Operating in numerous areas including surface preparation and coating as well as road marking paints, Altekma Group stands out with its innovative and sustainable solutions.
Altekma Group, which began operations in 1997, has a broad range of industrial solutions both domestically and internationally. We spoke with Altekma Group Vice Chairman of the Board Melih Sebastien Durmuş and Altekma Group Sales Manager Celal Dağ about their recent activities and the company's long-term objectives.
Could you briefly outline Altekma's journey in the sector from its founding to today?
Melih Sebastien Durmuş: Altekma's history is based on a story that began under the leadership of my father Hulusi Durmuş. Founded in 1997 in Izmir to provide solutions for surface preparation and coating sectors, Altekma AŞ initially operated as an importer. However, in a short period, in line with its vision to assess sectoral needs and potential, it began manufacturing and placed emphasis on R&D work. Thanks to these efforts, it advanced to become a producer and exporter of the products it had imported, strengthening its role in the sector. As part of our growth strategy, we established Boytekma AŞ and began offering road marking contractor services with horizontal and vertical markings. Subsequently, in 2007, we launched Signatekma AŞ, Turkey's largest road marking paint manufacturing facility, and started our own production. In 2017, we expanded our areas of operation and established Yoltekma AŞ, beginning service as Turkey's most modern traffic sign manufacturing facility. In 2021, we founded our fifth company called Boyamak to achieve successful and durable results in applications such as road markings, pedestrian crossings, cycle paths and directional markings, and began providing solutions for specialized sector marking and sign requirements. During this period, by focusing on domestic production and innovation, we achieved a pioneering position in the sector. With five separate companies in total, we continue our expertise in the sector across a broad range and provide comprehensive solutions to our customers.
Altekma Group Vice Chairman of the Board Melih Sebastien Durmuş
What do you say about your company's vision, mission and quality policy?
Melih Sebastien Durmuş: As Altekma, our vision is to be a brand that holds a leading position in the sector, is recognized at a global level, and offers innovative and sustainable solutions. We aim to reach this goal by adding value to our customers, continuously raising quality standards and pioneering best practices in the sector. Our mission is to provide high-performance equipment, quality products and effective solutions to our customers across various sectors, thereby helping them optimize their business processes. At the same time, focusing on domestic production and innovation, strengthening Turkey's industrial potential and providing competitive advantage in the international arena is also a very important subject for us. Our quality policy is determined in accordance with ISO 9001 Quality Management System standards. We commit to delivering high-quality products and services while maintaining customer satisfaction at the highest level. To this end, we aim for continuous improvement and excellence, and we also comply with ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System standards. In addition to domestic production and innovation, we draw attention with our environmentally friendly approach. In accordance with ISO 14001 standards, we minimize environmental impact, and we fully comply with ISO 45001 standards regarding occupational health and safety. With these core values, as Altekma we focus on our goal of sustainable growth and leadership in the sector.
Altekma Group Sales Manager Celal Dağ
What are your products and services?
Celal Dağ: As Altekma Group, we are a group of companies providing industrial solutions and services. Our business is to provide solutions that reduce manufacturers' unexpected downtime and energy costs while protecting high-quality finished products. One of these solutions is paint kitchens. Paint kitchens are equipment and systems used to obtain quality results in the final finishing stage. These kitchens contain circulation systems, pumps capable of maintaining constant flow and pressure, sensors and other equipment. Our designs are customized according to application and manufacturer preference, allowing products of equal quality to be painted. Main equipment in paint kitchens includes circulation systems, transfer pumps, return systems, feeding systems, PLC control systems, sensors and filters, and dosing units. Circulation systems ensure that paint quality is not compromised during transfer. Transfer pumps are selected to suit the product to be used, meeting the system's requirements. Return systems maintain line pressure as material returns to the paint kitchen and minimize product deformation. Feeding systems involve the use of intermediate tanks and are designed according to the packaging form of the product to be used. PLC control systems are a software-based control mechanism that automates operations.
Sensors and filters ensure the cleanliness of material circulating within the system. At the same time, with sensors having various characteristics, we control system pressure, temperature, tank level, material quantity and similar factors. Dosing units enable material to operate at a constant ratio, constant flow rate and independently of operator initiative, thus minimizing the likelihood of error. As Altekma Group, by specializing in engineering and manufacturing, we provide customers with various solutions through various coating equipment such as high-pressure airless paint machines, blasting equipment, and final coat finishing products. At the same time, we are also a leading company in road marking paint and traffic sign production. We carry out the engineering design of paint kitchens and their production, and with quality products we deliver quality work with correct solutions. Additionally, through our support for social responsibility projects, we contribute to society.
Could you describe your domestic and international operations?
Celal Dağ: Of course, I will gladly share. We have a broad area of operations both domestically and internationally. Domestically, we provide services in various sectors such as construction, heavy industry, finishing, automotive, subcontracting, furniture and surface preparation. By offering customized solutions to our customers, we respond quickly and effectively to changing sector needs. Our quality product and service approach aims to maintain customer satisfaction at the highest level. Internationally, we serve a broad market portfolio targeting European and Balkan countries, Turkic Republics, the Middle East and North African countries. In particular, with our road marking paint and machines manufactured to world standards, we have achieved a strong position in the international arena. During this process, understanding local-level needs and considering cultural differences help us establish a stronger presence internationally. We aim to further expand our brand by delivering reliable and quality products to our international customers.
Who is Melih Sebastien Durmuş?
Altekma Vice Chairman of the Board Melih Sebastien Durmuş completed his undergraduate education in Business Administration at Dokuz Eylül University and pursued a master's degree in finance to broaden and deepen his business perspective. Durmuş, who has held a position at Altekma Group for 14 years, has served as General Manager and Vice Chairman of the company since 2010, setting short, medium and long-term objectives and taking an active role in the development processes of organizational programs and procedures. A few years ago, he took on the role of Vice Chairman of the Board of Altekma Group Companies and took important steps to make the companies a global brand. In addition to his business experience, he served as Vice Chairman at YES for Europe - European Young Entrepreneurs Confederation, held board membership positions at important organizations such as BOSAD and TÜGİAD and contributed to the sector. Additionally, serving as Chairman of the Altekma Sports Club and leading social responsibility projects, Durmuş served as 6th and 7th term Chairman of the Aegean Branch of TÜGİAD, as well as board member at İZİMDER - DEU Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Alumni Association and İzmir Tevfik Fikret High School Alumni Association.
Who is Celal Dağ?
He serves as Sales Manager of Altekma Group. After graduating from the Mechanical Engineering department at Kocaeli University, he entered business life. He began his career at Altekma AŞ and held various positions over 20 years. For the past 10 years, he has served as Machine Group Sales Manager within the company. Celal Dağ continues his work by closely monitoring developments in the sector and developing solutions appropriate to Altekma Group's strategic objectives to further strengthen Altekma Group.
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