Kardelen Boya Founder Mustafa Deryal Answers Our Questions

In the interview we conducted, Kardelen Boya Founder Mustafa Deryal answered our questions. Deryal emphasized the great importance they place on R&D, noting that they continue these activities without interruption.

Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your educational background and professional experience?

My name is Mustafa Deryal, born in Bucak, Burdur in 1956. I completed my primary, secondary and high school education in Bucak, my hometown. After studying mathematics at Isparta Education Institute for one year in 1974, I took the university entrance exams again and was admitted to Ege University Faculty of Agriculture. Due to the environment prior to 12 September 1980, I transferred to Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture in 1976 and completed my education there. After completing my military service in 1986, I entered the business world with a group of friends.

Could you provide information about the establishment process of Kardelen Boya and the stages it has gone through to the present day? Taking into account production facilities, machinery fleet and number of employees, as well as turnover and production volume, could you provide information about Kardelen Boya's current structure?

The foundation of the business sectors we currently operate in was laid in those days. Our areas of business include; the paper products sector (manufacture of notebooks, diaries, calendars, etc., distribution of office and stationery hardware materials), paint manufacturing, wholesale of construction materials and agricultural product cultivation (walnuts) spanning various sectors. During the period when we were engaged primarily in wholesale construction materials, particularly paints, we conducted the necessary feasibility studies related to production and established our factory in 1996. In those years there were five or six manufacturers in Ankara, and we joined the line. Subsequently, the number of manufacturing companies increased considerably; however, because many of them failed to adapt to the new conditions brought by EU acquis, or were started without proper feasibility studies and without sufficient capital, a large portion of them either failed or closed down later. Of course, we also went through very difficult periods. Production accumulation and shortage of technical personnel, difficulty in adapting to the new conditions brought by EU acquis, investment costs and competition formed the main reasons for these difficulties. Considering our current situation, our company continues to assert its position in the sector by growing every year both in Ankara and throughout Turkey in terms of quality, product variety and market share. Additionally, as good news, since our current location has been expropriated, by year-end we will hopefully move to our new factory building in Ankara Chamber of Commerce 2nd Organized Industrial Zone.

Which sectors does Kardelen Boya primarily serve, and what types of products does it supply? Could you provide information about Kardelen Boya's products, brands and services?

Kardelen Boya has a very wide product range. It manufactures all products required by the construction sector, investment sector, furniture sector and industrial sectors. The Kardelen group includes luxury plastic, ceiling, transparent insulated ceiling paints, as well as interior facade transfer, satin, rough concrete and contact primers. Kardelen fasarith, water-repellent, silicon-based exterior facade are also among the same group of products. We manufacture many different types of varnish such as natural stone, cellulosic gloss-silk matte, furniture varnish. The Kardelen Rapid group includes varieties such as industrial matte black and primer. Solvent-based and solvent-free paints, as well as polyurethane topcoat paint, primer and hardeners are among our products. We also manufacture insulation products and spray paint, rollers, pearl effect paint, protective coating and similar auxiliary products. In the Kardelen Aura group, our Aura silicon-based interior facade paint, plastic, silicon-based silk matte, ceiling, acrylic and silicon-based exterior facade, synthetic topcoat, primer and anti-rust products are used with satisfaction by our customers. The Kardelen Briland Group includes Briland semi-matte and silk matte, ceiling, thermally insulated exterior facade, silicon-based/pure acrylic, hydrocatalytic, long-life, exterior facade products. The Kardelen Promax group includes Promax industrial primer and topcoats and Promax road line paint, and the Kardelen Nergis group includes Nergis plastic and ceiling products.

What kind of work do you carry out in the areas of innovation and R&D as Kardelen Boya company? Do you have projects developed within the scope of university-industry cooperation, and if so, what are they?

As Kardelen Boya, we place great importance on innovation and R&D. Our country, in particular, must conduct serious research on imported products. This is true not only in the paint sector but in all sectors. In this regard, our government has serious efforts and support. To the extent of our capabilities, we conduct work on all matters that are imported, cost-reducing or needed. Within this framework, we conducted and completed the SAN-TEZ project with Gebze Technical University. Additionally, we receive support from various universities on matters we require. Our R&D work continues without interruption. Particularly, our cost-reducing and quality-improving work stands out. In addition to university-industry cooperation, we closely follow and try to benefit from all supports given by various units of our government to innovation and R&D work.

Could you tell us about your domestic and export sales activities? What types of products do you mainly sell to which regions domestically and internationally?

As mentioned above, we continue our export work without interruption, making use of government resources (such as participating in fairs with a stand, market research, working with foreign companies and technical personnel). Currently, 20 percent of our sales consist of exports. Our goal is to take this even higher. Our foreign markets are our neighbors (pre-war), Turkish Republics, Russia, Georgia, Algeria, Cyprus and similar countries. We sell almost every variety of our products to these regions. In terms of domestic sales, 80 percent is made up of hardware retailers and 20 percent by applicators and subcontracting and contracting firms. In our Central Anatolia region, our own team conducts sales and distribution; wholesale dealers handle other regions. Therefore, we have a widespread market, not a local one. The wide range of our product line provides us with an advantage in this regard.

Could you provide information about Kardelen Boya's environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you say about your work related to worker health and safety?

Our sector falls into the first-class insanitary establishment category from an environmental perspective and the very dangerous class in terms of occupational health and safety. To avoid consuming the rights of future generations, particularly sectors of this type should give due attention to environmental policies. Within this scope, we pursue an environmentally friendly policy; we make all necessary investments and take precautions. However, we believe there are difficulties in ensuring the entire sector's compliance with these rules. This also leads to unfair competition. Our company, which takes as principle the counsel of Sheikh Edebali to Osman Bey: "Keep people alive so that the state may live," makes all necessary investments and takes precautions regarding worker health and safety. However, we face serious difficulties in this regard. There is no guide-like roadmap for first-class insanitary establishments and very dangerous classes. For investors not to encounter problems in the future and to be able to take necessary precautions in advance (especially for small and medium-sized enterprises), this is an urgent and important need. As a company building a new factory, we experience this difficulty considerably. Seeing this gap, we have initiated a joint study with Ankara Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment. As a council member representing my sector in the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, I am pleased to express that we have taken the lead in this, and I feel great responsibility for it.

What criteria are given priority when Kardelen Boya draws up investment plans? Does Kardelen Boya have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

Our priority in investment planning covers quality-increasing and cost-reducing matters outside of required buildings and machinery fleet. Apart from this, our largest investment is in R&D. In an environment where the world's economic borders have fallen and electronic communication has developed, increased and intensified competition is inevitable. The way to not fall behind in this race is to keep competitive strength in our hands and direct our investors accordingly by taking necessary precautions. Currently, we are constructing our new and modern factory building while trying to take all necessary precautions for dangerous, flammable, explosive sectors. All our other investments will be in innovation and R&D as mentioned above. Additionally, investment related to powder group product manufacturing alongside current paint production is included in our program. Our work aimed at the investment sector also continues. I thank your team for providing me this opportunity, and I wish for the continuation of your successes and services to the sector.