Sunel Tobacco Company has been a leading company since 1925. It� the first company that started using mechanization. At first zig �zag chambers and then tonga machines were being used. Before all of the technologies that are being used at the moment, the processing volume was 15 �20 tons per day with 1500 �2000 workers. This facility is one of the most modern premises of the world in Oriental Type tobacco processing. Sunel has visited all of the existing facilities and in a very short period of 11 months and this facility was completed by getting the best parts of existing ones together. Our facility is settled on 50,000 sqm land, with its 100,000 sqm warehouses and 24,000 sqm processing building; it is the biggest and the most modern oriental type tobacco processing establishment under the same roof. 125,000 kgs of tobacco can be processed during one shift of 400 employees. Depending on the demand, daily shifts can be increased to two or three. The processing facility can operate 12 months in a year.

Our new Factory is equipped with 10 de-stringing lines (eventually expanded to 12) each having a maximum of 1.8 tons / hour capacity. We are one of the few factories which have all lines outfitted with flow controls and weigh belts, centrally controlled via PLC (Production Logic Control) system ensuring constant blend ratio� minimizing fluctuations. After the tobacco which is gathered from our contracted farmers, arrives in 50-kgs bales to our premises, it is classified according to the grade and origin and is transferred to the processing facility via our underground conveyor system. Due to minimum exposure to external environment, the possibility of breakage, during shipment or transfer to processing is minimized. Graded bales are given to the de-stringing lines according to their grades and types. AG grade tobacco leaves are de-strung directly to the processing line and BG and KP grade tobacco leaves are put into boxes and sent to the secondary grading control. If the tobacco in one bale is too mixed, that bale is sent directly to the manual de-stringing section and after a very careful sorting process, every grade tobacco is sent to its respected processing line. In the processing line, tobacco is sifted and after the dust and soil is removed the leaves are moistened in a steam tunnel and are put through a counter flow separator for opening. This machinery is the most modern opening equipment of the world. It is electronically controlled with MacTavish technology and it opens the tobacco leaves tenderly. Opened tobacco leaves are sifted again and are routed to the blending silos. (Please proceed to "output side")

Blended tobacco is carried to a lower floor with automated weighting conveyor belts and is brought to the packing section. We are able to pack in traditional 50 and 35 kg (Izmir and Samsun) bales using our 14 tonga presses. Each tonga press can pack nearly 25 bales per hour. In this section, tobacco can be baled or boxed. In bailing process we can make 50 kgs conventional bales. When the boxed tobacco is needed, tobacco is soft dried by the drier and packed into C48 size boxes. Furthermore, in this section, the first DCC unit is taken into operation. The two new Fishburne C48 packers (each with 10 ton / hr capacity) are the first in the Turkish Market. Their advantage is packing tobacco in one single stroke as opposed to their counterparts which �ake�the tobacco into the box; which increases degradation. Short distance from Soft Drier ensures minimum degradation. Small Lamina (Scrap) is collected and sieved into three sizes. Lamina drier ensures proper packed moisture. Scrap is packed into C48 boxes at around 140 to 150 kg� / box.

We have our modern laboratory and state-of-the-art quality control system within our processing facility which, makes physical analysis such as scrap, sand, moisture, comadia tests. Experienced and trained staff perform leaf analysis tests to determine the percentages of the leaves confirming to the characteristics of the grade. All readings are promptly reported to the processing staff ensuring a uniform grade is produced. Cardwell Shaker There are various sizes of tobacco leaves which must uniform a homogenious blend. In order to determine whether the tobacco is blended homogeniously, approximately 3 kgs of tobacco is fed into this equipment and sieved through 1; 1/2; 1/4 and 1/8 inch screens and the tobacco leaves left in the plates are weighed. Brabender & Willey Mills In order to measure the humidity level, tobacco leaves must be grinded into small pieces. Brabender and Willey Mills are used to grind leaf tobacco into desired measurements. Ro-Tap Sieve Helps determining dust and sand quantity in tobacco.

Bales and cases are stored in special warehouses on separate floors and areas according to grade lot number. Here the fermentation of the tobacco begins. To insure proper natural fermentation ventilation, spacing and restacking of the bales is carried out. During this period of storage quality control staffs make routing checks and findings to determine procedural adjustments in storage. In the Storage areas a pest control program is carried out, which monitors infestation. We carry out a routine fumigation twice a year and again prior to shipment if required by the customer. Shortly after the tobacco packed in C48 cases and labeled, they are ready for shipment.