Kalekim General Manager Altuğ Akbaş Answers Our Questions

In this interview we conducted, Kalekim General Manager Altuğ Akbaş answered our questions. Akbaş provided information about Kalekim's history and its current structure.Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your educational background and professional experience? I graduated from Istanbul Technical University's Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1992. That same year I enrolled in Marmara University's Business Administration Institute program and began my professional career as Production Planning Manager at Kale Marketing, a company within the Kale Group. At Kale Marketing, I served successively as Planning Manager, Marketing Assistant Manager, Sales Manager, and Marketing Coordinator until April 2003. After leading the Marketing Group Management at Kaleseramik from April 2003 until March 2008, I took on the General Manager position at Kaledekor. In March 2011, I became Deputy General Manager responsible for Sales and Marketing at Kalekim. Since June 2013, I have served as General Manager of Kalekim.

Could you provide information about Kalekim's founding process and its current structure? Which sectors does Kalekim primarily serve, and what types of products does it supply? What are Kalekim's products, brands and services?

Kale Group Founder and Honorary President İbrahim Bodur, while researching adhesives for ceramic tiles in 1969, became interested in the adhesive properties of 'casein,' a protein found in milk, based on information received from German colleagues, and began investigating the subject.

Subsequently, İbrahim Bodur traveled as far as Kars, where he conducted various studies and discussions. In 1972, Kaleflex was created through these research efforts. A year later, in 1973, Kalekim began operations.

The story of Kalekim, which began with a journey to Kars many years ago, continues today as a company operating across a very wide geography.

As a leader in the construction chemicals sector since our founding, at Kalekim we produce across a very wide range—from ceramic adhesives used in the construction industry to grout, from thermal and water insulation products to decorative plaster and paints, from industrial flooring products to all types of mortars and additives. We conduct our production activities at our facilities in Istanbul, Balıkesir, Yozgat, Isparta, Mersin, Erzurum and Mardin. Our construction chemicals factories have an annual production capacity of 800,000 tons of construction chemicals and 200,000 tons of paints and plaster. We rank first in Turkey in terms of production and sales capacity.

Could you provide detailed information about your recent investments, particularly in paint production, and the products in this group?

As Kalekim, we are introducing significant innovations in the paint sector this year. Under the Kalekim umbrella, we have launched an entirely new paint brand, Bi'Boya. At the same time, we aim to bring our new paints, which will be produced at our Balıkesir facility, to consumers throughout Turkey. With our new paint brand, we will achieve many firsts in the sector. Our brand Bi'Boya, which speaks the language of emotions, differs significantly from other brands in the market. Bi'Boya symbolizes our energetic and innovative perspective. We aim to reflect our brand's values to consumers by integrating them into traditional and digital channels. With our Bi'Boya brand, we offer consumers and craftsmen 'interior wall paints,' 'exterior wall paints and plasters,' 'decorative products,' 'surface preparation products' and 1000+ Product Application.

Could you tell us about your domestic and export sales activities? What types of products do you primarily supply to which regions domestically and internationally? What criteria do you prioritize when developing Kalekim's investment plans? Does Kalekim have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

We opened our new Kalekim factory in Balıkesir in July, which we constructed with a TRY 40 million investment on the Istanbul-Izmir axis, in one of the cities with the brightest future. Together with Balıkesir, we have now added the Aegean Region to our factories producing in 5 geographic regions: Istanbul, Isparta, Mersin, Yozgat, Erzurum and Mardin. In doing so, we will strengthen our position in the region and support our activities in the Marmara Region. At our new facility with capacity to produce across all our business lines as Kalekim, we will manufacture all types of construction chemicals using the latest technology: ceramic adhesives, grout, water and thermal insulation materials, interior and exterior wall paints, and decorative exterior plasters. Today we have a strong distribution network in many parts of the world and bring our products to consumers and professionals in 70 countries. We export 6 percent of our exports to European Union countries, 35 percent to the Middle East, and the remainder to all parts of the world. For us, overseas investments are at the top of our plans for the near future. In the construction chemicals sector, Turkey's proximate geography is particularly important to us. We want to grow with different approaches in the Middle East and Africa. Our experience shows that simply exporting is no longer sufficient. We need to be established in foreign markets. In 2016, we began an investment project in Kenya. We can say we have created a different investment and growth model there. We are progressing through local partnerships, licensed manufacturing and know-how transfer. We produce our products with the raw materials of that geography in line with market needs. In the coming period, we will increase product diversity there as well. In these geographies, we are also conducting marketing activities. We organize training programs and explain to craftsmen the correct ways to use products, ensuring they achieve maximum performance and developing usage habits. As Kalekim, we have also signed a preliminary agreement for investment in Algeria, with more to follow.

What types of research and development and innovation work does Kalekim conduct?

One of the most important characteristics that distinguishes Kalekim from its competitors is its investment in R&D, and innovation is one of our most important company strategies. We believe in the importance of innovation in all our processes, from the products we manufacture to the services we provide. In this regard, we have an R&D department that dates back many years and continues to strengthen and grow. Today, in Kalekim's Research and Development Department, development and improvement activities for a very wide product range including ceramic applications, water insulation, thermal insulation, flooring systems, paints, plasters, surface preparation materials—containing chemistries such as cement, acrylic, epoxy and polyurethane—are carried out with our 45 years of accumulated knowledge. As Kalekim, with the vision of making our R&D work not only based on performance analysis but also on physical and chemical analysis, we established the "Kalekim Applied Research Laboratory" and equipped it with state-of-the-art equipment. In this technology hub we created, on one hand we continue our work with instrumental analysis equipment that allows us to conduct projects with government and universities, while on the other hand we perform all tests according to European Standards that guarantee quality and customer satisfaction. Through KALEKIM ID technology—a reflection of our R&D strength, entirely patented by Kalekim, and a sector first—we are able to produce the same quality worldwide using raw materials found anywhere. We test products in specially designed chambers with controlled temperature and humidity that simulate different climate conditions, regardless of where they are manufactured. Products that successfully complete application and performance tests are brought to our consumers. We are honored to be invited as participants to many national and international platforms with the scientific work we have produced, promoting our R&D strength worldwide. Additionally, products in the Kalekim laboratory are tested with equipment that exists in limited numbers worldwide. The fundamental research work conducted in our applied research laboratory provides strong support for product development work, and with our potential to create more innovative products, our product development speed is increasing continuously. Our R&D structure is not based solely on performance analysis, but on physical and chemical analysis together with performance, and our applied research laboratory working in this capacity is equipped with the most technologically advanced equipment.

Could you provide information about Kalekim's environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you tell us about your work in occupational health and safety?

As a company leading the sector in the construction field, we make efforts to be mindful about our understanding of social responsibility. To provide the most appropriate answers to the needs and expectations of our customers, we adopt the principle of being "always the best" in all our areas of activity. As a company, we are aware that the path to achieving sustainable growth in our country passes through continuous improvement and development. As Kalekim, proceeding from the principle that "there is no other world, much must be done to save it," we are quite careful about natural resource use. We separate our waste and work to return it to nature. Within the framework of compliance with legal regulations, we continue to be aware of our responsibility regarding environment, education, occupational health and safety, and customer satisfaction.