Mr. Abdullah Ekrem Nefes Answered Our Questions

Mr. Abdullah Ekrem Nefes Answered Our Questions In the interview we held, Haskan Boya Sanayi General Manager and Borpaint Boya ve Yalıtım Teknolojileri A.Ş. Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Abdullah Ekrem Nefes answered our questions. Nefes drew attention to the importance they attach to R&D and innovation, and gave information about the products they developed.  

Could you please briefly tell us about your educational and professional background?

I was born in 1985 in Ankara. I am married and have two children. I graduated from Başkent University with a degree in International Trade. In the last year of my university education, I participated in the Cultural Exchange Program and completed my studies in America. In my childhood, I grew up surrounded by paint in our family factory's production environment. For this reason, I can say that paint is not only my profession but also my greatest passion. Since 2010, I have worked professionally at Haskan Boya. Since 2015, I have been serving as General Manager. Additionally, I am the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Borpaint A.Ş.

Could you please give information about Haskan Paint's history and milestones? What is the current structure of Haskan Paint today?

Haskan Boya, founded by Bayram Nefes and Hakan Nefes in 1994, is a family company that has been active in the paints and coatings sales and marketing industry for approximately 40 years. Haskan Boya has leveraged its experience to continuously improve quality and business operations, and has invested all resources in production systems. Today, operating in a 7,000 m² production facility, Haskan Boya serves the market with an annual paints and coatings production capacity of 50,000 tons.  

To which industries and with what kind of products does Haskan Paint mainly serve? Could you please give information about Haskan Paint's products, brands and services?

As Haskan Boya, we serve nearly the entire water-based and solvent-based paints and coatings industry and produce paints and coatings for construction, industrial and furniture applications. We produce paints and coatings under the Doruk, 606, Woodmaster, Chromat, Borpaint and Chromat furniture brands.    

Could you please tell about your domestic and international sales activities? To which regions and what kind of products does Haskan Paint mainly sell?

Under project and dealership systems, the products we produce are sold throughout all domestic regions. Additionally, we export more than 30% of our annual production abroad. Our exports, which were traditionally directed to Africa, the Middle East and Northern regions, have shifted towards Europe and America due to pandemic-related factors. By producing more efficient and higher-value-added products, we are contributing to Turkey's growing export capacity, which has increased due to pandemic effects.

Could you please give information about Haskan Paint's innovation and R&D studies? Do you have any projects that were developed in the context of university-industry cooperation?

We continue to invest in our current operations to establish a sustainable production system and, most importantly, to manufacture using innovative technology through continuous renewal. Our R&D laboratory is dedicated to improving existing products and developing new products that meet market needs. We maintain ongoing cooperation with universities. Recently, we completed R&D activities related to thermal insulation and fire-retardant products with Çanakkale University. We continue to work with university partners during both the development phase and implementation of newly developed products.

Could you give information about Haskan Paint's environmental policy and sustainability approach? What kind of works and studies are performed in the area of worker health and safety?

As we all know, the climate change crisis affects every aspect of our lives. Therefore, we bear significant responsibility for the products we produce. We must take the necessary steps to produce products with low VOC values and near-zero carbon footprints. We are working to integrate domestic resources into our paint production. We have also launched our successful insulation-grade paint products. The key point here is that the dyes produced are completely natural and environmentally safe. This is an exciting and proud achievement for us. Over the past 10 years, with increased inspections from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, we have implemented important measures regarding worker health and safety. As Haskan Boya, we allocate a portion of our investments to further develop occupational health and safety in our facility. Additionally, we ensure that the products we manufacture are safe for human health even after use. I believe everyone should be more conscientious about this issue.  

What are the priority criteria of Haskan Paint when creating investment plans? Does Haskan Paint have any investment plans for the near and distant future?

First and foremost, we prioritize human health, worker health and safety when planning our investments. In a constantly evolving and changing world, investment in people and business is essential for sustainable development. We plan to expand our facility in the near future and establish newer and faster production lines. In doing so, we are committed to supporting our country in increasing exports while being environmentally conscious and prioritizing human health and worker safety to the highest standards.