Interview with M. Can Seyhan, General Manager of METTLER TOLEDO

METTLER TOLEDO Turkey General Manager M. Can Seyhan spoke with us in an enjoyable interview where we discussed the technologies the company uses, its targets for coming years, and the advantages it will bring to the sector.

Could you tell our readers about yourself and your professional background?

I graduated from Saint Benoit French High School in 1985. In 1989, I completed my degree in Civil Engineering at Yıldız Technical University. After completing my MBA at Istanbul University, I continued my education at Akron University in the United States. My engineering background and management-focused education formed the foundation for approximately 30 years of managerial experience in the sales and marketing of high-value-added products. With the experience I have gained, for the past year I have been part of the METTLER TOLEDO team and serve as General Manager of the Turkey organization.

What would you like to say about METTLER TOLEDO? What criteria shape your success policy?

As METTLER TOLEDO Turkey, our goal is to be a solution partner to manufacturers so they can produce the best, healthiest and safest food products, develop medicines to improve quality of life and protect the environment, and manufacture chemical products in compliance with standards for a sustainable future. The METTLER TOLEDO Turkey team works in complete harmony with a solution-focused and analytical approach to align with this goal. The biggest building block of our success is "One Team," a global principle of METTLER TOLEDO. All members of our team are committed to a common purpose. We aim to deliver our solutions to manufacturers so they can increase productivity, reduce production costs, offer consumers the highest quality products, protect brand image, and be by their side at every step with a customer-focused approach. For this purpose, we organized Roadshow events for the third time this year and more than 20 application and sector-based seminars. With the Roadshow, we aimed to allow manufacturers to test the solutions they need and applications that add value to their production in their own facilities with their own products; and with application and sector-based seminars, we aimed to ensure they are always informed about changing regulations and developing technologies.

Which sectors do you serve? What are your product varieties?

As METTLER TOLEDO, we offer many solutions suitable for all manufacturers, with pharmaceuticals, food, chemicals, metals, plastics and electronics sectors being at the forefront. We have comprehensive product and service solutions at all points from raw material procurement to final product packaging and even retail weighing. We have four divisions: Laboratory, Industrial, Process Analytics, and Product Control Systems. METTLER TOLEDO has been the world leader in manufacturing cutting-edge precision instruments for laboratory analysis for decades. Our equipment supporting the value chain from R&D, process scaling, manufacturing, quality control and beyond; covers a very wide range from weighing to liquid handling, from chemical synthesis to titration, to detailed analysis through spectroscopy and other methods.

Through a variety of services including laboratory instrument selection, installation, calibration and effective technical training, we ensure that our customers benefit optimally from the products they purchase throughout their useful life.

We are also a worldwide leading supplier of industrial scales and terminals. Instruments that can withstand the harsh conditions of demanding industrial environments while delivering advanced accuracy and reliability can only be those most robustly constructed and well-designed. METTLER TOLEDO is known for superior quality, advanced precision weighing solutions across chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, OEM, transportation, logistics, manufacturing and other industries. Whatever your industrial application, METTLER TOLEDO can find a solution or create custom solutions to meet your needs. We offer complete product control solutions for processing and packaging. METTLER TOLEDO product control solutions protect the quality and integrity of your products from start to finish. As a global solution partner, we benefit from the rich industrial experience we have gained by establishing application-specific partnerships with customers from around the world. Our goal is to meet the needs of our customers throughout the entire lifetime of their equipment. Our various product control solutions include advanced metal detectors, high-precision dynamic automatic checkweighers, advanced x-ray technology and modern vision inspection systems. Each solution we provide is the result of experiences gained through close work with our customers over many years across diverse industries and markets worldwide. We know in detail the challenges manufacturers face and with our unique product portfolio developed over the years, we continue to meet the diverse needs of our customers.

Process analytics is a division within METTLER TOLEDO that produces analytical measurement solutions for industrial production processes. We have more than 60 years of experience as a leader in liquid process analytics and ultrapure water analysis.

Process analytics provides manufacturing companies the ability to better control their production through in-line, on-line or at-line analytical measurements. METTLER TOLEDO offers process analytics equipment for a wide range of applications, industries and analytical parameters. Since industrial manufacturers place importance on increasing automation, in-line and on-line analytical measurements that help control processes are of critical importance. METTLER TOLEDO believes that reliable equipment is vital for analytical measurements in processes. For this reason, METTLER TOLEDO has developed Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM®), a series of smart, digital analytical sensors that bring predictive diagnostics and many other important features to process analytics. This reduces the likelihood of sensor failure during a process and provides reliable, consistent process control. METTLER TOLEDO's analytical parameter portfolio for liquid process analytics includes: pH, ORP (redox), dissolved oxygen (O2), dissolved CO2, turbidity, conductivity/resistivity, dissolved ozone (O3), total organic carbon (TOC), microbial contamination, sodium ionic contamination, silica concentration, chloride and sulfate analysis.

What are your domestic and foreign sales volumes? On what criteria do you determine your sales potential?

METTLER TOLEDO is a global manufacturer and marketer of precision instruments for use in laboratory, industrial and food retail applications. The company maintains a strong leadership position with global sales exceeding USD 3 billion. A significant portion of our equipment sales is in segments where we are leaders. In addition to a broad product portfolio, we have one of the largest global sales and service organizations among precision instrument manufacturers. We focus on high-value-added segments of our markets by providing innovative tools that often combine various technologies, including application-specific solutions for customers. We design our instruments not only to collect valuable data, but also to facilitate the processing of this data and its transfer to customer management information systems. METTLER TOLEDO is geographically diversified with sales in 2019 derived from Europe at 30%, the Americas at 39%, and Asia and other countries at 31%. The company has a large global sales and service organization with 8,150 employees providing sales, marketing and service in 40 countries. The company has manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and China.

