Interview with Emre Tezgören on Eskim Kimya

In the interview we conducted, Eskim Kimya Board Member Emre Tezgören answered our questions. Tezgören highlighted the importance Eskim Kimya places on R&D and provided information about the new products they have introduced to the sector. [caption id="attachment_127467" align="aligncenter"] Emre Tezgören[/caption]

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

After graduating from Üsküdar Science High School, I continued my education at Istanbul University's Chemistry Department and Chemical Engineering program. Following my graduation, I began my master's program at the University of Manchester, conducting research and studies on "Polymer Materials Science and Technology." After completing this program and returning to Turkey, I started my career managing R&D activities at our group companies, Eskim Kimya and Tezkom Kompozit.

Could you provide information about Eskim Kimya's establishment process, investments made and its current structure?

Our company commenced commercial operations with the establishment of Eskim Collective Company in 1975 by Yılmaz Tezgören, and has continued its activities in the chemical sector under the name Eskim Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. since May 2004. We serve with an institutional culture grounded in the knowledge and experience of our founder Yılmaz Tezgören, focused on R&D and innovation. As Eskim Kimya, we aim to provide service with the motto "Quality is our existence" and to elevate customer satisfaction to the highest levels. With production activities supported by advanced technology investments made over the years, we continue to increase the number of countries to which we export. Looking at where we stand today, with our products of which 75% are exported to Europe, Central Asia, Africa, China and America, we maintain our position in the international arena. We also serve the rapidly growing composite sector worldwide with our unsaturated polyester resin production.

What sectors does Eskim Kimya mainly supply and what types of products? What are Eskim Kimya's products, brands and services?

Eskim Kimya manufactures automotive repair paints, automotive fillers, automotive primers, automotive varnishes, furniture paints and varnishes, antimicrobial varnishes and gel coats, and polyester resins. Eskim Kimya's brands are Eskim across all our products, Polimax as the Automotive Repair Paints Group, and Sognare for antimicrobial varnishes and selected products. Eskim Kimya manufactures furniture and industrial paints and varnishes for various industrial groups, unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins, alkyd resins, pigment pastes, thixotropic and acrylic polyesters, high-performance gel coats and auxiliary materials. Within our broad product range, our unsaturated polyester resins group includes approved products holding Lloyd's Register certification.

Could you tell us about your domestic and international sales activities? What regions do you mainly target domestically and internationally, and what types of products do you sell?

As Eskim Kimya, we export many of our products to various regions and countries such as the Turkic Republics, all European countries, North-South Africa and the United States of America. In particular, we aim to and value increasing our international potential through trade fairs abroad and international channels. I can describe our sales volume as 75% international and 25% domestic.

What kind of work do you undertake at Eskim Kimya in the areas of innovation and R&D? Do you have projects developed under university-industry cooperation, and if so, what are they?

Since 1975, under the leadership of our founder Yılmaz Tezgören, we conduct R&D and production-focused work and prioritize customer satisfaction by serving businesses according to their needs. We place importance on innovative and environmentally conscious projects. To give an example, in the composites field recently, we conducted separate project work with Izmir University of Economics and Eskişehir Technical University. Within the scope of these projects, analysis work was carried out jointly with the universities. In addition, last year, as an expert gel coat and varnish producer, we brought together our experience with the international brand value and expertise of Sanitized AG in the field, and conducted work on special gel coat and varnish series providing superior antibacterial protection performance.

Could you provide information about Eskim Kimya's environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you say about your work related to occupational health and safety?

The health and safety of our team members and customers is our priority. In this context, we ensure awareness among our team members and customers through in-house and external training. For this reason, in our new product development work, we focus on and produce environmentally friendly, zero-waste chemicals free of heavy metals. We have maintained and will continue to maintain our environmentally sensitive approach in our products for approximately 46 years.

What criteria are prioritized when Eskim Kimya formulates investment plans? Are there investment plans for Eskim Kimya in the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

As Eskim Kimya, our work continues on renewable energy, automation, efficiency and Industry 4.0. We base our investment plans on extensive research results and market trends. Our ongoing projects are included in our programs. In particular, reaching the advanced levels of Europe and America in our automotive repair paint and resin production is among our objectives. What criteria are prioritized when Eskim Kimya formulates investment plans? Are there investment plans for Eskim Kimya in the coming periods, and if so, what are they? As Eskim Kimya, our work continues on renewable energy, automation, efficiency and Industry 4.0. We base our investment plans on extensive research results and market trends. Our ongoing projects are included in our programs. In particular, reaching the advanced levels of Europe and America in our automotive repair paint and resin production is among our objectives.