Interview with Adnan Bayramoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Polres Polyester

We had an enjoyable conversation with Polres Polyester Board Chairman Adnan Bayramoğlu about the company's development from its founding to today, entry into the Turkish market, product groups, projects and investments.

Mr. Adnan, could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your educational background, your position in your company and your professional experience in the sector?

I was born in Trabzon on 11 August 1968. After Trabzon High School, I graduated from Istanbul Technical University Chemistry Department in 1991. That same year I went to England for language training. After returning to Turkey, I worked in different departments of the chemistry sector for two years. At the end of 1994, I started working at a Turkish foreign trade company in Ukraine. In 1995 I became a partner in the same company and was appointed as General Manager. I conducted exports and imports between Ukraine and Turkey based on demand. In 1998 I established my own foreign trade company in Russia. I built and developed a sales and marketing network focused on paints, construction and cleaning materials. In 2003, I decided to continue my activities in our country and transferred my company in Russia to my brother Uğur Sühan Bayramoğlu, returning to Turkey. Following market research I conducted during 2003, I decided to enter polyester resin manufacturing. In September 2003 I entered the sector with the Polres brand and began production.

Could you provide brief information about Polres Polyester's establishment process, facilities, production activities and market share?

Production, always doing and developing new things, and growth have always been my objectives. With all the capital I accumulated abroad, in 2003 I established a facility in Gebze Plastics Organized Industrial Zone that produced 250 tons of polyester resin when operating at full capacity. Following market demand, in 2007 we made new machine investments to double our capacity. In 2012 we established our new facility on the land of our current factory, which we purchased in 2006, in the same industrial zone with entirely our own funds, increasing our capacity to 1,500 tons. At this facility we began production of unsaturated and saturated polyester resin, gelcoat and pigment paste. We focused on the demands of domestic and foreign markets. Conducting rigorous R&D work entirely with our own resources, we introduced our products to the foreign market, which is our primary objective. Following market demand, we developed new products. As a result of these efforts, Polres Polyester became a company that exported 65-70% of its products by 2017.

Could you tell us about your product range and product characteristics? Which sectors do you serve with this product range and composite applications?

Our products can be briefly classified as follows: Casting Type (NCS Breton, Solid Surface Casting, Polymer Concrete), Hand Lay-Up and Fibre Spray Type CTP (General Purpose Acrylic/ABS Reinforced Low Styrene Emission), Light Transmitting, Pultrusion (Orthophthalic, High Chemical Resistance Isophthalic), Hot Press SMC/BMC Type, Infusion/RTM, Chemical Resistant, Flame Retardant, Marble Adhesive Formulation, Putty Type, Pipe Type CTP, Specialty Polyester (Button Type, Flexible, Gelcoat Based, Mould Casting, Pigment Paste Formulation) Resins, Gelcoats, Pigment Pastes. These products show variations in their chemical structure according to their application. These include orthophthalic, isophthalic, ortho-NPG, iso-NPG and specialty glycol resins. Our products are used in every area of life including construction, entertainment, sports, automotive, transportation, electrical-electronics, textiles, adhesives, insulation, defense, aerospace, space and marine.

What can you tell us about your sales activities? Which regions do you primarily export to?

Our company primarily exports its products to North Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Iraq, Turkic Republics and European countries.

Can you provide information about your laboratory and R&D activities? What can you say about your R&D investments?

Our company has conducted R&D work entirely based on our own funds. In the near future, to develop R&D activities, we have engaged a consulting firm to present these efforts to TUBITAK and KOSGEB. Our R&D activities are organized according to the new product demands of developing domestic and foreign markets. In this sense, we purchase necessary equipment as needed to comply with developing technology, and we spare no expense to ensure all possible test methods are carried out in accredited laboratories compliant with world standards or within our own facilities.

What would you like to say about your company's objectives and projects?

Our objective is to achieve greater exports. While doing this, we have an investment plan to increase capacity and accommodate new products to maintain our presence in the domestic market. This investment plan will be implemented as soon as possible based on global economic conditions.

What type of services do you provide to ensure customer satisfaction and meet their expectations? Do you provide after-sales support to your customers?

When our customers experience difficulties in the use of our products, we provide the necessary technical support by phone, and if this cannot be resolved remotely, our team visits them directly to provide a solution.

Can you provide information about your company's mission and vision? What are the characteristics that differentiate you from your competitors?

Our mission is to produce different lasting solutions for different expectations. Our vision is to make our brand a world brand through innovative, rational and principled approaches.

What do you consider to be the most important problems in the sector and what solutions do you propose?

The most important problem in our sector is the inability to find skilled personnel or people who wish to be trained. The solution is to increase the number of educational institutions that train technical staff and ensure cooperation between industrialists and these educational institutions. Another problem is that a large portion of the chemical raw materials we use must be imported. The solution is to increase the number of facilities like Petkim in our country.