Born in Gaziantep in 1929, he started his career in weaving with a single loom, after graduating from the primary school. In 1947, he had a winding machine with 24 compartments made domestically and brought the first winding machine of such capacity to Gaziantep.

He blazed the trail in transforming hand looms into power looms in Gaziantep. Konukoglu established the plant for hydrophilic cotton in 1962 and the plant for cotton yarn with a capacity of 1500 spindles in 1963. Konukoglu established “Hilal Kolektif Sirketi” in 1966. He put into service the yarn plant in 1974. The company title was changed to “SANKO Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.” in 1977, inspired by the name of Sani Konukoglu.

Currently employing almost 15 thousand people, SANKO Holding operates in 11 different sectors, including textile, energy, cement and construction, packaging, health-care, education, shopping malls, informatics and finance.

Sani Konukoglu founded Gaziantep Chamber of Industry with other industrialists, on August 15, 1989. He paved the way for establishment of the Sani Konukoglu Foundation on October 11, 1989 to organize the social services offered by SANKO.

Sani Konukoglu was a moderate, modest, visionary and social person, who rapidly recognized innovations, sought advice of others, took helping those around him as his duty, and loved nature, and died of heart condition on January 16, 1994.

The late Sani Konukoglu was honoured with the “Order and Certificate of Merit” in accordance with the Decree of the Council of Ministers, dated October 27, 1997 and numbered 30, for his social services during his lifetime. Abdulkadir Konukoglu, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SANKO Holding, received the merit and the certificate on October 27, 1997, by President Suleyman Demirel, at a ceremony held at Cankaya Mansion.