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• MAY 2016
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Raised in Istanbul, Ereren earned his
bachelor’s degree in engineering from
Bosporus University in Istanbul. He then
earned a master’s degree in biomedical engi-
neering from Northwestern University before
starting Terry Town in 1988. He moved Terry
Town from Anaheim, California, to San
Diego in 1996. His wife, Sebnem, whom he
met at his sister’s wedding reception, also
works at the company in merchandising.
Their son, Alp, who is studying international
conflict resolution at San Diego State
University, works at Terry Town part time as
a sales executive. Beril, his daughter, is the
only family member not working at Terry
Town; she earned her bachelor’s degree in
biology from UC Santa Cruz and works at
Genentech.
While Terry Town didn’t start out in the
promotional products industry, the industry
proved to be a perfect fit for the company
once Ereren discovered the marketing power
of promotional products and figured out how
the industry worked. Given his engineering
background, Ereren is able to bring new
techniques and products to fruition, all in the
name of helping his customer’s clients market
their businesses.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not
working?
I enjoy playing tennis and reading. I am a
member of the San Diego Tennis and
Racquetball Club and compete in the men’s
doubles. I like reading fiction. The last book I
read was
All the Light We Cannot See
by
Antony Doerr. It is an epic war novel about
lives torn apart during World War II.
Who or what has had the greatest influ-
ence on your career and why?
Chip Harlow, my college buddy from
Northwestern University, has helped me
every step of the way while making Terry
Town the best towel, robe and blanket sup-
plier in the promotional products industry.
Chip had already started and sold a very
THE TURKISH PEOPLE ARE KNOWN worldwide for their
warm hospitality as well as their high-quality cotton. So what better
business for Turkish native Sy Ereren to start than Terry Town, a com-
pany that supplies towels, blankets, robes, and spa and resort gift items
to the promotional products industry? Nothing promotes warm mem-
ories more than soft towels that remind us of summertime at the
beach, and cozy robes help us relax and unwind.
TERRY TOWN’S SY EREREN ENGINEERS PRODUCT SOLUTIONS THAT SOLVE HIS
CUSTOMERS’ CHALLENGES
By Julie Richie
ADDICTED TO
INNOVATION