In today's competitive world, one cannot stand out without having great perseverance and passion. This is especially true if one is in the business industry. Why? Well, if you don't possess such unwinding passion and perseverance, you might easily give up in the face of the daily challenges faced in today's business world. Throughout his career, Tevfik Arif has demonstrated the hard work and determination necessary to achieve success as an entrepreneur.
Apart from that, one should also have the skills and knowledge to achieve their goals in the business world. Taken all together, these have allowed Arif to stand out in the international real estate and property development industry.
Born Tofik Arifov in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Tevfik Arif is a Turkish-Kazakh businessman who has a popular and exceptional career in the private sector that spans multiple industries and international borders. Indeed, this man is an accomplished investor in the real estate industry and an entrepreneur who built a thriving international company.
But really, who is this inspirational man behind such a successful career in the business industry?
Early Life
Tevfik Arif was born in 1953 to Turkish parents who were living in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Arif was the second child among four boys. His family and upbringing indeed influenced the path that he took to be a successful entrepreneur in the business industry.
Since he had a great interest in economics and business, Arif continued his education at the Moscow Institute of Trade and Economics where he pursued a degree in international relations. Right after graduation, he took a job working for the government of the Soviet Union.
And for 17 years, Arif worked within the Ministry of Commerce and Trade. Arif also held a number of positions during his service in the government such as a chief economist, and he was eventually promoted to deputy head of the Hotel Management Department within the ministry.
Tevfik worked closely with the hospitality industry throughout the Soviet Union, and this position would later influence his desire to build luxury hotel properties all over the world.
Beginnings in the property industry
Arif left the job in the government sector in order to pursue opportunities in business during the privatization which followed the fall of the Soviet Union. Together with his brother, Arif acquired ownership in the chromium plant in Kazakhstan - one of the last countries to achieve independence from the Soviet Union.
His work with this plant would help establish him as a rising businessman in the region. After years of neglect under the Soviet rule, the metal and the raw material sectors were in great disarray across the region. They were indeed inefficient, and they lacked innovative technology which had increased the production capabilities of the competitors.
Arif expanded the interests in the natural resources industry when he founded the Specialty Chemicals Trading Company which focused on the export and import of metals and other raw materials.
Because of his success in the heavy metals industry, he began to pursue a personal passion for real estate and property development. His early investments and projects were in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. Being a real estate developer, he then built a luxury resort hotel named the Labada Hotel in Antalya, Turkey.
Arif expands his business interests
The success of his first ventures inspired Arif to expand his portfolio in real estate to the United States of America. He founded the Bayrock Group in 2001. Established in New York, the company would enable him to invest in property in the US. The very first project taken on by Bayrock was the renovation of a shopping center in the Sheepshead Bay district of Brooklyn called Loehmann's Seaport Plaza.
Finding early success, he then set his sights on more prestigious and more competitive real estate markets in the city. In fact, he moved the offices of Bayrock Group to Trump Tower, right in the center of Midtown Manhattan's real estate district.
In fact, he met Donald Trump shortly after establishing the office of Bayrock Group in the building. The two developed a working relationship, which is another success in the name of Arif. Bayrock Group successfully developed and completed the Trump SoHo Tower under a licensing agreement with the Trump Organization.
The iconic 46 story hotel and condominium tower opened in the trendy Manhattan neighborhood in 2010. It quickly became a symbol of luxury in New York City. While Bayrock Group and the Trump Organization looked to replicate the success of the project with similar properties in Arizona and Florida, the companies ended their working relationship in 2008.
Tevfik Arif's business today
After building a reputable name in the business industry, Arif shifted the focus of his business and the international real estate investment was back to Central Asia and Europe.
Now, he has partially retired from his businesses. He remains an important business advisor who offers a wealth of experience along with industry connections to expand the continued success of his family's business.
In his retirement, he has pursued charitable interests, focusing on organizations that promote community development like the Chabad of Port Washington.
Indeed, the success of an individual lies not just on one skill or trait, but on many factors. In the case of Arif, there were a number of reasons why he achieved the success he accomplished as a businessman and entrepreneur, including his family, his skills and attitude. He wouldn't have achieved the level of success he did without these.
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