A Pleasant Conversation with İzzet Aydın, General Manager of Hillebrand

We conducted an enjoyable interview with İzzet Aydın, General Director of Hillebrand Chemicals Kimyasal Pazarlama Ltd. Şti. Aydın provided information about the distinctive features of Hillebrand products.

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

I was born in Frankfurt, Germany. I continued my education in Germany. After completing my degree in Electrochemistry and Metallurgical Engineering, I began my career in the metal coating sector in 2000. In the metal coating sector, I initially served as Department Head and then as Research and Development Director. Subsequently, I continued with training and consulting roles at various institutions. Most recently, I transitioned from a Sales Specialist position to the position of Turkey General Director, founding Hillebrand Chemicals Kimyasal Pazarlama Ltd. Şti.

Could you provide information about Hillebrand Chemicals' founding process and the stages it has gone through to the present day? What is the current structure of Hillebrand Chemicals when considered in terms of production facilities, machinery, number of employees, as well as turnover and production volume?

Hillebrand Group, founded in 1937 and owner-managed, and Hillebrand Chemicals, founded in 2003, have also become the largest and highest-capacity supplier of zinc-nickel alloy-based protective coatings for series production goods. Hillebrand Chemicals, providing 4000 tons of production annually, conducts research-development, production and distribution of chemicals with cathodic corrosion protection properties to Germany, Europe and Asia. Hillebrand Chemicals, which provides protection of exceptional quality, functionality and appearance, while discovering, developing and producing largely customer-specific chemicals and improving general coating technology, possesses the distinctive features of WHW Hillebrand products thanks to its own research and development department. We are the only coating company in the world that produces its own chemicals and has optimized them over many years. Thanks to this level of expertise, our 590 employees are able to implement our WHW360 service package by preventing any loss of our knowledge and even multiplying this experience with the knowledge of our customers to their advantage, satisfying almost all requirements in the field of cathodic coating. We have a business volume growing annually at an average of 8 percent.

Which main sectors does Hillebrand Chemicals supply, and what types of products? Could you provide information about Hillebrand Chemicals' products, brands and services?

Hillebrand Chemicals specializes in chemical processes for optimal cathodic corrosion protection in enhancing the value and longevity of various components in the automotive industry, aerospace technology, construction and electrical industries, and possesses comprehensive experience as a market leader in the field of corrosion protection. The foundation of our successful research and development lies in high-quality laboratory technology and analytical technology. We use the most advanced technological equipment and constantly update them. However, this alone does not guarantee success; the key element is our employees. Through the correct combination of scientific and technical knowledge and practical experience, they develop products that fully meet the expectations of our customers.

What kind of work do you undertake in the fields of innovation and research and development as Hillebrand Chemicals?

Corrosion protection products in the high-quality market have long not been defined by just a few characteristics; they must meet a wide variety of demands. Through our close communication with customers, our highly qualified research team is able to quickly grasp and implement their wishes and ideas. Comprehensive customer collaboration throughout all development phases enables us to transfer concepts in complete detail to production and understand and implement new requirements. Based on our experience and expertise, from before the first application to the final sealing phase, we are able to design innovative products compliant with legal requirements where hazardous chemicals are replaced with natural substances and are modified according to our customers' processing and work environment requirements.

Could you tell us about your domestic and foreign sales activities? To which regions domestically and abroad do you primarily conduct sales of what types of products and services?

Our company, headquartered in Germany, also has central offices in Istanbul and Hong Kong. For this reason, product sales and services are conducted to all regions in Turkey where industrial strength exists, and to Asia, Germany and European countries worldwide.

Could you provide information about Hillebrand Chemicals' environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you tell us about your work related to occupational health and safety?

The foundations of Hillebrand Chemicals' environmental policy are constituted by basic principles and rules determined within the framework of the environmental legislation of the countries in which it operates, international agreements, standards, initiatives and national legislation. As Hillebrand Chemicals, our fundamental principles are to reduce waste generation, treatment or disposal requirements, use clean technologies in production, ensure waste reduction at the source and efficient use of natural resources, control and reduce environmental impacts that may result from our activities through scientific and economic solutions, and engage in activities that will support sustainable development.

What criteria are prioritized when drawing up Hillebrand Chemicals' investment plans? Do you have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

When drawing up our investment plans, we consider objectives to facilitate and improve production. At the same time, ensuring quality control of products, research and development and logistics flexibility are among our priorities. Currently, two major investments are being undertaken. We plan to open our new EUR 3.5 million Hillebrand Chemicals Research and Development Center in December 2017. We have increased production capacity at our Wickede plant as another major investment by WHW Hillebrand through the construction of a new production hall and hot-dip zinc-lamella coating facility. As before, on the one hand we have utilized centrifuge technology and tested and experimented with this technology, while on the other hand we have included additional variable options for the hot-dip coating process. The most distinctive feature of our new facility is that it has a quite compact structure thanks to the robot technology we use. All component handling operations within the facility boundaries and the transport of components to be coated to individual coating stations are undertaken by robots. In terms of material efficiency, through robots working together efficiently and optimized centrifuge technology, increases have been achieved compared to our existing processes. Additional weighing stations have also been added to the facility. These stations also have features to monitor each other and provide quality control services. We place particular emphasis on the installation of containment and suction systems in our facility to reduce the dispersal of gas emissions and solvent vapors. Emissions captured in these units will be processed in our post-combustion treatment facility, which we have constructed with the most advanced technology in the near future. WHW Hillebrand has also paid attention to logistics flexibility: through the use of a goods lift, a connection has been established between the two production halls located in Factory No. 2.