Interview with Engin Kalkan, CEO of Özen İplik

Özen İplik, under the Vera brand, offers innovative solutions in the production of solvent-based adhesives and hot melt adhesives. In the interview we conducted, Özen İplik CEO Engin Kalkan provided information about the company's areas of operation and the products offered.

Could you briefly tell us about yourself, your educational background and your professional experience in the industry?

My name is Engin Kalkan, born in Istanbul in 1977. After completing my undergraduate degree in English Business Administration, I pursued a master's degree in financial investment. During university, I worked as a long-term intern in the foreign trade department of a bank. After completing my education, starting from 2001, I began working in various departments of our family company and currently serve as CEO. [caption id="attachment_157363" align="aligncenter"] Engin Kalkan[/caption]

Could you outline the development process of your company since its establishment?

Özen İplik began its operations in 1972 in a 12 square-meter shop in Mercan with yarn purchasing and sales. The founders, chemical engineer Hasan Hüseyin Kalkan and chemical engineer Mehmet Ali Kalkan, started production in a modest 100 square-meter workshop in Istanbul Kumkapı in 1975. Özen Boyahanesi was established in Istanbul's Esenyurt district on 1,000 m² of land. During this period, our company produced mercerized yarn and moved to a 3,000 square-meter workshop in Istanbul Bayrampaşa in 1980 to introduce nylon sewing yarn production for the leather industry. In 1990, high-strength polyester sewing yarn was added to the product line. In 1997, with the participation of second-generation family members, global markets became the main target. In line with these objectives, we participate in international trade fairs and invest in R&D activities. In 2003, our factory covering a 16,500 square-meter area was established in Istanbul Kıraç. In 2003, the company obtained OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 and SATRA quality assurance certifications and reached a position of environmentally responsible production. In 2007, we made new investments to increase production capacity. In 2015, we added ISO 9001, ISO 14401 and ISO 45001 quality assurance certifications to the company. Özen İplik exports to more than 60 countries through its domestic and international representatives and continues to grow with new investments. In 2019, to serve our customers better, we began production of solvent-based adhesives and hot melt adhesives under the Vera brand within Vera Kimyasal ve Dış Ticaret A.Ş. Like our primary focus on sewing yarn, our sales target is predominantly the international market. We are pleased to serve our existing customers by expanding our product range each year.  

Could you provide information about your adhesive and sealant products?

Pressure-sensitive adhesives are physically hardened systems with permanent tack properties. Adhesion is achieved by applying pressure to the adhesive film; the more pressure applied, the better the adhesion obtained. Pressure-sensitive adhesives are frequently used in pre-coating operations due to their permanent tack, which allows materials to be joined before and after the adhesive is set. Therefore, adhesion can be performed independently of the location and timing of adhesive application. Vera's pressure-sensitive adhesives are characterized by optimum adhesion to different materials, high flexibility and high strength. Veramelt PSA adhesive is a pressure-sensitive hot melt adhesive developed for use in foam-to-foam/foam-to-felt adhesion applications in the bedding industry. It has a long open time and provides aggressive bonding performance for joining polyethylene and various foam surfaces. Veramelt's low-temperature application feature allows for lower energy consumption in production lines and the use of lower-weight materials. It is also transparent and odorless. Pressure-sensitive hot melt (PSA) adhesives contain 100% solids and are solvent-free. They also offer advantages such as high production speeds due to short cure times, elastic adhesive lines and broad adhesion versatility to different materials. Pressure-sensitive hot melt (PSA) adhesives can correct surface irregularities. They can be reactivated by heat and can therefore be used for pre-coating. These types of adhesives can also be reopened by joint heat, thus contributing to recycling. Thermoplastic elastomer-based solvent-based adhesives (SBS or SIS adhesives) are generally applied with spray guns and have good spray performance and relatively high solids content. This adhesive group can be applied to one or both materials. A large portion of the solvents evaporate during spraying, causing a high increase in adhesive viscosity. Vera adhesives have very high contact strength during open times. With very little solvent present in the adhesive, joining materials with minimal pressure or even high-pressure joining ensures proper wetting of the material to be joined and rapid development of initial strength. After all solvents have evaporated, no adhesive residue should remain. The bonded materials can be coated with fabric or other materials. Some of the areas where Vera solvent-based adhesives are used include bedding (foam-to-foam, felt-to-foam, felt-to-felt), furniture (foam-to-foam, foam-to-fabric, foam-to-particleboard or wood), furniture (foam-to-wood, foam-to-fabric, foam-to-foam) and automotive (car seat foam-to-foam, foam-to-fabric). Vera adhesives offer numerous advantages including high initial strength, excellent bonding, good adhesion to numerous materials, long open time depending on formulation and high solids content. High content of renewable raw materials, frequent inclusion in the economical adhesive group and easy application through spraying are among the other advantages.

Could you provide information about Özen İplik's domestic and international activities?

Özen İplik exports to 62 countries worldwide. Our company, which has distributors in many parts of the world, is increasing its sales graph in current regions through OZEN İPLİK RUSSIA LTD., which we opened in 2014, as well as OZEN USA LLC, which we opened in 2017.

Can we learn about Özen İplik's vision, mission and quality policy?

Özen İplik continues its work to strengthen its 50 years of knowledge accumulation in sewing yarn with adhesive production and become a solution partner for its customers.