We Conducted an Enjoyable Interview with Semih İşçimenler

We conducted a pleasant interview with Semih İşçimenler, General Director of Prosim Kimya, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. İşçimenler shared valuable information with us about his company's operations, sustainability policy, future targets, and Polimer Ar Ge, the production company he established.

Could you introduce yourself and share your professional background for our readers?

I come from a family engaged in chemical production and trade for three generations. As a child, I used to produce PVAc adhesive in my grandfather's chemical factory and distribute it to my schoolmates. Later, following my interest in chemistry, I continued my education at Boğaziçi University's Chemistry Engineering department. While studying in Istanbul, I assisted my father in selling products from his chemical trading company. After graduation, I worked with my father for a period and in 1997, together with my spouse, we founded Prosim Kimya, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. While continuing our agency and commercial partnerships, in 2006 we launched our Joint Venture with Reichhold Inc. to produce saturated and unsaturated polyester resins in Turkey. We first expanded this production operation, and later, to be more competitive especially in export markets and to develop new technological products, we acquired the shares of Reichhold Turkey and in 2015 began investing in a new factory. In 2017, we commissioned our current Polimer Ar Ge factory to produce saturated and unsaturated polyester resins with the highest technology. Today, while Prosim Kimya continues to actively engage in raw material trading, as Polimer Ar Ge we continue production of saturated and unsaturated polyester resins with our producer partner İlkalem. [caption id="attachment_145869" align="aligncenter"] Prosim Kimya General Director Semih İşçimenler[/caption]

Could you share Prosim's founding story and areas of operation?

While working at my father's production company between 1994-1997, we decided to grow in different sectors where we believed we could grow faster and better. In 1997, together with my spouse Yakut İşçimenler, we founded Prosim Kimya. As we celebrate our company's 25th anniversary today, we are proud to hold market leader positions in many product groups we supply. Our colleagues Özlem Çınar, Sema Ertan, and Görkem Beşer, who have contributed greatly to reaching where we are today and have been part of our group of companies for over 20 years, are now continuing their journey as company partners. Our greatest goal is to produce products in Turkey that are currently not manufactured domestically but imported. With this passion, we work harder and pursue our targets. Prosim Kimya supplies chemical raw materials to sectors such as powder coatings, liquid coatings, printing inks, composites, engineering plastics, EPS-XPS, plastic masterbatch, and construction chemicals. Additionally, within our Polimer Ar Ge company, we produce saturated and unsaturated polyester resins for powder coatings, coil coatings, and composite sectors.  

What are the product groups you provide to the coatings sector?

Prosim Kimya operates as the authorized representative and distributor in Turkey for 40 world-leading international companies in areas such as liquid coatings, powder coatings, printing inks, composites, engineering plastics, and plastic masterbatch. The main products we supply to the coatings sector include: high-performance organic and inorganic pigments, aluminum metallic pigments, silica matting agents, micronized waxes, rheology and anti-settling agents, corrosion inhibitor additives, epoxy resins, epoxy hardeners, UV & AO additives, melamine formaldehyde resins, silicone resins, catalysts, and many other specialty additives. On the other hand, in our factory located in Arslanbey Organized Industrial Zone, established with 100% domestic capital investment and the latest technology in its field, we produce saturated and unsaturated polyester resins and serve our customers.  

Could you tell us about your R&D activities and the resources you allocate to these efforts?

We have been actively conducting R&D activities for 4 years. Our team of 8 colleagues—expert engineers, doctors, and chemistry technicians—are directly carrying out these activities. Our R&D laboratory operates 24/7, and our R&D team works around the clock continuously synthesizing polymer products to develop alternatives to imported products. As a result of these efforts, we not only produce better alternatives to imported products locally, but also, due to our belief in sustainable economy, through our investments we are producing various polymers, paints, and composite resins using bio-based and recyclable raw materials. Additionally, we are implementing projects on new technologies with our global customers. With our sales network growing each day, we predominantly export polyester resins and additives to European countries such as France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and Austria.  

As Prosim, you have an extensive supply network. Could you share the outstanding features of your supply network?

We supply our customers with products from world-leading companies in their respective fields, along with additives featuring the most innovative technology. The business partners from whom Prosim Kimya sources products must not only be leading companies in their field, but also be able to add value to our customers in terms of technology and costs. With this understanding, we try to participate in our customers' product development projects. Additionally, through supplier-managed inventory, agency and distribution networks of diverse but complementary chemical products, we provide technical and commercial services to Turkey's leading and innovative companies. Moreover, with targets such as sustainability action plans and reduction of carbon footprint, we strongly support environmentally conscious policies regarding the widespread adoption of bio-based products in the sectors we serve.

What points do you pay attention to in order to maintain customer satisfaction at the highest level?

As a priority, we work to always meet our customers' quality and all types of technical support expectations with products from our leading agencies, and to participate in their most innovative projects with our products developed with the latest technology. Through quality and energy management systems, we closely monitor our customers' expectations and satisfaction. In addition to these, we pursue sustainable production targets aimed at minimizing potential environmental harm through products with low carbon footprint.  

Could you share Prosim's sustainability policy? What are the efforts you are making for a more sustainable future?

As a third-generation businessperson, we are aware that our global resources are diminishing and that we have a responsibility to leave a better world for future generations. To ensure proper use of these resources and prevent waste, first of all, we invest in and educate people. We support and educate young people in different parts of Turkey every year. On the other hand, we have continuous training programs for all our company employees. Because awareness and taking action in the right direction only happens through education. We clearly understand and share with all our employees that future generations will have to pay much higher prices to recover only a fraction of what we lose today. For this reason, taking action today is very important, and in this direction we prioritize informing all our stakeholders. In this regard, our Polimer Ar Ge factory has earned 5 certificates in quality, environment, occupational health and safety, information management, and energy management within 5 years, and has qualified for the Silver Medal from the international sustainability platform EcoVadis. The sustainability principles we have adopted as Prosim Kimya and our production company Polimer Ar Ge are: • To continuously improve the environmental, health, and safety information and performance of our technologies, processes, and products throughout their life cycles in order to prevent harm to people and the environment, • To efficiently use resources and minimize waste; to be transparent about our performance, successes, and shortcomings, • To work together with all our stakeholders to understand and resolve their concerns and expectations, • To collaborate with governments and organizations in the development and implementation of effective regulations and standards and to take a role in these processes, • To promote responsible chemical management among everyone managing and using chemicals throughout the product chain.    

We have entered the final months of 2022. What are your evaluations regarding this year and your targets for 2023?

2022 was a very difficult year due to both global economic factors and political reasons, and unfortunately it seems it will remain so for some time longer. Almost every country's resilience is being tested. However, as has always been the case during such times, Turkey will once again emerge from these difficulties by growing and strengthening. I believe that after the second half of 2023, Turkey will be a country with continuing growth and a stronger industry in the world market, and as Prosim Kimya, we will take our place in this growth. Additionally, we are currently in talks with two major global producers to be able to produce two important products in Turkey that are not yet manufactured domestically but are imported. We hope that by bringing these two producers on board with us, we will also be producing these products in Turkey. Final message: Turkey wins only if it works. I believe this principle must be instilled in all young people. Like South Korea and Germany, we will continue to work for a stronger Turkey with the desire to become a society that is increasingly devoted to domestic products. Future generations will be the work of businesspeople like us who work, invest, and support education.