A significant event for the dynamically developing economy of independent Turkmenistan was held this spring. On March 12, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the opening ceremony of a new industrial facility in Baherden etrap of Ahal velayat – the "Bäherden" ceramic products manufacturing plant. 

The facility was built by specialists from the individual entrepreneur "Eziz Doganlar", a member of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of the country, at the request of the Ministry of Industry and Construction Production of Turkmenistan. The factory is equipped with Italian machinery and has a production capacity of up to 3.3 million square meters of decorative tiles and 120,000 units of sanitary ware per year.

At the recently held International Exhibition and Conference "Development of the Construction, Industrial, Chemical and Energy Sectors of Turkmenistan" (CIET 2025) in Awaza, Michele Pulpito, the official partner of "Eziz Doganlar" and the Chief Representative of the Italian company "Sacmi Imola" for Russian Federation and Central Asia, shared with the correspondent of "GA" the story of the birth of Turkmen-Italian business cooperation in the context of building a modern ceramic production facility.

"I saw very professional people in Turkmenistan, united in one team that clearly knew what they wanted. Of course, we helped in the consulting aspect, but most of the decisions about what to think about, what to pay attention to, and most importantly, what to produce, were made by our business partners themselves," began his story M. Pulpito.

Our interlocutor was struck by how objectively the Turkmen partners saw their goal.

"At the preliminary stage, during consultations, there were meetings at the Ministry of Industry and Construction Production of Turkmenistan, where the specific needs of the Turkmen market were clearly defined. Speaking in terms of numbers – business is business, and this fact is an obvious advantage of the Turkmen partners, because I have had situations in my experience where clients do not know what they want to produce, and it is hard to suggest what sells well," shared the Italian businessman.

M. Pulpito continued, explaining that, it was different in the case of the Turkmen partners. They had a clear technical assignment, which was strictly followed. Representatives from Turkmenistan visited Italy several times and, understanding the final goal, studied the ceramic production technology in great detail.

The Italian expert shared how he was amazed that such an industrial giant could be built in the middle of nowhere.

"From the very beginning, I did not believe that such a plant could be built on the designated site in Baherden etrap. It was a completely empty steppe area, without any old buildings. Usually, our company works with such kinds of abandoned or outdated plants, where there is at least some infrastructure, modernizing them comprehensively. It is much easier in terms of installation, commissioning, and startup. But in Baherden, everything started literally from scratch, and this raised some concerns," noted the Italian partner.

M. Pulpito explained how his worries eventually dissipated.

"Later, when the actual construction phase began, I realized that all my concerns had been unfounded. The specialists of 'Eziz Doganlar' took a systematic approach and carried out all the work very professionally. I witnessed the multi-stage process of building the plant up to the launch of production, and I want to emphasize that even in Italy, the birthplace of ceramics, we do not have such factories. I would also like to note that factories like this, with the degree of automation, production capacity, and digital technical capabilities for decorating and polishing tiles, are not yet found in any Central Asian countries either," the expert compared.

In terms of production, M. Pulpito placed special emphasis on the immense significance of using local raw materials.

"Another important aspect is that the products – ceramic tiles, sanitary ware, and other items – are made entirely from local raw materials. Before the conveyor stage, we took sample samples for analysis in the 'Sacmi Imola' laboratories and got excellent results. This is an additional big plus that raises the project’s profitability to the highest level," concluded the businessman.

Michele Pulpito also highly praised the business acumen of his Turkmen partners and wished them great success.

"The factory is designed in such a way that production can be expanded by building a second, and then third and fourth phases, depending on the needs of the domestic market and the growth of export directions. So, credit must be given to the business acumen of the Turkmen entrepreneurs, who left room for development in the so-called 'step-by-step' format. Therefore, I wish my dear partners much success in the future!" – wished our interlocutor.