Mr. Yusuf Doğru, General Manager of ACC Kimya

We had a pleasant interview with Mr. Yusuf Doğru, General Manager of ACC Kimya, about his professional background, product groups and services.

Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself and your educational background?

I was born as the youngest in a family in Malatya, a region with lush scenery and beautiful villages surrounded by mountains. After completing my primary, secondary and high school education in Malatya, I graduated from Istanbul Technical University Department of Chemistry in 1997. When I am working, I focus entirely on the task at hand. I do not acknowledge illness, complaints or fatigue. I am a man whose father taught me that my word is my bond, and I work following his example of hard work. Throughout my career from graduation to the present, I have always acted in accordance with my responsibilities. I have tried not to disappoint anyone in my professional life. I have endeavored to deliver twice the efficiency that was expected of me in every area where I worked.

ACC Kimya, which prioritizes customer satisfaction, has expanded its domestic success abroad by applying this principle consistently.

I have been working with pigments and pigment pastes since the beginning of my career. This experience has taught me to analyze the fields I work in thoroughly and has helped me understand people better. This enabled me to develop solutions to any problems and meet all kinds of needs in this sector. In this context, continuous education remains essential as long as we are active. My philosophy for establishing our own company was rooted in the values my father instilled in me. We founded ACC Kimya based on shared ideas, mutual respect and cooperation with two dear colleagues. Our fundamental principle is to work in a happy, peaceful environment built on mutual care. We now aim to mentor the next generation of professionals as we ourselves were mentored. I hope we will help light the path for successful professionals to follow.

Could you tell us about ACC Kimya's development from its establishment to the present day?

First, I should discuss the background of our team, and then address our company's organization and growth. The ACC Kimya founders have reached this stage by working through all phases of production and sales in the companies where we were employed, constantly learning, improving and adapting ourselves. The vision of these three entrepreneurs was to leverage the knowledge and skills we had acquired in our own company (which I believe is the most significant aspect) and to specialize in our area of expertise—working with colors and exploring the world of color applications. Our industry represents the most demanding aspect of production processes. Color is what is examined immediately after each production run, and any deviation is detected there. It brings us particular satisfaction to perform work we know well over more than 21 years, despite these challenges. ACC Kimya has developed significant momentum since its establishment in 2010 and has become a major force in the market. Despite encountering many crises, raw material shortages, supply-chain difficulties and other obstacles since our founding, both our market share and product range have expanded continuously. We are preferred in our country for our service quality and product consistency. ACC Kimya, which prioritizes customer satisfaction, has expanded its domestic success abroad by applying this principle consistently. I recall our first laboratory experiments, our first production run and our excitement when we received our first order—these memories remind me of how far we have come.

Could you tell us about ACC Kimya's product groups and the industries served by ACC Kimya?

At first glance, ACC Kimya might appear to be a company that produces only for the paint industry. However, the diversity of sectors we work with shows that this is not the case. We are a company that supplies raw materials to the paints and coatings sectors and has established itself as a recognized brand. Additionally, we provide products to a wide range of industries, from textiles to plastics, construction chemicals and floor coatings. This diversity continues to expand. We perceive nature by observing, listening and understanding it. Nature serves as a true color palette for our sector. In this respect, ACC Kimya manufactures and markets pigment paste raw materials for all color applications found in nature under the brand PRPCOLOR. Our PRPCOLOR brand product groups include pigment pastes formulated for water-based, solvent-based, universal, tinting, polyurethane, solvent and solvent-free epoxy systems, liquid masterbatch systems and custom products developed through R&D studies according to customer or market requirements. Our products are used as colorants in all water-based paints and applications, the textile industry, alkyd-based paints (fast and synthetic), industrial and acrylic paints, cellulosic paints, road marking paints, plastic and rubber PVC products, polyurethane and epoxy coatings.

Can you explain ACC Kimya's sales network philosophy and after-sales service approach to customer satisfaction?

Our sales network is divided into domestic and overseas operations. Domestically, we maintain dealer networks across nearly every region of Turkey and conduct direct sales in areas without dealers. Our Istanbul location provides significant advantages in reaching different geographical regions. We conduct shipments to Anatolia and other regions seven days a week. Our overseas sales are managed either through distributors or directly with manufacturers, depending on the country. Being based in Istanbul also offers substantial advantages regarding access to foreign suppliers and logistics. Customs clearance and international shipping represent major expense items under current conditions.

Because we value our customers and ourselves, we are committed to addressing all needs without compromise, within the framework of mutual respect and understanding.

The human factor is crucial in our product manufacturing process. Therefore, deficiencies, inaccuracies and problems will inevitably occur. This is an unavoidable aspect of any operation. However, how we manage this process is one of the most critical stages of our work. It is paramount for us to minimize these issues when managing the process. Since our establishment, we have prioritized customer satisfaction through the services we provide, guided by our R&D and production-focused operations that address customer requirements. With this solution-oriented approach, we have consistently aimed to advance our customers and lead the industry. All companies we serve are valued equally by our organization. Whether the order is 1 kg or 1,000 kg, all customer complaints are evaluated immediately, and our laboratory team conducts solution-focused studies that are completed quickly and shared with our stakeholders in full detail. ACC Kimya will continue to serve our valued customers without compromise on quality, adhering to our motto "You Dream We Color It".

How has 2018 been, and do you have new projects for 2019 that you would like to share with us?

Our primary goal is to work more effectively with our existing customers. We are a company that does not settle for complacency. We work with full commitment and expertise, knowing that our customers' references, the diversity of our product range, our capacity for custom colors and specialized products, and our production infrastructure will take us further. Our operations experienced significant growth momentum as planned through 2017 and into the third quarter of 2018. However, subsequent market developments disrupted some of these dynamics, particularly in the domestic market. 2018 proved to be highly productive in the international market, where we had built our infrastructure over many years. In 2018, we completed an important TUBITAK project that we believe has significant potential and will yield results in the coming years. We are now working to bring this product to market. In 2019, we will continue advancing with steady but deliberate steps in both our research and development and production divisions. Particularly as we establish ourselves with our Tinting systems and TUBITAK project products, we will work tirelessly to ensure that ACC Kimya and the PRPCOLOR brand, already well-established in Turkey's market, gain comparable recognition in international markets. We will meet customers and distributors from around the world at the European Coatings Show 2019 in Nuremberg in March 2019. We invite everyone reading this interview to visit our stand.

We look forward to seeing you at European Coatings Show 2019 for conversation and refreshments. This exhibition will bring us closer to achieving our goals.

What are your reasons for participating in international trade fairs?

We have been taking part in domestic trade fairs since our company's establishment. I believe these events are valuable for brand awareness and building customer perception of our company's value. The interactions with both domestic and international customers at these domestic exhibitions have improved our operations and approach. For this reason, we are working to achieve recognition in these global markets by participating in international trade fairs, producing goods that meet European standards without compromising product quality, and contributing added value to our country. In our view, we have succeeded in establishing differentiation within Turkey. We want to demonstrate this distinctive approach and service to international markets. I believe those who work with us do not regret the diverse product range, speed, quality and especially the technical support we provide. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to, trusted in and supported our company, and extend our gratitude to our families and the entire ACC Kimya team.