state-of-the-art equipment, or your alternative was 20–30-year-old second-hand machinery that was not fit for purpose and could not meet modern hygiene and automation requirements. We positioned ourselves between these two extremes, offering state-of-the-art, tailor-made end-to-end processing equipment and solutions with a strong return on investment.

I remember our first turnkey, tailor-made process plant project in Yorkshire in 2011. The customer required a 10,000 lph milk and cream plant supplying local markets and school milk. It was a difficult sale as we had no UK references at the time and were competing against second-hand equipment, even though the price difference was negligible. I remember asking the owner: how come you bought new vans and trucks to deliver your milk instead of 30-year-old vehicles? Why would you buy a 30-year-old plant with no warranty at the end of its economic life when you can afford a new one?”

Over the past 15 years, Gemak has established a strong and consistent presence in the UK market, delivering complex end-to-end processing solutions for the dairy and food industries. During this period, the company has successfully completed 38 turnkey projects for 24 different customers, supporting manufacturers across the UK with reliable, high-performance processing systems.

Gemak’s UK project portfolio spans a wide range of product applications, including yoghurt, milk, cream, cheese, whey, honey, custard, chocolate, soup, oat milk, plant-based yoghurt, juice, sauces, desserts, sourdough and baby formula. This breadth reflects Gemak’s ability to apply its engineering expertise across both traditional dairy processes and fast-growing food and plant-based markets.

Throughout its journey in the UK, Gemak has worked with manufacturers of all sizes from small specialist producers to some of the largest and most complex processing operations in the country. Every project has been approached individually, with tailor-made, application-specific solutions developed to meet each customer’s unique technical, operational and commercial requirements. This bespoke approach has enabled Gemak to act not simply as an equipment supplier, but as a long-term solution partner, a commitment the company continues to uphold.

Operating as a true turnkey partner, Gemak delivers complete processing plants covering process design, equipment manufacturing, automation, installation and commissioning, with all critical stages managed and manufactured in-house from A to Z. This fully integrated approach gives customers greater control over quality, lead times and project execution, while ensuring seamless integration with existing facilities and full compliance with performance, hygiene and regulatory standards.

Several landmark projects over the last decade have demonstrated Gemak’s capability to deliver large-scale, high-efficiency processing facilities under demanding timelines. These have included advanced milk, cream and whey processing plants, cheese and yoghurt production lines, allergen-free and plant-based facilities, as well as beverage and food processing systems. Many projects were delivered using Gemak’s off-site assembly and pre-installation strategy, significantly reducing on-site installation time and minimising disruption to ongoing production.

Sustainability and operational efficiency have remained central to Gemak’s UK project delivery. Plants designed and commissioned by Gemak have achieved measurable improvements in energy efficiency, water recovery, process accuracy and waste reduction, supporting customers in meeting both commercial objectives and environmental targets.

Gemak would like to sincerely thank all its UK customers for their trust, collaboration and long-term partnerships over the past 15 years. The success of these projects has been built on close cooperation, shared technical ambition and a mutual commitment to quality, performance and continuous improvement.

Gemak looks forward to continuing its growth in the UK market, delivering innovative, bespoke processing solutions that support the future success, sustainability and competitiveness of dairy and food manufacturers from the smallest producers to the largest industrial operations.