Interview with Sinan Erdem, Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager at Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları A.Ş.

Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları A.Ş., which started commercial operations in 2001, today exports to over 100 countries. In an interview conducted with the company, Sinan Erdem, Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager at Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları A.Ş., answered our questions. Erdem, who emphasized the company's great importance placed on R&D and innovation, provided information about Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları's extensive product portfolio.

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

I am the manager of the Corporate Communications and Marketing department at Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları. Together with a very valuable team that I am proud to work with, I oversee marketing, branding and communications work for Akkim and other brands within the company, including the Akfix brand, in over 100 countries. After studying advertising, I started working as a visual designer at Art Grup advertising agency, which served important brands and is now part of a global network. Later, my paths crossed with Akkim and I have been here for approximately 18 years. I completed my master's degree in Strategic Marketing and Brand Management. I have received training from various universities and institutions in many different subjects including marketing and brand management, advertising, strategic communications, export marketing, sales management, market research, visual design, digital marketing, e-commerce, business and organizational management, institutionalization in family businesses, strategic planning, brand and intellectual property law. In recent years, I have developed a serious interest in sociology. I conduct various readings and research. In fact, I am currently studying sociology as part of a second degree program. It is a very enlightening field of science for understanding people and society.

Could you provide information about the founding process of Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları and the stages it has gone through to the present day?

In the early 2000s, the construction chemicals and industrial adhesive market in our country was much smaller in scale compared to today. The market was generally controlled by imported brands. Over time, the market grew in proportion to the economic development in our country. The Akdemir family, which has been operating in the building products market for approximately 20 years, transformed this change into a business opportunity and founded Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları in 2001 with 100% domestic capital. I joined Akkim in 2004. Starting from 2005, we launched a serious branding process. With our own Akfix brand, we focused on producing lasting solutions in every area related to construction and industry. We increased our production diversity. By producing many products that were previously imported from abroad in our own facilities, we made a significant contribution to improving product quality and creating a more competitive market structure both domestically and internationally. From our founding years, we focused on exports. We attended trade fairs in countries where others could not go. In places where Turkish products were said to be unsaleable, we proudly brought our products bearing the "Made in Türkiye" signature to consumers. We currently export to over 100 countries across 7 continents. We are among Turkey's largest 500 industrial enterprises. We have export championships in our field. We rank 284th among Turkey's 1,000 largest exporters. Since 2014, Akkim has been continuously included in the İSO (Istanbul Chamber of Industry) list of the top 500 largest industrial enterprises. According to 2020 İKMİB (Istanbul Chemical Substances Exporters Association) data, Akkim is the number one exporter in the Paints and Coatings category. In adhesive and glue product exports, it is the second-largest exporting company. Akkim is one of the world's leading manufacturers of adhesives for industrial and individual use, polyurethane fillers and assembly foams, joint sealants and sealant mastics, water and thermal insulation systems, and technical aerosols.

What are the products, brands and services offered by Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları, particularly in the adhesive and sealant fields? What types of products does Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları primarily offer to which sectors in these areas?

We have an extensive product range of over 450 items. We produce adhesives and glues for construction, building, furniture, automotive, manufacturing, boat and yacht industries and the DIY channel, joint sealants and sealant mastics, sealant and insulation chemicals, polyurethane assembly foams, spray paints and protective chemical technologies. Primarily through our Akfix brand and other brands within the company, we focus on producing lasting solutions for these industries. Our products are used at every stage of a building, from foundation to roof. They particularly demonstrate superior performance in water, thermal and acoustic insulation. In the furniture industry, our adhesive and glue products are used in assembly and joining stages. In the automotive industry, our protective and repair spray aerosol products deliver effective results during post-sale maintenance and repair phases. In manufacturing, the chemical technologies we have developed are preferred in many work processes. In the boat and yacht industry, our adhesive and water-sealing products provide superior protection. Our products that offer quick and practical solutions to the needs of DIY (do-it-yourself) users are used with satisfaction.

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

We currently export to over 100 countries across 7 continents. From America to China, from Australia to Russia, from the nearest to the farthest countries, we deliver our products. Each region has different needs and consumption habits. We accordingly provide different products and services according to these unique expectations. The most important advantage our wide product range provides us is this. Our customers can procure all their needs from a single source.

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

Innovation and R&D are among the most important drivers of our progress. We were the first company in our sector in Turkey to receive the R&D Center title from the Ministry of Industry and Technology. In past years, through our intensive efforts, we began producing many technologies that we previously procured from outside. Within the scope of university-industry cooperation, we have collaborated with different institutions. We continue these collaborations at present. When investment plans are created for Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları, what criteria are prioritized? Does Akkim Yapı Kimyasalları have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they? When creating investment plans, we primarily focus on people and social changes. What are current expectations? What needs might arise in the future? Where does technology fit in this? How do individual and social changes occur and how do they shape industry? Which areas should we invest in so that they contribute to society, the sector, our employees and our sustainable progress? We move forward with all these questions, and based on the convincing answers we encounter on our path, we determine our direction. As Akkim, we currently have different investment projects underway. Some of them are in the initial stages, some are in the final stages. When completed, they will make a significant contribution to providing our customers with superior services and products.