The Economy and Industry of Çorum
From tile factories to workshops that export machinery worldwide, from leblebi to Osmancık rice — the production and economic identity of Çorum, brought together.
Çorum is one of Anatolia's quiet but productive industrial cities. Its economy rests onindustry, agriculture and food, and it leads the country in several areas.
🧱 Brick and roof tiles — Turkey's centre
Çorum is Turkey's foremost brick and roof-tile production centre. Abouthalf of the country's roof tiles and a significant share of its bricks are made here. Production dates back to the 1950s, when suitable raw material was found; today many factories run at full capacity and employ thousands.
⚙️ Machinery — milling and food equipment
Çorum's most striking export identity is in machinery. The city specialises inmilling systems for flour, feed and semolina plants and inagricultural and food-processing machinery. Çorum firms build turnkey factories and export their machines to more than 100 countries; some of the world's leading manufacturers in this field are Çorum-based brands.
🏭 Organised industrial zones
The backbone of industry is the central Çorum Organised Industrial Zone: about 665 hectares, more than a hundred firms and dozens of sectors, with exports to over 130 countries. There are also OIZs in Osmancık andSungurlu, and a new zone is being established.
🌾 Agriculture and food
The standout farm product is Osmancık rice — a fine-grained, aromatic, geographically registered paddy. Alongside it grow wheat, barley, chickpeas, sugar beet, sunflower and walnuts (Oğuzlar). In food, the city's emblem is of courseleblebi: with roughly three centuries of tradition, a geographical indication (2002) and a wide network of jobs, Çorum is one of Turkey's main leblebi centres.
📈 Exports
Çorum has markedly increased its exports over the years. Machinery, roof tiles and food (leblebi) are its traditional export lines. Much of the recent jump in total export figures comes from precious-metal exports tied to the city's gold refinery; the total therefore reflects that line as well as the strength of manufacturing. In recent years, defence industry investments in Sungurlu (led by ARCA Defense) have also become a powerful new export line (details).
Related: Çorum's Importance in Exports ·Çorum leblebi ·Hitit University ·practical info ·Çorum Guide.