WE HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH EMRE ÖZKURT, SALES DIRECTOR OF CALDERYS WHICH HAS BROUGHT ITS EXPERTISE REACHING TO 100 YEARS TO THE SECTOR, ABOUT THE COMPANY’S STRATEGIC FOCUS IN THE NEW PERIOD AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE…
• Can you tell us about the establishment story of Calderys and its activities?
Calderys was established in 2005 through merger of Germany’s Plibrico and Lafarge Refractory companies. While it carried out its activities in Turkey under title of Plibrico, it has been operating under Imerys Group with the title of ‘Calderys’ since 2005. Calderys is a company established on a foundation of knowledge and experience which goes past more than 100 years.
• Which sectors do you offer service to?
We offer service to all sectors where refractory products are consumed such as iron-steel, cement plants, foundries and also lime, glass etc.
• Which sector do you have the most extensive customer network in?
In terms of customers, it is cement, however, iron-steel features a higher turnover. The reason for this is the fact that iron-steel sector consumes higher quantities of refractory due to its nature. In addition to these sectors we also offer service to refinery, petrochemical plants and thermal power plants.
• Can you tell us about the product you offer to the cement sector?
Cement sector is our main branch of business and the one I am accountable for. We supply products we refer to as ‘bestsellers’ which are being used by the cement sector for long years. These products have been indispensable for certain cement manufacturers for long years since
they provide solution to the problems and are used confidently. For example, “CALDE®GUN MM 55 S5” and “CALDE® CAST LA 50 SZ” are two products which are our two best selling products in Turkey. These products are suitable for cast and shotcrete method. They are general
purpose products in terms of their properties, allowing convenient use almost in every unit, helping the plants which have specific issues to resolve their problems at the points where such problems arise. Therefore, these products are indispensable for certain enterprises…
• Why do or why shall the companies prefer Calderys?
I used to think that products which are launched to the market were produced by mixing soil with stones and combining them with other things based on identical raw materials and infrastructures. However, when I started at Calderys I was able to perceive that this is based on a set of more sensitive and more critical parameters. While I accept that this is not a very sophisticated or technological product, but you have to satisfy the needs of the companies by improving yourself continuously in the environment of kilns where a multitude of scenarios may occur. In fact, we don’t always reinvent the wheel, however, we study on other parameters, such as factors to make application method easier or to extend the service life…
• So, what is its lifespan?
In fact the unit it is located is just as important. Its lifespan is anticipated and even desired as 12 months in the cement sector. Hence, the cement
sector schedules the annual overhaul according to that. It is desired that extended downtime is necessary only once per year and the refractory
functions until then, and repair or renewal is done during such downtime. Our aim is to ensure that within this schedule. I can easily say that Calderys is a pioneering company in terms of quality and extended lifespan.
• What is your monolithic refractory market share in Turkish cement sector?
3 companies share the pie in Turkey. Two of them are domestic and the other one is Calderys. Domestic companies are prevalent in the market share due to price focus. We have handicaps due to shipping. We start the competition 1 point behind for this reason. If the enterprise focuses on quality or desires to solve the problem directly, then it prefers us. I can easily and very assertively say that all enterprises would work with us and not prefer other products if we offer the same prices as our competitors do.
• We you affected by the current economic climate?
In Turkey, when the economic indicators between the interconnected sectors in the construction sector are in a positive or negative trend, and when real estates sales decrease or increase, then the construction sector speeds up or slows down consequently. When fluctuations occur in the construction sector, material suppliers which constitute the background and in particular, the ready-mixed concrete suppliers and naturally the cement sector slow down. If the business of cement manufacturers gets back on the rails and the production is continued without interruption, then we will understand that ready-mixed concrete manufacturers will do business. Yet, we need additional time for this. I hope we overcome this period in a short time. Where we stand under these circumstances is that they do not stop since we directly work together with these sectors. If you ask how this feels, I can say that quality-orientedness is a bit hindered and everyone starts to focus on pricing. And if you have a weakness in pricing, you have difficulty to reach the turnover you aim.
• Will you invest in a production plant in Turkey in near time for the sake of competition?
