Interview with Resul Şimşek, General Manager of Fiber Elyaf Kompozit

We conducted an interview with Resul Şimşek, General Manager of Fiber Elyaf Kompozit, about the company's development from its founding to the present day, its products, targets and projects.

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

I was born in 1972. I am a graduate of Istanbul University Faculty of Literature. I am also a geography teacher. I am married with three children. I have been serving as General Manager at Fiber Elyaf Kompozit since 2010.

Could you briefly inform us about your company's founding process and its history in the sector?

Together with my partners Mustafa Şimşek and Yusuf Yılmaz, we established Fiber Elyaf Kompozit in 2010. We began our operations by recovering waste materials that emerged during glass fiber production and reintroducing them to the economy by sizing and delivering them to end users. While we initially aimed to sell a large portion of our production to a foreign company, when that target did not materialize, we focused on domestic companies. In this direction, we began offering our chopped glass fiber products, which are used in many fields, particularly the composites market, to different sectors. Initially, we did not know who the end users of the composites market were, which companies were in the sector, or who the sector regulars were. We had no knowledge or experience related to either composites or the chemical industry. Of course, at first we also had no information about the variety of products or potential customers. We had embarked on quite an adventure. Every problem comes with its own solution. This first two-year period was quite difficult and challenging. Because you are producing something but when sales do not materialize, inventory accumulates. You also need to have extensive knowledge about what to produce. Glass fiber is a specific product, but what we do is produce chopped glass fiber for the market. In short, we produce glass fiber in specific dimensions according to demand from customers and then deliver and sell it to them. Over time, we became acquainted with customers and companies. We met many large and small firms. Large, corporate firms began to naturally become part of this group. In the meantime, our knowledge base about the sector also grew accordingly. We saw that glass fiber was used not only in the composites market but in many other sectors, and we expanded our potential customer portfolio. Over time, thanks to these relationships, our name began to be heard in the market. Over the years, while sourcing raw materials, we became acquainted with Safter, and as of 2015, a partnership emerged. Thus, we continue on our path both as a firm that supplies materials and as a manufacturer producing composite products. Our company supplies glass fiber reinforcements used in many diverse sectors to our industry in a quality and economical manner. We provide economic recovery of non-standard products that emerge during glass fiber production by reprocessing them. We produce solutions tailored to our customers' needs for glass fiber reinforcements required by many sectors. We supply products in the sizes demanded by our customers in chopped glass fiber production. Our company, which can produce chopped glass fiber of 6 mm and above, is an important supplier firm in the composites sector. With approximately 50 employees in each of our two companies, we serve the sector.

Could you provide information about your products and product groups? Could you tell us about your sales activities and customer portfolio?

Following our entry into the sector, with each new customer and new area we partnered with, we began to introduce our products to many new customers through our website. We obtained many profitable returns through our website. With a concentration in Istanbul, we conduct sales to Izmir, Ankara, Eskişehir and various locations in Anatolia according to demand. We also have exports. In addition to our current production, we buy and sell various glass fiber products obtained from domestic and foreign sources. In this way, we continue on our path by further expanding our product range. The other materials we buy and sell, beginning with BMC chopped fiber, include Roving Fiber, Woven Fiber, Multiaxial Fiber, Mat (Felt) Glass Fiber and many other glass fiber products that we cannot name. In the composites market, both BMC and SMC users are our customers with whom we maintain close relationships. Beyond that, there are many sectors where glass fiber is used. We supply products that address these different areas.

Could you provide information about the main areas where your chopped fiber product is in demand?

BMC chopped fiber consists of chopped fibers added to the dough in the hot pressing method. The term BMC Chopped Glass Fiber comes from this. Chopped fiber is placed in hot pressing dough material, but this does not mean "chopped fiber is used only in BMC." Chopped fiber is used in many sectors. It is also used in plastic raw materials. It is used in the plaster sector, the automotive market and various other fields.

What was the reason that motivated you to make an investment in the composites sector?

Our company's history in the sector dates back five years. Before that, we ran our own business in the food and construction sectors. There is certainly a background and a story to embarking on this venture. We first set out to fill a gap in the glass fiber sector and meet a need. We began work primarily by supplying products to companies working in the BMC raw material chopped glass fiber sector. We enjoy our work. The composites sector finds applications everywhere in life. The fact that the composites sector is open to new developments is what attracts me. It is a sector open to developments and applications you could hardly imagine. However, this field requires strong R&D efforts.

