Interview with Çağdaş Çağrı, Turkey General Manager of Eigenmann&Veronelli

Çağdaş Çağrı, Eigenmann&Veronelli Turkey Market Entry Process, answered our questions about the characteristics of product groups they serve for the polyurethane sector, and shared his views on the industry.

Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your educational background, your position in your company and your professional background in the sector?

I was born in Istanbul in 1976. After completing my secondary and high school education at Istanbul Boys' High School, I graduated from Boğaziçi University Tourism Management Department in 2000. Following that, I completed my master's degree in Finance and Business at Exeter University in the United Kingdom and returned to Turkey. After completing my military service, I began my professional career at Şişecam in an export sales position. After working there for a short time, in 2003 I started at Bayer Turkish Industrial Products Division where I was responsible for sales of rubber and paint raw materials, and I have been in the chemical industry ever since. My approximately five-year career at Bayer was an invaluable experience for me. Between 2008 and 2015, I served as manager of the rubber, plastics and paints divisions at Brenntag Kimya; in addition, during my last two years there I held various positions in Brenntag Europe's rubber group. As of November 2015, I continue my career as General Director in Eigenmann & Veronelli's Turkey operations.

Could you tell us about your company's development process since its establishment and about its entry into the Turkish market?

Eigenmann & Veronelli is a family-owned company based in Milan, Italy, with roots dating back to 1910. The company's main business area is the production, import, sales and distribution of specialty and performance chemicals, and it possesses all necessary technical infrastructure and human resources to provide these services at the highest level. With annual turnover of approximately EUR 300 million, 20 percent of total sales come from chemicals produced by the company itself. E&V, a market leader in its field in Italy, transformed into an international operation by establishing E&V Iberica office in 2002 to enter the Spanish and Portuguese markets, later entered Russia, and in 2013 formed a partnership with Parkim in our country. Prior to 2013, Parkim was the agent for E&V in Turkey, so E&V products were well known in our country particularly in the cosmetics and detergent sectors. This partnership structure, which lasted approximately 2.5 years, ended in the first half of 2016, and E&V Turkey, as a 100 percent subsidiary of E&V SpA, continues its operations while expanding its product portfolio in industrial areas beyond cosmetics and detergents.

What are your product groups? Could you provide detailed information about the product group you serve for the polyurethane sector?

E&V has a broad product range for 18 major industries. Among these, polyurethane, adhesives, rubber, plastics, paints and coatings, food, feed, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and detergents are the main sectors. In addition to representing leading chemical producers, E&V operates two production facilities in northern Italy with 36 reactors and 40,000 tons of production capacity, manufacturing over 400 chemicals including primarily esters, emulsifiers, process aids, defoamers and phthalate-free plasticizers. Our company supplies various catalysts, isocyanates, polyether and polyester polyols, flame retardants, blowing agents, desiccants and plasticizer products for the polyurethane sector.

What can you tell us about your sales activities? Which regions are you primarily serving with sales?

As E&V Turkey, our main field of operations is the domestic market. In addition to our head office in Istanbul, working with our sales manager colleague in Izmir, we conduct sales and distribution activities throughout the country, primarily in the Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia regions, serving all areas with raw material requirements. Our warehouse is located within Gebze, which can be considered the center of Turkish industry. Our specialized sales teams, each expert in their field, regularly receive training both at our headquarters and at the companies we represent, continuously following innovations in their sectors and finding opportunities to improve themselves.

What are the subjects you prioritize to ensure that your products' availability in the market can be maintained for a long time?

As in all areas, in the chemical industry new technologies, changing needs and demands, environmental and health standards, and economic factors cause product lifecycles to change rapidly. This risk applies even to products that could be considered new, having been launched 5-10 years ago. For the raw materials we produce, we are working to maintain and improve our competitive position in the market through both R&D and innovation activities and investments that will reduce production costs and process improvements.

What can you tell us about internal communication in your organization? What activities are you conducting to improve your employees' performance?

After separating from our partners in Turkey, we underwent a major restructuring last year. During this process, in addition to our product groups, supplier development and infrastructure work, we also significantly renewed, expanded and developed our team. I believe that in a short time we have achieved very good harmony and synergy among our employees. Through open and transparent communication, mutual trust and support, responsibility given to our employees and corresponding empowerment, and regular training based on needs, I can say that we have created a team that is happy with their work, has a strong sense of belonging and high intrinsic motivation, and is success-oriented.

What are your views on the polyurethane sector? Do you have a message you would like to convey to the industry?

When I first became acquainted with polyurethane raw materials at Bayer, it was a big surprise to learn how large this sector is and how it is used in countless products in our lives, from furniture to automotive, from white goods to footwear. I believe that as long as Turkey's most fundamental and locomotive sectors such as construction, automotive and white goods continue to develop, and as awareness of insulation improves and regulations are more strictly enforced, polyurethane will continue to be a product with consistently high demand for our country. As Eigenmann & Veronelli, we are working to provide the highest quality service that creates maximum added value for our customers by adapting the knowledge and experience we have in our parent company to local conditions and the realities of our country.

Finally, how do you spend your free time to protect yourself from the negative effects of stress created by business life? Could you tell us about your hobbies so that we can know you better?

The responsibility of my position, the many critical decisions we need to make during the day and the intensity of our work naturally increase our stress load. On the other hand, despite being a very new company, my greatest advantage is working with a team where everyone takes responsibility, is proactive and loves their work. Of course, I also value work-life balance. I spend my free time with my family and friends, traveling, getting to know new places and cultures, and doing sports as much as possible.