Dedeman Holding | Our Founder

Mehmet Kemal Dedeman, the son of Rıfat Şükrü Bey and Nazire Hanım, was born in Kayseri in 1903. Mehmet Kemal Dedeman, who had to quit his education due to the passing of his father, began his business life at a young age at the firm he inherited from his father. Mehmet Kemal Dedeman decided to go to İzmir in 1924, and liquidated the firm. In 1927 these business ventures came to an end when he went to Kahramanmaraş to fulfill his military duty. When he completed his military service, Mehmet Kemal Dedeman began to work as a court clerk the courthouse in Kayseri. He resigned in 1931, and began his business life again. Mehmet Kemal Dedeman then went to Ankara in 1934 to deal in food commerce and construction contracts, and became a contractor in the construction of the airports in İstanbul Yeşilköy, Ankara Etimesgut, and the Kütahya Military Airport and Kayseri Plane Factory in the following years. In 1945, within the scope of the Project Yıldırım Yolları which was initiated by the government of time, he undertook the construction of roads between Kayseri, Kırşehir and Sivas.

Dedeman Group, began its work in the mining industry in 1947. The operation and exports of chrome, zinc, lead and magnesite mines were the first works to be undertaken in this area. Mehmet Kemal Dedeman's first initiative in the tourism sector began in 1966 with the opening of Dedeman Ankara. From this date on, new investments in entertainment and service oriented businesses, especially in the hotels, have followed in quick succession. Many years ago, Mehmet Kemal Dedeman, who started his road with a love and faith for his country, continued to serve it with the investments and donations he made to the construction of education and health institutions, and interior equipment, was deemed worth of the “Order of Merit”. Mehmet Kemal Dedeman, who died on February 12, 1998 at the age of 95, was the Honorary Chairman of the Dedeman Group.