Do you have laboratory and R&D activities? Could you provide information about the advantages your products offer?

We do not currently have any R&D laboratory. However, establishing an R&D laboratory is a necessity for both of our companies. The goal in this R&D laboratory would be to make the current work you do better and equip it with newer technologies to make it stronger, thus to catch up with and get ahead of your competitors both domestically and internationally, and to keep pace with existing technology worldwide. It is very important to be able to follow "what methods and technologies are companies in the sector using in the world?" and to know them well. Many companies are pursuing the idea of "how can I produce the best, highest-quality product?" The raw material for this is glass fiber, but thinking ahead, there are very serious studies related to carbon both in Turkey and worldwide. When you look at all of this, it is one of the important sectors where you can use your imagination. There is another aspect as well. Thinking "what product should I produce to make something different and unique?" also pushes the boundaries of imagination. Composites have this kind of characteristic. For example, something that was once made with steel can now be made using fiber material. This fiber can be carbon or aramid fabric. There are many alternative new materials available. To make these happen, you must certainly have a laboratory and a good team working there. Plastic is being used in a well-developed area, but fiber is an ideal material for setting sail into new areas both because it requires strength and because of its long-term durability. In addition, it is a material used in the aviation, space and automotive sectors.

Could you provide information about your targets and projects?

We want to take the products and advantageous prices we have provided in BMC to foreign markets and to remain open to offers coming from there. We have various initiatives for this. Our work is a recycling business. We resize existing raw material and supply it as a raw material to the BMC sector. Many companies did not know this. For this reason, we have firms meeting us for the first time. We see a gap in the market in this area and we want to manage it in foreign markets as well. We want to use the advantage created by the price difference for the benefit of our company.

What distinguishes your company from its competitors?

In Turkey, we are one of the main suppliers in the BMC chopped fiber market. Those who do not compromise on quality never leave us. Over a 5-6 year period, we carry out recycling, but recycling itself has its own quality standards. We try to supply quality products without problems to companies. In the products we provide to the market, we act with the aim of providing problem-free products and ensuring smooth logistics. By logistics, we mean being able to meet orders taken from companies on time without problems. In material supply, we maintain stocks to prevent any delays. For us, two important factors are quality first and second the ability to respond to demand in a timely manner. Being able to always supply and deliver the requested material to the customer is very important, because material that arrives late loses its value. We have companies we have worked with for the long term. They always think, "we work with Fiber Elyaf for our raw materials and Fiber Elyaf is a company that ensures our raw material is available 24 hours 7 days a week at all times," and they plan accordingly. Fiber Elyaf is a company that maintains communication with roughly all domestic end users in the sector. The most important and effective step to be taken is to become effective in foreign markets as well.

What are your views on the sector?

Development in the composites market is somewhat in the wrong direction. The demand for cheaper rather than better products is a type of poisoning that actually exists in every sector. There are certainly companies in our country that pursue better, higher-quality products. However, in Turkey, procurement through tender is in question. However, at this point, since criteria related to composite products are not fully established, it does not lead to pursuing quality products at reasonable prices. Cheaper material consists of less raw material and more filler. As a result, the quality of products decreases. If you are selling a product today for less than you sold it a few years ago, it clearly shows that you have compromised on quality. As prices are pushed down, the emergence of quality material cannot happen. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that in product procurement, particularly in tenders, expert assessment and material quality verification are provided. Low-quality products harm the sector.

Do you have a message you would like to convey to the sector?

I hope that higher-quality and economical products emerge and that the sector moves toward improvement. Companies should produce better, higher value-added products without compromising on quality. For the sector to move in a better direction, there must be an internal inspection mechanism. I believe that the development of the composites sector depends first on quality raw materials and then on the production of products supported by technology.

Finally, what do you do in your spare time to relieve work stress?

The sea is something that relaxes people, makes them forget work's hustle and bustle, provides peace, and is unparalleled. When you go out to sea, it feels as if you have left worries and troubles and everything else on land. I have always been someone who enjoys pursuits related to the sea and follows boat fairs. In order to relieve work stress, influenced by my fascination with boats, I prefer to go out to sea in my spare time.