In our interview,
Robatech Tutkal Teknolojileri (
Glue Technologies) Sales Manager Mr. A. U. Hakan Tanrıöven gave information about the products and technologies they offer.
Could you please briefly tell us about yourself, your educational and professional background?
My name is A. U. Hakan Tanrıöven, I was born on May 6, 1970. I am a high school graduate, I got into business at a very young age right after my school life. Together with my brother, we established a company operating in the construction and durable consumer
goods sector.
Afterwards, I started to work in the sales department of the company “İkiler Ticaret A.Ş.”, which is the Turkey General Distributor of Robatech AG and belongs to our family members, and continued my working life as a partner in the same company in the following period.
Could you please give information about Robatech’s history and milestones? What is the current structure of Robatech today? When did Robatech start to operate in Turkey?
Robatech AG. is a family company founded in 1975 by Mr. Hans Meyer in Switzerland to produce hot and cold glue application machinery and equipment for the packaging industry.
Later on, it stands out as a company that expands its sales network by giving
distributorship to many countries of the world. It has turned into an international company that currently produces in 4 different countries and provides sales and after-sales services in more than 90 countries.
As of 2022, Robatech AG. has become one of the leading companies in its sector as a company with more than 1000 employees worldwide. İkiler Ticaret A.Ş. has become the General Distributor of Robatech AG. in Turkey since 1996. It started as a team of 3 people in the early periods, and I started working for the company as a sales manager in 2000.
İkiler Ticaret A.Ş. grew very rapidly between 2000 and 2012 and always took its place among the top 5 in terms of sales volume among all distributors of Robatech AG. In 2012, Robatech AG.
Headquarters decided to come to Turkey. İkiler Ticaret A.Ş. transferred all its controlling shares to Robatech AG. for a certain price, enabling our company to continue its activities under the name of “Robatech Tutkal Teknolojileri (Glue Technologies) San. Tic. A.Ş.”.
Therefore, we continue to serve under the name of “Robatech Tutkal Teknolojileri
San. Tic. A.Ş.” in our country, as a Swiss-based company.
To which industries and with what kind of products does Robatech mainly serve? Could you please give information about Robatech’s products, brands and services?
Robatech only manufactures industrial glue application machinery and equipment. It operates in 9 sectors, primarily packaging and converting, textile, graphics, furniture,
construction, mattress industry, hygiene sector and automotive.
Could you please tell about your domestic and international sales activities? To which regions and what kind of products does Robatech mainly sell?
We, as Robatech Turkey, are primarily responsible for Turkey, then KKTC - Southern Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Syria and Georgia. We are engaged in sales and technical
service activities to these countries.
Our head office is in Kocaeli, we also have offices in Izmir (Aegean), Adana (Mediterranean - South East Anatolia) and Istanbul European side.
Could you please give information about Robatech’s innovation and R&D studies?
As Robatech Turkey, we do not make any production, we only have import and sales services. However, at our Swiss headquarters, a budget of at least 5 million Swiss francs is created every year for R&D and new product designs, and investments are being realized in the field of new product designs, innovation and sustainability.
Could you give information about Robatech’s environmental policy and sustainability approach?
As Robatech, we have a lot to say on this subject. At first, I must say that the motto of Robatech has been determined as “Green Gluing” for many years before. With Green Gluing, we bring ecological thinking and commerce to the entire lifecycle of our products and solutions.
For example, we use an infrastructure with increased energy efficiency, and we produce using solar energy in many of our service buildings around the world. Robatech always prioritizes the innovation and development processes of the products in order to ensure
that the products offered to its customers have the privileges of using energy efficiently, high product quality, modular configuration, easy assembly and longterm optimum performance.
Less is more: Our energyefficient solutions optimize the consumption weights by
preserving the glue used in our units, thus minimizing glue waste in terms of sustainability.
What are the priority criteria of Robatech when creating investment plans? Does Robatech have any investment plans for near and far future?
Of course, as Robatech Turkey, we have growth and investment plans in our country. Currently, we continue our service with a team of 36 people in an area of 1600 m2 in the center of Kocaeli.
Our goal in the first 5 years is to reach 50 people in terms of number of employees. In line with this goal, our headquarters in Switzerland has decided to invest 100 million TL in Turkey within two years. As the first step of this decision, 5 months ago we purchased a 3000 m2 land from the “Alikahya Organized Industrial Zone” located within the borders of Kocaeli province.
In 2023, we will start the construction of a building with a maximum usage area of 5000 m2 on this land. Currently, the design and drawing works of our building are carried out by the architectural firm. Afterwards, we will continue our activities in our new building with our growing and developing organization.
