Mehmet Tarakçı Shares Hanex's Success Story With Us

We conducted an interview with Mehmet Tarakçı that we believe you will enjoy reading, in which we address the company policies that shaped Hanex's success story, the sectors it serves, and the company's targets for the coming years.

Mr. Mehmet Tarakçı, could you briefly tell us about yourself and your professional background?

I was born in 1975 and completed my education in Ankara. After graduating from the METU Chemistry Department, I worked briefly at Polisan Boya before joining Hanex. After military service, I returned to work at Hanex. I have been with the company for 16 years and am currently a partner in the firm.

Could you tell us about Hanex's success story from 1987 to the present and the company policies that shaped this story?

Hanex successfully manages the representation of more than 20 companies. Until the early 2000s, the main sector we served was the wood-based panel industry. However, our work in steel belts for the food and chemical sectors began with Berndorf Band, a steel belt manufacturer. Following our successes in this field and the connections we made at trade fairs, other companies interested in serving these sectors approached us to work together. Due to trust-based relationships established with our customers, our continuous search for new markets, and the successes we have achieved, Hanex continues to develop. Detailed information about our representations can be accessed through our website.

Which sectors do you serve?

As Hanex, we serve the food sector, particularly biscuit and chocolate manufacturers, through the companies we represent: Berndorf Band, SBS-Steel Belts Systems, IFA Technologies, and Airprotech. In the chemical sector, we can provide services for all production processes involving solidification (powder coating, sulfur, hot melt, paraffin wax, epoxy resin, acrylic sheet production facilities, etc.) in the areas of production facilities, cooling lines, mills, and boilers. With Airprotech, we can provide services in reducing emission values of flue gases (paint facilities, automotive painting lines, pharmaceutical industry, production systems using phenol formaldehyde adhesives, etc.). With IFA, we provide services in gravimetric precision weighing and dosing systems, turnkey adhesive facilities, and process equipment.

What are your product varieties? What criteria do you consider when determining your product diversity?

The companies we represent produce different solutions for very different industries. Particularly for the chemical industry, we have a wide range of companies and products. During our discussions with companies, we especially emphasize that their products should complement each other. For example, when we visit powder coating facilities, we can discuss not just steel belts but complete production facilities. When we visit paint facilities, we can discuss both outlet air emission values and complete adhesive production facilities. This characteristic gives us the opportunity to create a common synergy.Mehmet Tarakçı: "During our discussions with companies, we especially emphasize that their products should complement each other".

Could you tell us about your domestic and international sales activities?

As Hanex, we participate in domestic and international trade fairs to conduct market research and identify new customers. At trade fairs abroad, we are present at the stands of the companies we represent, providing detailed information to our potential customers from Turkey about these companies and their products. In 2018 alone, we had the opportunity to introduce our companies and products to potential customers at the IBATECH and ACHEMA trade fairs. For domestic trade fairs, we participate with a joint stand under the Hanex umbrella. To this end, we have signed booth contracts for Paint Expo (07–09 November 2019), organized by Artkim; paintistanbul&Turkcoat 2020 (19–21 March 2020); and TURKCHEM (05–07 November 2020). We plan to participate in these trade fairs together with the 4 companies we represent.

Could you provide our readers with information about the latest product you have introduced to the sector? What technological features does this product have?

As Hanex, our newest representation is Airprotech, an Italian-based company. This company manufactures thermal oxidation systems that reduce emission values of flue gases. It removes organic components present in the exit gas by combustion. Using the temperature increase created by the reaction, the same system both reduces emission values and achieves energy savings by using the excess heat generated for heating facilities or by returning it to the process. It is known that due to Turkey's efforts to comply with European Union regulations, significant reductions in emission values will soon be required. For this purpose, facilities have begun to be inspected and some sectors have begun receiving warnings from the ministry. In the near future, we can see that investments will be made in such facilities to be able to adjust emission values.

What are your targets for the coming years? What benefits will these targets provide to the sector and your customers?

For the food sector, we will provide solutions related to steel belt cleaning, the biggest problem encountered in biscuit production using steel belts. We are conducting studies on continuous production processes with steel belts and different products using steel belt production lines. Some products currently produced at low capacity will be able to be produced at high capacity and quality using steel belt continuous lines in the near future. For the food sector, we will provide solutions related to steel belt cleaning, the biggest problem encountered in biscuit production using steel belts.