Interview with Pandeli Şenlikoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Şenlikoğlu Kimya

We had an engaging conversation with Pandeli Şenlikoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Şenlikoğlu İnoks Kimya Tesisleri San. ve Tic. A.Ş., about the company's development since its founding, entry into the Turkish market, product groups, projects and investments.

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

Hello, I am Pandeli Şenlikoğlu. I serve as Chairman of the Board at Şenlikoğlu İnoks Kimya Tesisleri San. ve Tic. A.Ş. This is a family company founded by my father Yorgo Şenlikoğlu in 1949 and operating as a joint-stock company since 1982. I have been actively involved in the family business since my youth.

Could you briefly describe Şenlikoğlu A.Ş.'s development from its founding to today?

Since 1949, our company has been a solution partner for all industrial sectors by providing engineering services and manufacturing industrial equipment and solutions, both at our existing facilities and through new investments. The products we manufacture from stainless steel are used in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food and many other sectors. Until the 2000s, we were a solution partner for many industrial factories in our country; from the 2000s onwards, at our factory in Çerkezköy Organized Industrial Zone with 5,000 square meters of enclosed space, we have signed off on facilities not only for industrial companies in our country, but also in many countries such as Belgium, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran, Bulgaria, Dubai, Qatar, Ghana and Kenya.

Could you provide information about your product groups and the sectors you serve?

Our company manufactures pressure vessels, reactors, condensers, exchangers, mixers, storage tanks, special process equipment, agitators and reaction systems from stainless steel. We also set up turnkey alkyd, polyester, polyurethane, acrylic and polystyrene facilities. We serve all industrial sectors, primarily petrochemical and chemical, as well as pharmaceutical, food and textile.

Could you tell us about your R&D activities and investments? What are your priority targets in R&D work?

Our company has launched R&D investments in line with continuously renewing technology and, benefiting from TUBITAK support, develops specially designed products for the petrochemical and chemical sectors in particular. In the initial stages, our R&D products, which we developed on a pilot basis, quickly found their place in our company's product portfolio. Our priority target in R&D activities is to develop solutions for our industry's problems and to guide work that will enable domestic, higher quality and more efficient production of imported products in demand in the domestic market.

Since our living resources are endangered today, the necessity of environmental measures has increased even more. What kind of work do you carry out in this regard? What are your activities for a sustainable future?

Because we produce for the chemical and petrochemical industries, we endeavor to provide the industry with products that generate less waste and can minimize environmental impacts. We manufacture the products we produce within a certain quality framework and certified. We reflect our 68 years of experience and quality in our products. The fact that none of the facilities we have built to date have experienced any environmental problems is a great source of pride for us.

How did 2017 go for Şenlikoğlu İnoks? Could we learn about your targets and projects for 2018?

2017 was a productive year for our company. We see that we were able to evaluate the future somewhat better compared to previous years. For 2018, we think we will continue on the path of being a solution partner for industrialists with new markets and new products. Our thoughts for 2018 can be summarized as: conducting advertising campaigns to make our company known to more people, participating in domestic and international trade fairs, accelerating R&D work to add new products to our production line, and making our company an international brand.

In general, what can you say about the past and present of the paints and coatings sector? What are your assessments regarding the paints and coatings sector in Turkey?

As a company serving the paints and coatings sector, we are pleased with the sector's development. I believe that the paints and coatings industry's contribution to foreign trade in our country has reached an undeniable dimension in the process that has led to today. I think the sector should take on a structure where more companies adopt a corporate structure and the environmental impacts of industrialization are minimized. The paints and coatings sector needs to participate in foreign markets and trade fairs with more participants.