Halil Kuzucu Appointed Regional Business Manager for Turkey, Italy, Greece and the Middle East at Univar Solutions

We conducted a pleasant interview with Halil Kuzucu, Regional Business Manager for Turkey, Italy, Greece and the Middle East at UnivarSolutions. Kuzucu provided important information about his company's projects and innovations.

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

After completing my primary, secondary and high school education in Yalova, I graduated from the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. Following my studies and initial work experience after graduation, I took my first step in the sector in early 2005 as a Sales Engineer for Paints & Building Chemicals at Eral-Protek, a chemical raw material distribution company. Subsequently, I managed product management and sales management roles. Currently, I manage the position of Regional Business Manager for Turkey, Italy, Greece and the Middle East in CASE (Paints, Building Chemicals, Adhesives, Composites). I was born in 1980, I am married and a father of one child.

Could you tell us about UnivarSolutions' development process from its establishment to today and its structure in Turkey?

Univar acquired Eral-Protek, which I was also part of, and the US-based BCS company in 2011 and began serving Turkey. Eral-Protek was a family company that primarily provided specialized chemicals and services for sectors such as CASE, Rubber and Plastics, while BCS was a well-known company in the sector that supplied solvents, alcohols and similar general chemicals mainly to many industries. Through the merger of these two companies, Univar created a broad knowledge base and sectoral experience in both specialized and general chemicals, and we began to feel the synergy of these two companies from day one. Following the establishment of Univar, the process of creating food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical chemicals divisions in Turkey, in which we were strong in Europe, was successfully completed. After the alignment of our team, technical infrastructure and systems with UnivarSolutions' structure was completed, we found the opportunity to transfer our international knowledge to our customers much faster and more easily. Frankly, despite being an international company, UnivarSolutions has very high internal communication and information sharing, so the knowledge and guidance from both our technical laboratories and experienced team have always been very useful in increasing our market share in Turkey and our surrounding region. Looking at the period between 2011-2019, I see time passing very quickly but at the same time a structure growing healthily. With our growth figures, we have always been a country of importance and value for UnivarSolutions. With our team of approximately 65 people, our warehouse services in various parts of Turkey and our dealer network based on historical trust, we are an important and leading member in the chemical raw material distribution sector. "With our team of approximately 65 people, our warehouse services in various parts of Turkey and our dealer network based on historical trust, we are an important and leading member in the chemical raw material distribution sector."

What are UnivarSolutions' products and product groups? Which sectors do you serve?

We currently serve the paints, building chemicals, adhesives, composites, plastics, food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics & personal care, rubber, detergents, agro and textiles sectors. Beyond these sectors, we also have strong sales in many general chemical product groups where our products are used.

Could you tell us about your targets and projects?

Turkey is always a country with high potential and growth opportunities for UnivarSolutions. As UnivarSolutions employees in Turkey, we are trying to take advantage of this great opportunity. In the short term, our goal is to strengthen our position in the sectors we serve through companies that provide reliable, innovative and high-quality products and services. We are focused on sub-sectors within the sectors where we are strong. Additionally, exports have always been an important goal for us, and we are working rapidly to safely increase our relationships with countries in our region that do not have political and economic problems. Thanks to the important support of our other departments that support sales, we have significant developments in the pipeline to create a difference in terms of supply chain, warehousing and logistics, and to meet our customers' demands. Finally, with the support of our international technical teams and laboratories, we combine international expertise with local needs and conduct technical support work for our country's demands and even individually for each company. "Digital Transformation is one of the projects that UnivarSolutions management values, and our digital transformation team is currently carrying out very serious work."

What does Industry 4.0 mean for you? What are your projects and activities related to this?

Industry 4.0 is an important step for the industrial development of our country and, regardless of the sector, it is a system that needs to be established and implemented correctly at every stage of industry, albeit rapidly. As UnivarSolutions, we can see our international knowledge base very clearly in such applications. Thanks to the end-to-end ERP, CRM and other software and systems we use, we have a system that is much easier to monitor, control and more effective.

Today, as our life resources are under threat, the necessity for environmental measures has increased further. What are your activities for a sustainable future?

A sustainable future and safety are the most important parameters that we carefully check before each step we take at UnivarSolutions. We continue to affirm our sustainability commitment by supporting the United Nations Global Principles Compact Principles. Our adherence to and support of these principles allows UnivarSolutions to be built on current economic, ethical, environmental and social standards, while providing long-term sustainable growth. Furthermore, our company, which has signed and is a signatory to the United Nations Global Principles Compact, helps conduct more responsible and sustainable business not only in our operations but also in our supply chain. We have been publishing our sustainability report since 2007 and anyone who wishes can easily access it through our website. We position UnivarSolutions' sustainability targets under six main headings: energy and emissions, resource use, shipment responsibility, safety, sustainable supply chain, equality and diversity.

Developing technology and digitalization offer innovative opportunities to many sectors. What are your activities regarding digital transformation as UnivarSolutions?

Digital Transformation is one of the projects that UnivarSolutions management values, and our digital transformation team is currently carrying out very serious work. We leverage digital tools to improve customer experience, generate demand and facilitate business. Last year, UnivarSolutions introduced its new global digital center with over 100 digital experts at the Warrenville Campus Facility, which has an innovative workspace. The facility focuses on developing various industry-leading and transformational digital solutions. During the same period, our company organized a "Digital Day" program for supplier partners. More than 80 suppliers participated in the event with the theme "Collaborate, Innovate, Grow." Our new technology product Global Digital Center provides solutions to improve and differentiate customer experience, increase market reach and accelerate growth, and create a superior partnership experience for suppliers. In addition, through our websites such as univarsolutions.com, myunivar.com, pestweb.com, chempoint.com, which I believe are the most detailed, comprehensive and easiest for our users to access information in the chemical raw material distribution service, we have made digital transformation the most important part of our company. Anything else you would like to add? On behalf of UnivarSolutions Turkey, we would like to thank you very much for making space for us in your magazine.