Interview with M. Turgay Özkun, Chairman of the Board of the Additives Manufacturers Association

We conducted an interview with M. Turgay Özkun, Chairman of the Board of KÜB (Association of Concrete Admixture Manufacturers). Özkun provided information about the events and training programmes organized by KÜB. [caption id="attachment_117799" align="aligncenter"] M. Turgay Özkun[/caption]  

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

I was born in Istanbul in 1975. I completed my primary, secondary and high school education at Şişli Terakki High School. I then graduated from Yıldız Technical University's Civil Engineering Department. I completed my master's degree in business administration at Yeditepe University. In 2004, I started working at Sika Turkey as a Sales Representative. Between 2009 and 2012, I served as Marketing and Technical Service Manager, and from 2012 to 2018, I worked as Concrete Target Market Manager at Sika Turkey. I undertook work to increase Sika's market share in the Turkish concrete market and to expand the customer network. During this period, I also assumed responsibility for business development in the Middle East region for the relevant unit. In 2018, I was appointed General Manager of Sika Turkey. At the same time, since February 2020, I have been serving as Chairman of the Board of the Association of Concrete and Mortar Chemical Admixture Manufacturers (KÜB).

The Association of Admixture Manufacturers (KÜB) is an extremely active association. Could you provide information about the events and training programmes organized by KÜB?

Turkey has an important market in terms of concrete admixture production, where many domestic and foreign companies operate. The Association of Admixture Manufacturers (KÜB) is the sole representative of the concrete admixture sector in Turkey and has been providing significant benefits to the sector since 1998, and will continue to do so. It is an active civil society organization that brings together strong companies in the sector under its umbrella. With an increasing number of steps that will create added value for the sector and maintaining close contact with stakeholders, KÜB believes that organization will be possible through a strong structure and sustainable strategies for the right objectives. We have member federations both domestically and internationally. We are active members of EFCA (European Concrete Admixtures Federation) in Europe and the Building Products Manufacturers Federations in Turkey. We also have sectoral stakeholders with whom we work together. We conduct important collaborations with stakeholder organizations with which we are in contact. I would like to give a few examples of the work we do with these organizations. In concrete admixtures, we represent our country by participating in the technical committees of EFCA (European Concrete Admixtures Federation), of which we are a member, in the preparation of European standards. We assume important roles in standard preparation and standard revision work. A standard preparation work ongoing during the pandemic period is the inclusion of SRA Admixtures in EN9342, which is also on the agenda of our technical committee. We participate in technical and environmental committee meetings and board meetings held by EFCA abroad. We participate in statistical work on the concrete admixture sector in Europe, which EFCA conducts with its member associations. Through these studies, we see that the Turkish market is Europe's largest. KÜB member companies are able to transparently declare the environmental impacts of their products through the EFCA Model Environmental Product Declaration EPD (Environmental Product Declaration). We work for the benefit of nature with environmentally friendly products. We participate with "Concrete admixtures and Fibres" topics in seminars on concrete and concrete components held at universities under the organization of the Building Products Manufacturers Federation (YÜF), of which we are a member. We produce sector contribution indices that can shed light on the sector and publish them on our website. As the Association of Admixture Manufacturers, in our survey conducted with member companies, we measure the pulse of our sector on a monthly basis through 3 different indices, revealing the activities of our companies and their expectations for the upcoming period. Our members both sponsor and provide support by conducting training in their operations for laboratory technician courses organized by THBB (Turkish Ready Mixed Concrete Association). With our members, we participate in sectoral organizations such as congresses, seminars and trade fairs under the association umbrella.

The pandemic is adversely affecting all sectors. However, within the possibilities offered by technology, online meetings and webinars allow sector professionals to communicate with each other. In this context, could you provide information about what kind of events KÜB has organized, what topics stood out in these events?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we all began to implement new business models in our business world and adapted them to our needs over time. We accepted new practices as our new normal. KÜB is an association where branded companies operate both locally and globally in the admixture sector. Companies accelerated their digital transformation. We held board and technical committee meetings within the association at the scheduled times with broader participation. In online meetings with organizations of which we are members both abroad and domestically, we made contributions by sharing experiences of this unprecedented situation that we have experienced simultaneously with the world. We invited experts to meetings we held with our members. These educational content exchanges strengthen our partnerships. Additionally, we continue to publish KÜB e-bulletins where you can access technical content. The bulletins, where we share our activities and technical work, reach those interested in the sector through our website.

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in companies. What kind of priorities have admixture manufacturers taken in this context, what kind of revisions have they made to their operations? In your view, are the other sectors with which admixture manufacturers conduct business adequately adapting to this digital transformation; could you share your views and suggestions?

In the post-Covid-19 period, transformation and change have occurred not only in social life but also in business practices, creating a new culture. Digital transformation became a process that involves technological investments and at the same time the adaptation of business practices. At this point, it is clear that companies that can be pioneers in digitalization, can manage risk properly and work with a focus on efficiency will be more prominent. Since a significant portion of the admixture manufacturers operating in our country consist of companies in this category we have mentioned, we expect an acceleration in the sector's external market performance as trade normalizes globally.

Concrete chemical admixture technologies, scientific developments and innovations are shaping the construction sector. What are the significant developments in this field in recent years, and what is your assessment?

Classical methods are gradually being phased out in many parts of the world and in many areas. Turkey's construction is one of the areas that stands out. Today, new-generation concrete admixtures produced with state-of-the-art technology provide concrete structures with properties such as high strength, durability and impermeability, while also enabling concrete to be pumped over very long and high distances, cast in many different mould shapes, and poured in very cold and very hot weather. At the same time, they contribute to the sustainability of buildings. As the impacts of construction on the environment begin to decrease over time, in modern times concrete is becoming a product with a lower water-to-cement ratio, stronger, more durable and more ecological, making it possible to contain more recycled materials within it. As members of the association, we evaluate chemical admixtures in the category of technological products to overcome difficulties and transform problems into advantages in preparing, transporting, placing and preserving concrete in different conditions, and we conduct meticulous work in our R&D departments to produce high-quality concrete. KÜB, together with its members, plays an active role within the organizations of which we are members in the renewal and updating of national and international technical specifications regarding concrete applications and chemical admixture technologies used in concrete, in terms of both technology and accumulated knowledge as well as production capacity.