M. Turgay Özkun
Admixture Manufacturers
Association (KUB) Board Chairman
Admixture Manufacturers Association (KUB) is one of the important non-governmental organizations of the construction chemicals sector. Can you tell us about the foundation of the association in general, its activities and projects up to date?
Admixture Manufacturers Association (KUB) has started its activities with the gathering of companies in 1998 that have been operating in the sector for a long time. Today, we represent 85 percent of the admixture sector. KUB is an umbrella organization that includes companies operating both locally and internationally. Our goal is to increase the awareness of admixture products, to ensure the production of admixtures that increase the quality of concrete and cement, and to conduct promotional studies. In this sense, we are working to encourage many jobs performed abroad to be done locally by providing the development of corporate R&D. KUB is one of the important members of EFCA, the European Federation of Concrete Admixtures Associations. It participates in EFCA’s activities both administratively and technically. Currently, we have 11 members consisting of cement and concrete admixture manufacturers and fiber manufacturers under the KUB umbrella.
Your sectoral representation is quite high. As an association, what are your outstanding works and projects during this period?
As KUB, it is one of our main goals to further increase our awareness, especially in public. We are a member of large organizations such as the Federation of Building Products Manufacturers and IMSAD. With the help of being a member in such formations and alike, we aim to get more recognition in the eyes of public. The pandemic has also increased importance of this aspect. Due to the bans applied during this period, there were some exemptions, such as tax deductions. Here, the value of associations and non-governmental organizations is understood to a greater extent. As a company, your influence in making such decisions is limited, but the stronger the association you are in, the more your power increases.
Second, the issue of training is very important to us. Before the pandemic, we went to universities and gave information about the use of admixtures and technologies. Currently, we are performing the same works on online platforms. Again, as part of our training activities, we support the training of laboratory technicians of the Ready-Mixed Concrete Association of Turkey.
In addition to all these, we have other planned goals. We are working on a project to benefit from the European Union’s funding support to be used in the public interest.
One of the most important issues is that the activities carried out comply with ethical values and competition law. In order to ensure this, we, as KUB, receive an ethical commitment from all our members to act within the framework established by law and to comply with competition rules.
You also conduct business collaborations with different sectoral institutions on both national and international level. How are you structured and can you tell us about your works in this area?
According to the data by European Federation of Concrete Admixtures Association (EFCA), of which we are a member, Turkey seems to be, by far, ahead of its nearest competitor with an estimated rate of 40%. While the concrete admixture market in Europe in 2019 was 1 million tons in volume, Turkey is the largest representative of the admixture market with approximately 457 thousand tons. KUB members represent 85% of this volume.
Constant standardization work in Europe is implemented by the state with ideas and suggestions received from nongovernmental organizations. Although we are not a member of the European Union as a country, we are trying to carry our standards up to that point. In our association, we have a technical committee consisting of experts in the field. They evaluate the works of European Union and offer an opinion, and we put these works on agenda.
Can you make an evaluation on the general situation in the chemical admixtures and construction chemicals sectors of Turkey?
I’ve been in this industry for about 17 years since I started my professional life. I’ve witnessed the changes of the sector in every period. I can say that the process of change in this period has a positive direction. At this point, we have no problems with standards. Our problem is usually related to supervision, surveillance and implementation. Companies need to apply the standards and the necessary organizations need to supervise this. The inadequacies in these issues directly affects quality and also disrupts competition. The importance of KUB’s existence is more evident here. As KUB, we have the products produced by our member companies inspected on-site through the protocol we have made with an independent supervisory authority.
The biggest misfortune of the sector is that almost all of the raw materials are exported. We are actually manufacturing here according to the incoming raw material. So, we are dramatically influenced by the ups and downs in dollar exchange rate.
As we are a sector which progresses depending on the construction sector, we are directly influenced by the ready-mixed concrete and cement production. In the last 2 years, the cement sector managed the situation better with the export section, while the ready-mixed concrete sector continued to regress. Therefore, the admixture sector also failed to achieve growth. It is very difficult to make any predictions from now on. But there is always a great need for infrastructure in Turkey. Not just in Istanbul. Cities are growing and there is an increasing need for subways, dams, highways, and tunnels. Our potential is still high. The need for infrastructure will create employment opportunities for the sector, which gives us hope for the future.
Technology, innovation and scientific developments are at the forefront of the sector you represent. How do you see the sector in general in this sense?
We have member companies operating both locally and internationally. These companies perform all their production in Turkey. We don’t have an exporting company. Over time, significant developments have been recorded with the arrival of R&D information of global companies. I also think we have a long way to go in this sense.
When it is called concrete admixture, it covers very different areas. According to your request it is possible to make many different products. Your purpose is very important. The admixture you produce for a customer may not be suitable for another company. According to the products used by the customer, you need to re-produce the admixture. It’s what we call “tailoring”. This requires the provision of a quick response and experience. Experience is very important here. In this way, you need to find the appropriate admixture to the customer’s material, and you need to do it in a short time. On the other hand, there are various developments, especially in polymers. Especially in high-rise buildings, the frame expanded with the pouring of high-strength concrete.
How have recent developments and the covid-19 outbreak affected the sector? What are your predictions for the coming period?
During the pandemic, there were cessations at medium-and small-scale construction sites in the construction sector. Mega projects have slowed but not haltered. Companies that want to make new investments have moved into a cooling period. Those who continued to work also wanted to wait and see the process. There has also been a serious recession, especially in renovation work. Having people at home in the pandemic created some volume, but big projects need to start for the industry to find its rhythm. In this process, the disruptions in the collection processes in April and May affected the sector negatively. From June, the recovery movement has begun. With the initiation of the accumulated works in the past, a rapid production and sales process began. It’s too hard to make a prediction about the future. And now the second wave is being talked about. The same processes can be experienced one more time. Since we are directly connected to the construction sector, if they continue, the admixture sector will also grow.
What are the global, regional and local trends affecting the cement and concrete sector recently? How will the future of the sector be shaped?
There are significant increases in the use of healthy and hygienic products. Production and use of environmental friendly products will increase. Further regulations will be published on such products. Therefore, manufacturers and practitioners will be expected to comply with them. Everyone will have to keep up with this change and development. That means investing. Companies that comply with them and are also financially strong will survive this period. Those who can’t will be left behind. The production of environmental friendly and non-damaging products, and also the production and provision of conditions in health and hygiene conditions will be the leading trends.
