We Conducted an Enjoyable Interview with Zarif Bilgen

A Pleasant Interview with Zarif Bilgen Galanthus General Manager and Founder Zarif Bilgen spoke with us in an engaging interview. Mr. Bilgen shared valuable information about the company's current structure, the product groups it offers to the sector, and its operations.

Could you tell our readers about your educational background and professional experience?

I completed my Chemical Engineering degree first, followed by a Master's degree in Polymer Technology. I worked as Sales Manager for 11 years at Bayer Industrial Products in the Polyurethane Division. During Bayer's restructuring process, the company withdrew from Industrial Products to focus on expanding the pharmaceutical business. This prompted me to take initiative and establish my own company, albeit a small one. I resigned from my position in May 2008 and founded Galanthus. [caption id="attachment_153861" align="aligncenter"] Galanthus General Manager and Founder Zarif Bilgen[/caption]

Could you provide information about your company's structure from its founding to today, the sectors it serves, and the services it offers?

When I started alone in 2008, we eventually built a core team of four people. I initially signed representation agreements with two German companies. Hennecke for polyurethane machinery and ISL Chemie for polyurethane paints. In subsequent years, H&S Anlagentechnik, an engineering design and recycling company, KVS Eckert & Wölk mold release agents, and Fecken Kirfel cutting machines were added to our portfolio. We also expanded beyond polyurethane to include a hygiene product group. In the hygiene segment, we supply specialized test papers under the Microessentiallab brand and liquid dosing pumps under the Prominent brand.

What are the products you specifically offer to the polyurethane sector?

In the polyurethane sector, we supply auxiliary chemicals and equipment besides raw materials. Through Hennecke and Hennecke-OMS, we can provide quotations for nearly all machinery needs, including single-dose dispensing systems, block foam lines, sandwich panel lines, oval conveyor lines, and refrigeration units. Working with KVS Eckert Wölk, we operate in the field of mold release agents and mold cleaners, while with ISL Chemie we distribute polyol colorants and in-mold coatings. Our Fecken Kirfel company serves both the polyurethane and rubber sectors. Depending on requirements, it manufactures vertical/horizontal cutting machines, carousel rotary cutting tables, CNC cutting lines, profile cutting machines, and loop cutting lines. Our H&S Anlagentechnik company manufactures large-volume storage tanks for polyols, isocyanates, and blowing agents such as pentane, designs tank farms and mixing reactors, and also designs recycling reactors for synthesizing recycled polyols from rigid or flexible polyurethane waste.

Can you share your sales volume and which regions you primarily serve?

Our annual business volume ranges between EUR 1.5-2.0 million. Our customers are mainly located in the Marmara Region, Kayseri, Eskişehir, İzmir, and Samsun.

Could you describe the after-sales services you provide to your customers?

A mechanical engineer on our team supports our customers in resolving post-sales issues and addressing their needs. When necessary, technical teams from our headquarters in Germany also visit our customers to provide service. Our team also includes a machine technician.

Do you have specific criteria when selecting the companies whose representation you undertake, and how do you work to expand your network?

We generally work with well-established German companies that are specialists in their fields. I think this is a legacy from my 11 years at Bayer. We don't have a strong drive to significantly expand our network or take on additional representations. Perhaps we could expand our area of responsibility, the geography we cover, in the future. For now, we operate only in Turkey. Perhaps this region could expand over time.

In your opinion, what are the key points a representative company should pay attention to in order to succeed today?

The essence of being a representative firm lies in providing an umbrella for a foreign company that would find it cumbersome and costly to enter the market alone, and representing it together with several compatible and complementary firms at lower cost while benefiting from local knowledge and improved access and communication. To give an example, we participate in Putech fair with four companies serving the polyurethane sector. We allocate one booth wall and several tables to each of our companies. This way, our partners can make their mark at this important fair with reasonable expenses. Every business is like this. Each company we represent ends up with an office, sales team, and necessary equipment in Turkey. What matters is being able to cover all of this at reasonable cost. It is also very important that the companies we represent do not step on each other's toes but instead complement one another. In other words, if you can present a complete outfit to a customer—first the suit, then the shirt, and finally the tie and socks—your job becomes relatively easier. Furthermore, due to the nature of the sales business, we must act as a bridge between the companies we represent and our customers, understand the sensitivities of both parties, and keep communication active. Finally, I hardly need to mention that we must be honest, transparent, and fair toward the companies we represent.