We interviewed with Gökhan Akkaya, Plant Director of CTN Group, about the operations of CTN Group, targets for next period and developments in the industry.
Could you tell us about establishment story and business fields of CTN Group?
Founded in 2010 at Adana Hacı Sabancı Organized Industrial Zone, CTN develops and provides heavy-duty steel, mechanical & technological manufacturing and assembly solutions for Cement, Power Plant, Iron&Steel, Glass, Chemistry, etc. industries.
Enjoying the largest manufacturing volume and the widest machinery pool in the region, our factory has an indoor area of 8,800 m2 on a total area of 11,500 m2. In addition to our high manufacturing capacity and our existing ISO 9001:2008, OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001, EN ISO 3834- 2 certifications, our company strengthened further its quality systems which has already been at the European Standards with the EN 1090-2 exc. 3 certification received from TÜV in 2018, making our company the only brand who holds said certificate in the region. In this respect, our customer base mainly consists of the Europe and America-based OEMs and the globally leading EPC (Engineering-Procurement-Commissioning) contractors. I would like to highlight that we today deliver 60% of our manufacturing to more than 30 countries around the globe.
When it comes to our product groups, namely business lines, which make us a preferred Turkish partner to the global leaders;
• Flue Gas Treatment Systems (De-dusting and Reduction Systems)
• Material Conveying Systems (Conveyors, Spiral Conveyor Belts, Covered Coal Stock Halls, Scrapers, Reclaimers, Stackers, etc.)
• Crushers, Exchangers
• ORC, Steam Boiler Manufacturing for Waste Heat Recovery Systems
• Shiploaders
• Dismantling and Installation Services
• Spare Part Manufacturing
• Protective and preventive maintenance planning and services for factories
I would also like to tell you about an important milestone for our company. In the last quarter of 2017, we acquired 60% of the shares of Italian CTP Team company, a World’s leading company on the Flue Gas Treatment Systems and Waste Heat Recovery Projects. CTP team today continues its operations in Milan with its core staff of 35 employees. Our main goal with our Italian affiliate is to explore new territories, expand our engineering, process and design knowledgebase and grow in Asian and Russian markets in addition to Europe, Americas. In this regard, CTN has the 34th DESIGN CENTER certificate in Turkey, issued by Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology.
What reference projects do you have?
So far, we based our company strategy upon 3 main building blocks.
• First, manufacturing equipment to be used directly in machinery pool of an industrial plant
• Second, focusing on industrial facilities to solve the air pollution as a major problem of the world.
• Third, develop projects to minimize energy consumption as a main cost item of the plants.
In this respect, our reference projects are an indicator that we are making progress in line with our main strategy.
I. The success story of CTN begins by the Waste Heat Recovery Co- Generation System (WHR – ORC) project commenced in 2018 and completed in 2019 at the SANKO HOLDING’s ÇİMKO Narlı Cement Plant, where CTN contributed as a domestic partner of the CTP & CTN consortium in the engineering, installation and commissioning stages of the project, especially applauded for its production speed and quality. II. AQC Boiler of WHR-ORC system of Çimko Narlı Project is manufactured 100% domestically in our CTN facilities. III. As CTN, our entire team get motivated and excited with the successful production and installation of bag filter equipped with 12-meter bags, which has the highest capacity (2,500,000 N3/h) produced in one run among the De-dusting projects. IV. Also, one of our proudest achievements is the RDF system produced for OYAK Denizli Cement by our company as domestic partner of BEUMER & CTN Consortium in 200..
As I mentioned before, as CTN we export 60% of our manufacturing. On this occasion, we would like to thank the world’s leading engineering companies who place their trusts in us.
What does international market mean for you?
It will not be possible for companies which do not have international presence to overcome the global economic constriction without any loss. The strategic planning we developed in 2017 led CTN to become one of the companies implementing Design, Engineering, Manufacturing and Installation Projects in the international market.
What are your strategies to become a global brand?
