Oğuz BÜTE
Sintek Logistics CEO
Sintek Logistics seems to have achieved a rapid growth momentum especially in the recent period, so can you briefly tell us about the volume of your business and your activities?
In the first period when Sintek Logistics started its activities, it was primarily designed to carry out the project logistics works of the group it is affiliated with and organized its works accordingly. However, over time, parallel to the increase we experienced in our general cargo business, as you mentioned, it entered a rapid growth process. In this process, we first ensured the correct structuring of the departments and created new departments in all necessary areas. Then, when we recruited the right people in these departments, we quickly achieved a successful growth process. While doing this, the financial support provided by Sintek Group and knowing that they always trust us has been a great advantage and strength for us.
If we talk briefly about our activities, we are basically a logistics company that provides services in the international arena and fully competent. Sintek Logistics’ main field of activity is Project Logistics, and all general cargo modules (Air, Land, Sea, Railway, Storage, Domestic Logistics activities). Although the headquarters of our company is located in Ankara, all our operational processes and teams carry out their activities in our branch in Istanbul Trump Towers.
Although the effects of the pandemic continue, a rise has started again in many sectors, especially with 2021. How do you evaluate and see this period in your own sector?
When you look at the whole world and Turkey, the logistics sector has been one of the most developing sectors, especially during the pandemic period. As it is known, the intensity of e commerce and online shopping sites all over the world during the pandemic period, and accordingly the great logistics activity experienced in almost every sector and field, accelerated international and local logistics activities. In addition, the process in the field of logistics has accelerated with the transportation of vital cargoes under the new conditions brought by the pandemic. This whole structure became more complicated as countries closed their borders and almost themselves. At this point, the slowdown of logistics activities in countries with lockdowns, coming to a standstill from time to time, and the disruption of planning accordingly, caused a crisis at the global level. As a natural result of this, freight costs, which are the main item of logistics activities, increased very rapidly and in a big way. With the rapidly increasing freight numbers, all transportation companies, especially the shipowner companies operating in the seaway, started to gain great profitability. It is foreseen that this process, which still continues its effects, will continue in this way until the middle of 2022 at the earliest and the first quarter of 2023 at the latest. From all these perspectives, we can say that we are in a golden period for the logistics industry.
What steps do we need to take in order to further strengthen exports and brand Turkish companies in the global arena?
When it comes to the development of exports and branding processes, the first thing to be said is that the service or work performed must have a certain standard, its quality must not be reduced in any way, and this quality must be developed in a sustainable way. After these stages have been passed correctly and made operational, the basic way to be followed is different studies to be done in different areas in order to become a brand and to increase awareness. Another point to be considered here is not to think only at the local level when determining the standards about the product or service, but to try to produce products and services according to certain criteria, taking into account international standards. When this process is thought and planned in this way, the company’s chance to export will be much more.
In this context, as Sintek Logistics, you offer important and different services in terms of transportation. In which areas do you differ?
The point we want to pay attention to here is that our most important resource is our employees. I would like to point this out from the very first sentence. As a company, we already show our difference with the importance we give to our employees and the success we have achieved in working together, succeeding together and being a good team. As Sintek Logistics, we are aware that the investment we make in people always brings us profit, and I think our biggest difference comes from this. The human resources working in different fields within our company is one of our biggest strengths as a company.
Project logistics is one of the areas where you stand out. What kind of work do you perform in this field?
We can express Project Logistics activities as the area where all non-standard transportation activities are gathered. We can detail our work in this field as the organization of large projects such as Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant that we have purchased as Sintek Group, and the complete ship transportation of the project loads such as minerals and mines, and Break Bulk – Industrial out of gauge transportation works. In addition to our Project Logistics works, we also have project works that we follow in the long term. We can show our work in this field the organization of project transports of cement factories or concrete plants in Africa from all over the world. Therefore, I can easily say that as a company, the area where we are most concentrated is actually Project Logistics. We provide services to our customers in different fields, but we continue to differentiate and grow in the field of Project Logistics.
What kind of advantages does project transportation provide in the cement sector?
When you look at logistics and project transportation activities in particular, you can see that in the cement sector, complete ship transportation is made in bulk or Big Bag. As Sintek Logistics, the advantage you offer to our customers here is that we successfully carry out complete ship transportation of other materials (such as Ore, Mineral, Wheat, Scrap) besides cement. We have an important knowledge and experience brought to us by serving our customers in different fields. For this reason, as Sintek Logistics, we are known as a logistics company that can provide reliable and quality service in the market. Our general perception in the market is very strong and reputable, as we reflect our experience and knowledge in different sectors and fields to this field as well.
How will your goals and strategies be shaped for the upcoming period?
One of the most important goals we have set for the upcoming period is to branch out both in Turkey and abroad and to increase the number of points we provide service to. Thanks to this growth and expansion, we will have the chance to provide on-site service and we will be able to carry out more efficient operations. In addition to this, another of our goals is to develop on general cargo operations, especially in the sea part, and to increase the volume we have here at least 3-4 times. In order to achieve this goal, we are planning large investments in the coming period. We have clear investment decisions for our air and land logistics departments, just like the sea. I do not find it appropriate to state strategically what these investment decisions cover and what kind of investments they are at the moment. What we can only say is that, as we have stated in Sintek’s motto, we will be built in a way that all these investments and works will leave a trace.
