Interview with Tolga Sarı, General Manager of Adokim

We conducted a pleasant interview with Tolga Sarı, General Director of Adokim, Turkey's first 100% domestic ethyl and butyl acetate producer, discussing the company's product range, sales activities, and objectives for coming years.

Could you tell our readers about yourself and your professional background?

I was born in Istanbul in 1978 and hold a degree in business administration. I am completing my 19th year working as a manager in various segments of the chemical sector, both domestically and internationally. At the end of 2019, I returned from abroad to join the ADO Group and Adokim family for this important investment in the sector. I have not worked anywhere outside the chemical sector and its companies. It would not be wrong to say I know no other profession or industry.

Can you provide information about Adokim's success story?

Before discussing the success story, I would like to provide information about Adokim. Adokim Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. is a partnership between ADO Şirketler Grubu and Ak-fin Uluslararası Danışmanlık. ADO Group is a large corporation with a long industrial history, approximately 2,500 employees, and major facilities domestically and internationally. With brands and companies such as Adopen, Adokapı, Adofilm, Accodo, and Ado Air, it is a major force known throughout Turkey and the region. Ak-fin Uluslararası Danışmanlık is a Turkish company with extensive international trade history and experience. The combination of these two strong and experienced companies created the Adokim brand and its strength. Our facility is located in Antalya Organized Industrial Zone on 25,000 m² and was completed in 2 years with an investment of USD 15 million. Adokim produces ethyl acetate and butyl acetate, which are used as raw materials in various sectors. We have a very high annual production capacity of approximately 50,000 tonnes. Regarding the success story: Adokim is Turkey's first and only 100% domestic ethyl and butyl acetate producer. Success begins with the courage to undertake this and make this investment decision. Doing what has not been done, realizing what has not been realized, requires courage, vision, and a strong team. The senior management of Adokim possessed this courage and vision. By creating an expert and strong team, this exemplary domestic facility and brand conforming to European standards was created and provided to our country's industry. This success is ultimately the result of our belief in and confidence in our country, our people, and our sector.

What are your product varieties? Which sectors do you serve?

We have 2 types of products: ethyl acetate and butyl acetate. We serve paints and coatings, packaging, printing, packaging and printing inks, adhesives, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and approximately 20 or more different products and industrial groups.

What are your domestic and export sales activities? Could you tell us about the factors you consider in your sales activities?

Turkey has an ethyl acetate raw material market of 60,000–70,000 tonnes annually and a butyl acetate market of approximately 15,000 tonnes. In other words, there is a total market size of 70–80,000 tonnes. And this entire market is imported from abroad. Adokim, however, has a very high production capacity of approximately 50,000 tonnes. For this reason, we aim to acquire a significant market share in the domestic market in a very short time. The approach of companies consuming these raw materials and importing them for years to Adokim as a domestic producer encourages us even more. We place great importance on exports. When we established this high-capacity facility of 50,000 tonnes, we embarked not only for the domestic market but with the goal of becoming a Turkey brand in the global ethyl and butyl acetate market. Additionally, logistics is as important as production in this sector. In our facilities, we have a logistics infrastructure to supply these products according to industry demand in road tankers, barrels, and IBC tanks, and for our international export activities in isotanks and marine tankers in bulk shipments.

As Adokim, you are one of the pioneering initiatives in Turkey. What is the significance of your company and these activities for our country?

As I mentioned earlier, our domestic industry's ethyl and butyl acetate consumption is approximately 70,000 tonnes annually, the market size is 70–80 million dollars, and it is entirely imported to our country. Adokim has created a great opportunity for this domestic capital to remain within our country. To speak openly here, of course we also use imported raw materials, but this situation will certainly change in the future. Another important matter is that with the entry of a domestic producer into the market, I believe competition will increase and provide price discipline. Towards the end of 2019, particularly with rising import ethyl acetate prices, companies consuming this raw material in the industry experienced considerable pain. There is no doubt that for consumers and industrialists using ethyl acetate and butyl acetate products, the fact that a domestic producer is now manufacturing in the country will have a positive effect.

What is the importance of technology for you? In which areas do you utilize technology?

As I mentioned at the beginning of our interview, Adokim embarked on the path to become a global brand in the global ethyl and butyl acetate market. To be a global brand and enter these markets, achieving high and stable quality as well as high capacity is very important. With our new facility conforming to European standards, we are capable of competing with aging facilities in Europe and worldwide. Here, the technological infrastructure comes into play. We have a fully automated production facility. Taking it a step further, we integrated the quality control module within our ERP management system into our facility automation system. With the inclusion of logistics, we are planning full integration in automation. To ensure stable, that is, sustainable quality, we also established a research and development and quality control laboratory at European standards and even beyond, with a large investment.

What measures do you take while producing for a sustainable world?

We are working to develop new methods to reduce our natural resource consumption and waste generation to the lowest possible level, and we aim to prevent environmental pollution with environmentally friendly projects and ensure the continuity of systems established under environmental protection. Accordingly, we are engaged in important research and development and technical work with our environmental department.

Could you tell us about your corporate social responsibility projects? How do you evaluate the reflection of these projects on your company?

As ADO Group, we are involved in many corporate social responsibility projects in various sectors including technology, sports, education, and health across our regions. Being involved in social sharing with people beyond manufacturing is what fundamentally makes a brand a brand. In education: construction of a kindergarten within Antalya Provincial Directorate of Education, construction of nurseries at Habipler Primary School, construction and furnishing of all machinery and equipment for workshop facilities in the Woodworking Department at İstanbul Küçükköy Industrial Vocational High School, construction of buildings for Akdeniz University Faculty of Engineering. In technology: we conduct joint initiatives in Antalya Technokent to increase technological developments and innovations and promote their use in production and living at Akdeniz University Antalya Technokent A.Ş. In sports: we undertook renovation of Antalyaspor facilities, renovation of Antalya Atatürk Stadium, and construction of spectator stands at Atik Antalya Tennis Specialization Club Tennis Courts. In health: we have accomplished tasks such as construction and donation of Amatem Akdeniz University Substance Abusers Rehabilitation Center, construction and donation of Döşemealtı Health Center, construction and donation of Yeniköy Health Center Polyclinic, renovation activities at Bakırköy State Hospital, and delivery of a fully equipped blood donation bus to the Turkish Red Crescent. Additionally, ADO Group received a Guinness World Record for the most organ donations within one hour.

Are there any projects you plan to accomplish in coming years? Can you provide information to our readers about these?

We have ongoing project studies on reducing dependence on imports in raw material supply. We will provide information on these matters when the time comes.