Interview with Betül Çelik, R&D Manager at Bileşim Kimya

We conducted a pleasant interview with Betül Çelik, R&D Director at Bileşim Kimya, in which we discussed the company's R&D activities, future targets and the advantages it will bring to the sector.

 

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

I completed my secondary education at 50. Yıl Anadolu Lisesi. I then graduated from the Chemistry Department at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. My interest in science from an early age influenced my choice of the chemistry department. At Bileşim Kimya, I initially worked in the Quality Assurance Department with a 2-year training period under Aydın Şenler. At the same time, I completed my training in R&D and product development under Müfit Sabuncu. I have been serving as R&D and Product Development Director for approximately 8 years.

What would you like to say about Bileşim Kimya? Can you provide information about the areas you operate in and your product range?

Bileşim Kimya entered the sector 20 years ago at the beginning of the 2000s. Through innovative products that comply with quality standards, it increases its market share in Turkey and worldwide day by day. The product groups we operate in are personal care and home cleaning. These include hair shampoo, hair conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, skin care cream, colour-correcting creams, odour eliminator products, deodorant, roll-on, foam soap, liquid soap, liquid cleaning cream, fabric softener, surface cleaner, dishwashing detergent and vegan certified cosmetics.

Could you tell us about your domestic and international sales activities? What efforts have you made to develop your sales activities?

As of October 2019, Bileşim Kimya covers 45% of total revenue from foreign markets and 55% from domestic markets. We export to more than 45 countries in the foreign market. In the domestic market, we develop our own brand and private label products together. To develop our sales activities, our priorities include identifying the needs of our customers and consumers, and conducting research and development activities for innovative, high value-added products that will contribute to the sector and provide time and performance advantages in these times when time is extremely valuable.

What is your perspective on R&D? Can you provide information about the R&D work you have carried out?

If we define companies as living organisms, R&D is the heart of a company. Developing innovative products, delivering them to consumers, marketing them, explaining what advantages one product provides compared to another, and using sustainable resources are extremely important. For this reason, I attach great importance to the team's competencies, measuring these competencies, continuous monitoring of international systems, regulations and chemical inventory information, and we continuously allocate resources for these purposes. At the same time, as R&D Director, I regularly provide training to all departments of our company in quality assurance and R&D. We conduct our R&D activities together by continuously training our team. We maintain our raw material, regulation, legal and country conditions research at a high level, and we conduct very extensive studies for our important critical control points such as product stability and microbiological quality. I believe there are 2 fundamental questions for product development: What does the consumer need? What raw materials, materials, tests, measurements and legal obligations do I need to meet to develop this product? When these two questions are answered correctly and work is carried out with the necessary care, success will follow. During 2019, Bileşim Kimya allocated a significant budget to R&D resource needs, renovated its laboratories, added 4 new test devices to its inventory and included a software program for international legal regulation monitoring.

What would you like to say about the personal care and cleaning sector from past to present?

The personal care and cleaning sector has shown very serious development as a result of a conscious consumer base, economic fluctuations and the acceleration of scientific knowledge sharing worldwide. The human need for cleanliness, which began years ago, continues to increase and change. We know that the first soap known in history was made approximately 6,000 years ago in ancient Babylon, when it was discovered that mixing animal fats with wood ash and water created a cleaning substance. We also know that in the Vatican, due to the increasing bad odour (actually microbes) causing many people to become ill, the Vatican allocated its largest budget to the fumigation of the palace. It was believed that fumigation would eliminate bad odours (actually microbes) and diseases. Cosmetic and cleaning needs continue to grow and change every day. From this example to today, Bileşim Kimya continues research and production in parallel with these changes and in addition to them.

Could you tell us about the social responsibility projects you have carried out?

We are in contact with aid organizations such as LÖSEV and Voluntary Goodness Movement, and we try to contribute as Bileşim Kimya to bring joy to families there. Our company provides support for the education of our employees' children. Furthermore, our social project called 'Let's All Read', initiated by our General Manager Sedat Çelik and Company Consultant Tülay Arsu, is being implemented in 2020.

Can you provide information about the measures you have taken while producing for a more livable world?

For a more livable world, using natural resources such as water and energy without waste, giving importance to sustainable natural resources, system improvements in terms of human resource power, time value and management are Bileşim Kimya's most important policies. In the TÜBİTAK project we have prepared, we are developing an ecosystem-sensitive product series that can be obtained with very little water, very little chemicals and very little energy. We are working to incorporate this perspective into all our product groups and adapt it to all Bileşim Kimya employees. We maintain waste treatment, recycling, water footprint and work at the highest level.