20 Years of ZETA Enerji – A Story of Success and Partnership

For 20 years, we have enjoyed a close and trusting partnership with KELLER Pressure - a partnership that has grown into a stable collaboration based on shared values, mutual trust and continuous development.

The beginnings of Zeta Enerji and our partnership

The collaboration between KELLER Pressure and Zeta Enerji began in 2005 - only shortly after Zeta Enerji was founded at the end of 2004. Our original aim was to participate in government tenders. In the first few months, our focus was on the bulk procurement of electrical materials.

We soon realised that there was a gap in the market for pressure measurement technology in Turkey. With this realisation, we approached KELLER Pressure at the beginning of 2005 and shared our assessment of the potential of the Turkish market.

In our first enquiry, we expressed our interest in purchasing 3000 pressure measuring devices. A few days later, the then sales manager Jürg Dobler contacted us and asked for a personal telephone conversation. I called eagerly - but the international connection left a lot to be desired at the time. I could only understand about half of the conversation. Nevertheless, I excitedly introduced myself and expressed our interest in becoming an exclusive representative of KELLER Pressure in Turkey. The sentence that has stayed with me to this day: ‘That could be possible.’

A small detail in passing: because of the poor sound quality, the KELLER Pressure sales manager initially thought I was a man - until we met in person at the trade fair in Hanover later in 2005.

Our first export and sale

A few days later, KELLER Pressure received a customer enquiry from Turkey and forwarded it to us. This was the starting signal for everything that followed. We received our first order: a delivery of the KELLER Series 21SR (now replaced by the KELLER Series 21Y). The total value at the time was around 2,500 euros - a small step for KELLER Pressure, but a big milestone for Zeta Enerji.

In March 2005, we carried out our first import. In addition to the customer order, we ordered more pressure gauges for our warehouse. To sell these, I visited a customer in Izmir. This customer was a respected figure in our industry - someone who has played a key role in shaping the market. I introduced him to the KELLER pressure transmitters and was able to convince him. He bought three pressure transmitters with 10 bar and two more with 16 bar. To this day, I don't know whether he bought them because he really needed them or whether he simply wanted to support me. This was my first direct sale and I was over the moon.

The moment I realised that the products could actually be sold gave me a lot of courage and confidence. I visited other companies in the area and was convinced that KELLER Pressure's products had real potential.

Our first personal meeting

In 2005, I visited the Hanover Trade Fair. The moment when I met the sales manager Jürg Dobler at the KELLER Pressure stand remains in my memory to this day. As already mentioned, he was firmly convinced that I was a man based on our previous phone calls and emails. He addressed me as ‘Mr’ in every message. However, as I hadn't realised it, I never corrected him.

When we met in person, he initially thought I was a translator - not Mr Karaman. It was only when I finally introduced myself that the misunderstanding was cleared up and we both laughed heartily. From that moment on, I was ‘Mrs Karaman’ to him.

It was an amusing and unforgettable moment and our meeting was not only cordial but also very productive. It helped to lay the foundations for a strong and trusting relationship and a future together.

Our first sales meeting in Switzerland

Back then, the sales meetings always took place in December and traditionally ended with a Christmas party. The two words ‘December’ and ‘Switzerland’ really say it all: it was freezing cold. On my first visit, it was around -20 °C and I was completely frozen. When you're from Istanbul, you're simply not used to temperatures like that.

As it turned out, I was even suffering from a cold allergy. My face and eyes were swollen. And yet it was a wonderful experience that I wouldn't have wanted to miss. During the sales session, I had the opportunity to get to know the whole team. The atmosphere was warm and the time we spent together was very valuable.

My first party in Switzerland

When someone says ‘party’ in Turkey, these celebrations are more like a red carpet event than a traditional company party. Women appear in elegant evening dresses, high heels are almost a must and men wear smart suits.

Fortunately, I didn't go quite so over the top at my first party in Switzerland. As soon as I arrived, I realised: everyone is well dressed here, but the dress code is more business casual. It's a nice reminder of how different social customs can be - even at a party.

Our first trade fair in Istanbul

Our first trade fair in Istanbul took place in 2006. We took part every year until the coronavirus pandemic - always with the valuable support of KELLER Pressure.

At that time, my children were still small, about eight or nine years old. Sometimes they visited me at the fair and ‘helped’ a little. They particularly enjoyed trying to talk to the KELLER Pressure employees in English. This always made for heart-warming and funny moments. They grew up with my stories and experiences around KELLER Pressure. They have been a part of this journey from the very beginning - albeit only as silent observers at first.

Now, twenty years later, these children have grown up and have been an integral part of Zeta Enerji for four years. With the strength of our shared history, we are now moving into the future with concentrated energy.

20 years of Zeta Enerji

What once began with a phone call has developed into a trusting partnership over two decades. Throughout the years, KELLER Pressure - especially Jürg - has been a reliable companion. Knowing that we could always count on support has given me a lot of strength and confidence on our journey.

I would like to thank all the employees at KELLER Pressure for their continued commitment and the partnership-based collaboration. It is a bond based on mutual respect, trust and reliability that has made our 20th anniversary possible.

I look back with great pleasure on the milestones we have achieved and with even greater anticipation to the future and many more successful years together.