TIGER Coatings Türkiye General Coordinator Adem Arslan answered our questions.

In our interview, TIGER Coatings Turkey General Coordinator Adem Arslan answered our questions. Highlighting that TIGER is one of the pioneering companies in powder coating technology, Arslan provided information about the company's history and current structure.

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

After graduating from the Technical Chemistry department, I worked for 13 years as a head of the R&D department at TIGER. For the past 3 years, together with our Turkey team, we have been providing solutions to the Turkish market with our powder coatings. Could you provide information about TIGER's founding process and the stages it has gone through to the present day? Taking into account production facilities, machinery fleet and number of employees, as well as turnover and production volume, what is TIGER's current structure? TIGER was founded in 1930 by the Berghofer family. Initially producing only liquid coating materials, TIGER became one of the first companies to enter the field of powder coating technology, previously unknown, in 1968. The production of environmentally friendly and economical powder paints across a wide range quickly became the focus of the company's product line. By the 1980s, the company was in a position to grow. A sales company established in Los Angeles (USA) was followed by another company established in Canada. Thus began the steady growth recorded in TIGER Drylac® Coating sales worldwide. In the 1990s, Kurt Berghofer, together with current company CEO Clemens Steiner, turned eastward and launched a comprehensive growth project in Asia. Within the scope of today's privately held multinational company network, there are 9 production facilities, 3 R&D centers and approximately 50 countries. In 2015, the group recorded sales of around EUR 300 million with approximately 1,200 employees worldwide.

What are the main sectors TIGER supplies and what types of products does it provide? Could you provide information about TIGER's products, brands and services?

TIGER's powder coatings and digital printing solutions for surface finishing applications can be found in many products such as windows and facade elements, car wheels, carbon fiber parts, solar panels, machinery, furniture, refrigerators or store fixtures. TIGER Coatings, a family company network, ranks as the sixth largest powder coating manufacturer worldwide. TIGER powder coatings can be applied to different material types: steel, aluminum, galvanized surfaces, MDF, heat-resistant plastics or glass. Customers worldwide are convinced to purchase TIGER Drylac products for the following properties. These properties include long-term durability, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, magnificent effects distinct from one another (e.g. anodize effect, etc.), surface variations, chemical-resistant thin films, zero greenhouse gas effect and so on. The TIGITAL brand encompasses digital inkjet and digital powder coating systems designed specifically for printer manufacturers and system integrators specializing in high-performance industrial printing techniques. The trend toward customization, shorter printing times and cost-effectiveness are driving forces for inkjet printing. It is the liquid coating materials unit containing products for the DIY (Do it yourself) market. It is a traditional brand found only in Austria. At the same time, it holds a market leader position in home decoration stores in Austria.

What kind of work do you do as TIGER in the areas of innovation and R&D? Do you have projects developed within the scope of university-industry cooperation, and if so, what are they?

Global markets require quick response and active development. TIGER has long been focused on new system solutions in the field of powder coating and their further improvement. Innovation, effective research and the power provided by modular concepts enable the company to meet customer expectations beyond conventional standards. Since 2007, TIGER has also been advancing toward creating undiscovered new blue oceans by integrating considerable experience gained in chemistry and the coatings sector, offering previously undiscovered new methods in digital printing industry, manufacturing and coating processes. In three R&D centers on three separate continents, over 130 TIGER employees are working on surface finishing innovations. Could you tell us about your domestic and foreign sales activities? What types of products do you mainly sell to which regions domestically and abroad? TIGER Coatings primarily carries out powder coating sales and presents itself especially in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), NAFTA (North America), Asia and SEA (Southeast Asia) markets. As a family company in terms of management structure, our firm is proud to play in the big leagues. We are proud to be able to play in the World League in our own industry sector. Nine production facilities worldwide; three R&D centers located in Europe, NAFTA and China and an export share exceeding 70% in Austria demonstrate that TIGER Coatings is in global cooperation with its customers.

Could you provide information about TIGER Coatings' environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you say about your work related to occupational health and safety?

We contribute by regularly reducing energy consumption in response to climate change, prioritizing renewable energy (solar energy, photovoltaic) for the necessary energy and using it as efficiently as possible. Within our energy management approach, we balance all energy sources and try to use less energy more efficiently. We achieve this efficiency through simple approaches such as time-controlled switches, smart lighting systems and control systems, and complex projects such as using underground source water for cooling and using waste heat from heating and hot water recycling processes. We carry environmental responsibility and respect for our planet. We conduct our business activities in harmony with nature. Our determined effort to minimize environmental impact through our manufacturing activities, products and services is regularly documented as our facilities undergo independent audits within the scope of EN ISO 14001. Could we learn your thoughts about the industrial paints, coatings and surface treatment sectors in Turkey? What do you think are Turkey's advantages and disadvantages in these sectors? Turkey is close to Europe and has the potential to compete with rival countries in terms of product quality and price, and this is a major advantage. As a disadvantage, it can be said that there is a fast-changing business environment that is frequently affected by many different factors. We view every disadvantage as an opportunity and try to keep up with it. What criteria are prioritized when TIGER formulates investment plans? Does Tiger have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they? The secret to the company's success in the global market is the stable globalization strategy that TIGER has adopted in recent years. Today, the company stays close to the market and its customers. The transition from being a local paint manufacturer to becoming a global surface finishing solutions provider is a remarkable development. The sales network created worldwide has enabled delivery times to be significantly shortened in a way that customers appreciate.