What is your perspective on technology as METTLER TOLEDO? How do you define the place and importance of technology in the sector you serve?

Innovation is the cornerstone of our success. METTLER TOLEDO has long held a leading position in innovation and quality. While innovation and quality traditionally begin with research and development, their meaning extends beyond technology and includes understanding the needs of our customers. In short, we guarantee and commit to translating our innovations into real value for our customers. In this context, we synthesize all current regulations and technological innovations brought by the times with our customers' needs and deliver them in the most suitable way.

Could you tell us about the latest product you have introduced to the sector? What technological features is this product equipped with?

With our continuously evolving technologies, we produce many new devices and solutions each year. Some of these innovations include: Innovative measurement techniques - our TDL oxygen gas measurement analyzer: METTLER TOLEDO significantly expanded the capabilities of tunable diode laser (TDL) applications by using curved optical path principle in the GPro500 series. TDL spectroscopy is rapidly becoming the preferred gas analysis technology in industrial processes. This analysis instrument provides versatility in monitoring processes and offers unique ease of use and performance that will set you apart.

High precision - more reliable results with anti-static technology: Our XPE Analytical Balances are equipped with the unique StaticDetect™ technology that automatically detects electrostatically charged samples the moment they are placed on the weighing pan.

When a sample carries an electrical charge, the user is alerted with a warning signal. Combined with static electricity prevention technology and improved SmartGrid weighing pan, our solution provides you with reliable and precise results. Intelligent ergonomic design - effortless pipetting with unique pipette tips: Rainin makes pipette loading effortless and reduces the force required to attach tips, protecting pipette users from strain and overuse. Our patented technology using a thin seal ring significantly reduces friction, while the cylindrical design shaft with a positive stop piece inside the tip guides the shaft and prevents jamming. Innovative user interface - personalized user interface for laboratory instruments: OneClick™ simplifies laboratory work and saves time. With a consistent user interface across all laboratory instruments, users do not need to spend time learning different interfaces. Users can customize their screens and shortcuts and access them to quickly and easily initiate analyses and workflows; this can be done with OneClick. The simplicity and consistency in operations provides fewer errors and higher productivity in the laboratory. Accelerated workflows - a unique solution for dispensing solids: Quantos replaces the tedious process of dispensing very small sample quantities. With automation and closed system protection, Quantos provides precise powder dispensing for samples and weighing accuracy down to 0.005 mg.

The intelligent dispensing head has a storage container for dispensing highly potent or hazardous powders and built-in radio frequency identification (RFID) for recording all data immediately.

New solutions supporting compliance - correct weighing application, lifetime management system: METTLER TOLEDO has developed a five-stage (science risk-based) management approach for safe selection, calibration and operation of laboratory instruments. Good Weighing Practice™ (GWP®) is one of our seven solutions that ensures your measurements always meet process criteria continuously. Implementing GWP® guarantees the quality and consistency of your weighing processes throughout the entire lifespan of your laboratory equipment. Durability - weighing cells designed for the toughest conditions: The robust design of the POWERCELL™ PDX™ load cell system, with complete air protection, 100% stainless steel components and quick-connect dual-protected stainless steel cables, provides you with a distinct advantage through its unique performance. This robust design combined with innovative features such as built-in microprocessors and predictive diagnostics provides superior reliability and accuracy, reduces maintenance costs and extends the life of truck scales.

What facilities do you offer your customers regarding technical service and support?

For METTLER TOLEDO, technical service is one of the highest priorities. We offer a wide range of services including a comprehensive weighing service portfolio, laboratory balance services, industrial scale service, on-site service for product control instruments and services for analytical measurement devices. Our technicians, specialized through overseas and local training, support you at every step in performing device services using professional and specialized measurement equipment. METTLER TOLEDO offers comprehensive service solutions that keep your equipment in compliance and at peak performance throughout its lifetime.

Do you have any activities carried out within the scope of social responsibility? How is the reflection of these activities on your employees, your brand and your sense of responsibility?

As METTLER TOLEDO, as I mentioned earlier, our goal is to ensure that safe and quality products are provided. While producing equipment to enable this, we follow a policy that does not harm the environment and protects resources. GreenMT, a global principle of ours, ensures that this understanding prevails in all our production locations and even the smallest units. As Turkey organization, we conduct sustainable projects with social aid associations at events we hold at least 3 times a year. These projects ensure that all members of our team share social responsibility awareness. We will continue and expand these activities in the future.

Could you tell us about your targets for coming years? What innovations await METTLER TOLEDO in the coming years?

METTLER TOLEDO is a company built on innovation. Continuous improvement and innovation are the building blocks of our organization. Higher-value products are increasingly being manufactured in Turkey. As I mentioned before, our goal is to be a solution partner to manufacturers that produce high-value products so they can produce the best, healthiest and safest food products, develop medicines to improve quality of life and protect the environment, and provide chemical products in compliance with standards for a sustainable future. In this context, our priority is to address the needs of our customers, including Industry 4.0 and digitalization issues, and to ensure they are always informed about developing technologies and changing regulations.