As CTN team, we have made a substantial progress in our organic growth in terms of market. In 2015 and 2016, we had the opportunity to work continuously with many leading brand of the world for which we can provide services in our field. In 2017, we decided to grow inorganically in order to strengthen our technology development and market knowledgebase and as I said, we have an Italian partnership, a world’s leading brand. This partnership has driven both companies to expand their business volume and facilitate the R&D works. In short, we have a strong brand at our back and a goal to grow inorganically with firm steps.
What are your plans and goals for sustainable growth?
Our goals, defined as a Design Strategy, is to begin with design center and develop genuine technological designs ensuring cost reductions in the short term and then to manufacture the products, which designs are registered to CTN, using the designs created in the design center and accordingly strengthening the competitive edge in both local and international markets in the medium term. To create a unit which will increase the share of export, contributing in the bridging the current account gap of the country. In the long term, to make and develop CTN into a unit developing engineering services for the world market, not just manufacturing.
Do you have new product works?
Of course, we have. It will be more accurate to categorize our works as follows; every year, we determine the projects of R&D and Design Department in line with the market strategies. Our R&D Department, first of all, works on many projects of improvement, cost reduction, substitute material trials etc. on our existing products according to the feedbacks from our customers, field, and manufacturing. In addition, we have new product works in line with the market demand and our growth goal. If I should give two small examples; cost reduction works for de-dusting systems, and increasing efficiency of 12/14/16 meter bags under low pressures in our R&D laboratory. Another example is the prototype for efficiency improvement for ORC Boiler technology.
What stages are there in your turnkey delivery services? In other words, how the turnkey delivery process works?
To be honest, advanced technical knowledge of our industrial customers makes our solution processes to take shorter. Our skills of providing the technical knowledge assurance extended to our customer along with the assurances of manufacturing, installation and commission has a significant effect on our decision-making processes. All materials used in (sheet, steel, instruments, cabling, etc.) our facilities are Europeanorigin and widely accepted in our industry. In fact, we earn the trust of our customers as we inform them about cost advantages of our solution suggestions, the measures they will take against potential problems during the stage of identification of the actual customer requirements by seeing the case from the perspective of our customers, an important principle we adopt. Think of it this way, we provide world recognized technologies to our customer with favorable conditions and prices via our engineering company in the Europe. So far, we have always gained recognition with our solutions as a Technical solution for contracting processes. Therefore, I can safely say that, for our customers, we are a brand with extensive experience, solid references and a few step ahead of the competitors.
In general, the basic stages of turnkey delivery projects;
• Determination of the requirements
• Our technical solution suggestion with alternatives
• Contract sign-off process and project kick-off
• Our engineering works
• Manufacturing and procurements of the products.
• Installation and commissioning works
• Process monitoring and improvement works are the basic methods that we apply in the turnkey (EPC) projects.
What action plans do you have in place in case of afterdelivery problems?
Our company never sees its customers as one-off customers.
After turnkey (EPC) projects, we carry out process monitoring and improvement works, which is the most important factor in our success. We always have a technical support team available and ready 24/7 to serve our customers. Prompt response to the incidents preventing total shutdown helps us earn the trust of our customers.
What problems do you see in your industry? What role you play in solution of the problems?
While market shrinkage and increased costs fuel the competition, many brands have begun to compromise from the quality. Since quality and quality service is the red-line of CTN, we try to overcome the challenges by going out the shrinking market. We are focusing on new products, new products, and product differentiation with R&D works.
What kind of works do you have in place for occupational health and safety?
Occupational health and safety has become a lifestyle for us. We continuously provide OHS trainings through specialist teams to meet the needs of our White and Blue collar personnel in order to keep this culture a part of our working life. Our basic aim is to return all our personnel to their families healthily every evening.
Could you tell us about yourself? Who is Gökhan Akkaya?
I born in Germany in 1967. I graduated from Electrical Engineering Department of Yıldız University and began my career as an Electrical Engineer at ÇİTOSAN Denizli Cement Factory and witnessed the privatization process and worked at various ranks. From 1995 to 2002, I worked at various ranks of investment and maintenance functions for Batısöke Cement. From 2002 to 2017, I took office as Energy Supervisor, Technical Service Director, Operating Director and Sales Director at cement plants and paper mills of OYAK Cement Group.
Since 2017, I have been working as Plant Director at CTN. I am married and father of 2 children.