We Conducted an Enjoyable Interview with Clariant Türkiye

Clariant Pigment Division MEA Regional Technical Marketing Manager Rossitza Dimitrova and Clariant Turkey Pigment Division Paints and Inks Segment Sales Manager Esra Durna discuss the company's development process and products offered to the sector.

Could you briefly introduce yourselves and provide information about your education and experience?

Rossitza Dimitrova: I am Regional Technical Marketing Manager for Clariant's Pigment Division in the MEA region. Since starting my professional career in 1993, I worked as an R&D chemist at two universities in Bulgaria and as a sales manager at an Italian cosmetics company. I am currently based in South Africa. As Technical Marketing Manager, I have over 15 years of experience in the paints and coatings sectors. I joined Clariant in 2016 and work on coatings projects for the MEA region at the company's coatings and color development laboratory in Chamdor, South Africa. I hold a degree in Industrial Chemistry and a master's degree in Chemistry and Physics. Esra Durna: I serve as Sales Manager for the Paints and Inks Segment of the Pigment Division at Clariant Turkey. I am a graduate of Middle East Technical University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. I began my career in 2000 as an R&D engineer at Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings Turkey and worked in various positions at that company for 12 years. In 2012, I joined Ravago Chemicals / Kemiropa as Sales Manager for Coatings, Printing and Adhesives. Since March 2016, I have served as Sales Manager for the Paints and Inks Segment of the Pigment Division.

Could you provide information on development activities carried out since Clariant's establishment?

Rossitza Dimitrova: Clariant, a Switzerland-based global specialty chemicals company, was founded in Basel in 1995 following its separation from Sandoz, a chemical company that had been operating since 1886. In this way, Clariant, bringing nearly 150 years of experience in chemistry and the sector, operates with 110 companies in 53 countries. Thanks to its long-established history and global network, Clariant brings unique products, applications, sustainability, innovation and expertise to Turkey's chemicals market, and in 2018 will mark its 23rd year in the Turkish market.

Could you discuss your production divisions? Which markets do you serve?

Esra Durna: Clariant, focuses on personal care and home care, construction, packaging, fast-moving consumer goods, healthcare, transportation and food industries, which show rapid growth rates due to middle-income earners, mobility and urbanization. Particularly in Turkey, pigments, functional minerals (FM), additives, oil and mining services (OMS), industrial and consumer specialty products (ICS) and Masterbatches (MB) operating units are present.

What is Clariant's importance in the Turkish market?

Esra Durna: Turkey plays an important role in Clariant's global growth, and Clariant's commitment to growth and innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, sustainability and value creation finds a strong response in Turkey. The opportunities presented to us by Turkey's growing economy and young population are truly impressive. The country's energy, business potential and cultural diversity motivate us, while its dynamism is comparable to Asian and Middle Eastern countries. We are pleased to increase our relationships and commercial exchanges not only with our global customers but also with our local customers in Turkey. We have more than 300 employees in our production facilities in Gebze, Balıkesir, Gaziantep and Ordu. Clariant Turkey's headquarters is located in the Gebze Organized Industrial Zone (GOSB). We have been one of the first companies to support the development of GOSB from its beginning. Our facility in Gebze covers an area of 4,285 m² and has a production capacity of 2.4 million kg.

Could you discuss your domestic and export sales activities? What types of products do you sell in which regions?

Rossitza Dimitrova: The broad product portfolio of the Pigment Division includes pigments developed for automotive, industrial and architectural coatings, plastics and specialty applications, as well as traditional printing, inkjet and laser printer inks, pigment preparations and paints. Clariant's high-quality organic pigments are developed to meet the demands of ease of use, compliance with the strictest environmental standards, heat management increasingly common in the industry, UV curing, design effects and ecological footprint reduction.

Could you tell us about your laboratory and R&D activities? What can you say about your R&D investments? Do you have any projects developed under university-industry cooperation?

Rossitza Dimitrova: Since Clariant aims to provide competitive and innovative solutions to its customers, giving them an advantage over competitors, R&D and innovation are of great importance to the company. Clariant's research and development activities focus on the most important trends of today. Today, among these trends are energy efficiency, renewable raw materials, emission-free transportation and protection of depleting resources. Clariant's mission also clearly explains what is important to us and what we stand behind as a company. While achieving leading positions in the markets we serve, we embrace the concept of operational excellence as part of our culture. Clariant, in this direction, creates value by considering the needs of its customers. Clariant has nearly 1,100 R&D employees in 8 global R&D centers and 50 Technical Centers of Excellence worldwide. Furthermore, Clariant's largest Innovation Center has been operating in Frankfurt, Germany since 2015. Trends affecting Clariant's globally operating customers are identified at this center and solutions are developed through work on these trends. Clariant's global commitment to growth and innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, is one of the reasons for its success in Turkey.

What are your environmental and sustainability activities?

Rossitza Dimitrova: Clariant takes care in all its activities to produce sustainable and innovative products without compromising performance, providing value and benefit to all stakeholders. The criteria of Clariant's Portfolio Value Programme (PVP) take into account the three dimensions of sustainability: environment, economy and society. EcoTain®, a stamp resulting from PVP, demonstrates the company's commitment to excellence in sustainability. Clariant is also recognized as one of Europe's most sustainable chemical companies. The company has been included in the Dow Jones Europe Sustainability Index since September 2013. Clariant recently confirmed for the fifth consecutive year that it is one of the most sustainable chemical companies by being included in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. It also won the RobecoSAM Sustainability Award and silver medal in 2016 and 2017 for excellent sustainability performance.

Will you continue to invest in the Turkish market? Which projects are you focusing on in Turkey and global markets?

Esra Durna: As Clariant, we aim to continue our effective activities in all our business units and to become an industry leader by transferring our international knowledge and expertise to Turkey's chemicals market. Clariant continues to make significant investments both in Turkey and in other countries worldwide. In 2017, we conducted the official opening of a new soil bleaching facility with an R&D laboratory in Balıkesir for our Functional Minerals Division, thereby increasing Clariant's production capacity and presence in Turkey. Clariant's goal is to help increase Turkey's advanced chemistry sector capacity through knowledge transfer, proper applications and sustainable investment methods. Clariant also aims to strengthen its market presence and growth by steadily focusing on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Clariant has fully equipped laboratories in Turkey with chemist and technician personnel. Through these initiatives, Clariant transfers its accumulated knowledge about the sector to all its operational points, creates a network among experts from around the world, and continues to be a pioneer of innovation in the market in light of newly emerging technologies and advanced concepts.