Establishing a Calderys production plant in Turkey has being discussed for a long time and it is still in the agenda. We sincerely want this to happen. But, there is no attempt for that at the moment. However, we explain the benefits to be offered by a plant be established here in the reports about Turkey we provide to Calderys Headquarters. The actual reason of getting a larger share from the pie is this. Performing manufacture in Turkey will provide significant advantage in terms of minimizing our costs. I believe that we will get more involved in this game if we can do this.
• Where is the nearest production plant?
We have 19 Production plants in 16 countries throughout the world. We mainly import the products we sell from Germany and France.
• What is the storage life of your products?
These products have storage lives such as 6-12 months. Variations occur in certain products after 12 months. While I don’t say that they become
unusable, you need to store them by satisfying certain conditions. Lifespan of the products gets shorter if such conditions are not met. We
manage our stock by maintaining a stock of our bestselling and most critical products at Mersin and İzmir ports and keeping them at hand.
• Was 2018 a year that your company has achieved its goals?
2018 was satisfactory in terms of budget goals. It can be considered as a good year since the goals were achieved.
• Will it be possible to satisfy the 2019 goals?
We have concerns on this subject due to the state of Turkey. The picture we draw considering the first quarter is not so promising for us. But we hope that the winds change later on and continue to work with this in mind.
• Are you working on new products?
Yes we are, it is UniverCEM series. This product was engineered not for any ordinary use but with a more general use and every unit in mind. Also, we can offer Carderys quality and price advantages just like our other products and we have agreed on prices acceptable to cement plants in Turkey. It is being used in many plants in Europe. The same will commence in Turkey too. We already completed implementation in 3 plants. Implantation will be completed in 7 plants within a few months. Turkish market was chosen as pilot country for this product. Turkey was exclusively chosen as a market that we will work on for this product. We have certain goals and we have confidence in this product very much. I was very excited when this product was announced to us. I think that we will gain a significant position in the market with the advantage it will provide.
• It has been a short time you have become a member of Calderys family. Do you have a personal influence on these efforts?
Calderys’ reputation in the markets is indeed very high. I paid particular attention to introduce Calderys’ quality to the plants which have not worked with Calderys by making use of my personal relationships. If you supply products at an affordable price then no plant would abstain from using them.
• Can you provide information about the marketing techniques you use?
We prefer to move by establishing direct relationship as Calderys. Hence, we assume such a sales attribute that every actor in the heavy industry assumes a sales strategy in that way. Neither I see the product I sell, nor the buyer does. Entire negotiation is held at that specific time and face to face. Such bilateral discussions and mutual confidence is very important. It is very important that you are able to stand behind and support your product if a problem arises, and know how to handle and solve the problem. We are already in the sector, therefore, we do not separate the actors as the ones we are in a commercial relationship or not. We are in relationship with everyone. Because, it may not buy it this year but it may in the following year. And if it buys it this year there is no guarantee that it will buy it next year too. We always strive to keep our relationships alive and continue to provide technical support continuously.
• How many years have you been in this sector?
I am a metallurgical engineer, but, I refer to myself as a refractory engineer. I have been working in this sector for 16 years. I did not take any part in metallurgical industry at all. It is only my academic background. I would refer to myself as refractory engineer since all of my work experience is on this subject.
• Can you introduce yourself to us briefly?
I was born in 1982. I got to know the sector in the first year of my enrollment to the university. I started to work for İtaş in those years and took office in a number of positions. Then I had a 2 year overseas adventure. I studies in China and worked for a finance company there. Then I got back from abroad and continued with my career at İtaş. I started to work for Kümaş in 2014 and fundamental changes have occurred in my career upon getting there. Because I was solely an engineer, a technical person in my previous career and was responsible for proper execution of the project on site, I was leading the team and sale was another lane for me. I made this decision by relying on my previous experiences. I took this step since Kümaş management had confidence in me and I would like to express my gratitude to them. You need to take part with your technical knowledge since it is a technical sale. I also improved myself from the academic aspect. I completed sales-marketing specialist education at Marmara University and also completed Executive MBA at Sabancı University while I was working. These contributed to me a lot.