AkzoNobel Marshall Supply Chain and Logistics Manager Batuhan Sözer

In an interview we conducted, Batuhan Sözer, Supply Chain and Logistics Manager at AkzoNobel Marshall, answered our questions. Sözer provided information about Marshall's work in innovation and research and development.

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

I have been serving as Factory Manager at AkzoNobel Marshall since 2011. Previously, between 2003 and 2009, I held responsibilities for Marshall Paint Production Units, and from 2009 to 2011, I served as Production Manager at Marshall Paint. I am a chemical engineer and completed my Master's degree in Business Administration between 2007 and 2009 while working at AkzoNobel. AkzoNobel I have played roles in many international projects within AkzoNobel. I have also taken active roles in sector-related organizations. Currently, I serve as a member of the Professional Committee for Paints and Industrial Gases at the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry.

Could you provide information about Marshall's founding process and its current structure?

Marshall was founded in 1954 and has grown steadily to take its place among the leading companies in the sector in Turkey. Since 1998, it has been operating under the umbrella of AkzoNobel, the world's largest paints and coatings company. Adding AkzoNobel's global perspective to Marshall's strong 60-year history in the Turkish market, its products and services reach consumers throughout Turkey through a dealer network and sales points spread across the country. Marshall continuously develops its product and color range with innovative approaches and new technologies, and continues to inspire its consumers with the products it develops and trends it identifies, offering different creative decoration suggestions.

What sectors does Marshall primarily serve and what types of products does it provide? What are Marshall's products, brands and services?

Operating under the AkzoNobel umbrella, Marshall has pioneered bringing many world-leading brands such as Cuprinol and Hammerite to the Turkish paint market. Under the Marshall brand, which has existed in the Turkish paint market for over 60 years, it offers innovative products such as Sil-Pak and Antibacterial Hygiene, while contributing to the development of the sector through the Gör&Boya application service, which provides consumers with great ease in selecting colors suited to their decoration preferences. AkzoNobel, one of the world's largest players in paints and coatings products, operates in 85 countries with 35,000 employees and through its proven quality global brands, continues its activities in all areas that need protection and painting, from industrial, packaging, automotive, marine/yacht and powder coatings to packaging and decorative paints.

What kind of work are you doing as Marshall in the areas of innovation and research and development?

Marshall, an innovative leader in the paint sector in Turkey, continues its activities with an approach focused on meeting consumer expectations by developing innovative and solution-oriented products. With these efforts, Marshall obtained the Research and Development Center Certificate given by the Ministry of Industry and Technology in 2019 and became eligible to benefit from incentives and exemptions granted to research and development centers under the provisions of Law No. 5746. In Marshall's research and development activities, it contributes to the development of the paint sector and focuses on providing users with more effective products, utilizing the superior work and knowledge of world paint giant AkzoNobel. Increasing infrastructure facilities and qualified human resources at the Research and Development Center, Marshall aims to contribute to the development of the paint sector through current, patent-oriented innovative and consumer-need oriented products and services, with joint work to be conducted with universities and increased accessibility to literature sources. The Marshall Sil-Pak product was developed according to consumers' ideal paint definition as a result of these long-term research and development efforts. By creating a film layer on walls, Sil-Pak prevents water-based stains from penetrating the wall, and with its water-repellent property, it creates a beading effect on the paint allowing liquids to flow without spreading. Sil-Pak, with its 'Stain-Resistant Technology', provides clean and highly effective use for high-traffic spaces and minimizes stains that could form on wall paint. The Marshall Antibacterial product, developed as a result of research and development work, is a product that, thanks to the silver ions it contains, which are certified following tests conducted by the Ministry of Health, provides 99 percent protection against bacteria without causing any harm to human health. With this product, which continuously maintains its antibacterial properties, Marshall provides a healthy and hygienic environment.

Could you provide information about Marshall's environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you tell us about your efforts regarding worker health and safety?

As Marshall, while expanding our sphere of influence in the industry on one hand, we constantly work to minimize environmental impacts resulting from our activities on the other. We aim to reduce our environmental footprint and become part of an environmentally conscious and sustainable process by continuously making performance improvements. Within this framework, we first act in compliance with local and international regulations as well as AkzoNobel's global environmental standards and sustainability principles, and we implement an independent audit and approval process. We recover a large portion of domestic and hazardous waste at the factory and continue our efforts towards a "Zero Waste" goal. We install gas treatment and detection systems at necessary points to eliminate VOC emissions. Domestic and industrial wastewater is treated in our facility's chemical wastewater treatment plant, and we continuously measure our treatment performance through measurement of critical water parameters. We develop projects under the leadership of our engineering department to reduce energy consumption. At the same time, we inform our consumers and customers about the environmental impacts of our products and processes and continuously provide them with necessary recommendations. AkzoNobel companies regard people as the most valuable asset in all their activities and view occupational health and safety as a fundamental principle. In this context, we constantly work to create a safer and healthier working environment. Safe working conditions are a prerequisite for working within AkzoNobel facilities. Therefore, we expect all AkzoNobel employees to keep the concept of safety at the center of their lives. By making this a culture, we make safety an undisputed first priority not only in work life but also in their personal lives. To achieve our goals, we carefully evaluate the risks that may arise from all our processes, operations, new product tests, process and engineering changes. In addition, we evaluate all raw materials, packaging materials, machines, equipment and promotional materials used from the design stage of products to the consumption process in terms of chemical, biological and physical hazards. We also put these materials through an approval process for use. We closely follow current occupational health and safety issues, their knowledge and public awareness, and by working together with all our stakeholders, we ensure the development of health and safety culture and improvement of standards.

What criteria does Marshall prioritize when formulating investment plans? Does Marshall have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

As Marshall, the most important issue in our investment planning for the 3-year period ahead is eliminating non-value-added work in our processes and improving and renewing process flow. Following this, we will focus on increasing product range and production efficiency. As a leading company in the sector, working on innovative investments in new products and technology titles that meet the requests and demands of our customers during the coming period is on our agenda. Equally important are the topics on our agenda regarding reducing energy use, reducing electricity and natural gas consumption. However, our sustainability agenda contains very extensive topics and is at the center of our development plans.