We Conducted an Interview with Ata Akbal, General Manager of Bilim Kimya

We conducted an engaging interview with Ata Akbal, General Director of Bilim Kimya, discussing the company's areas of operations and R&D activities. Akbal provided information about innovative technologies the company has implemented in the textile sector.

Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your professional background?

First, I would like to extend my thanks to the Editor of Turkchem Magazine, Çağla Köksal, and the Chem Media team for this interview. I was born in Istanbul in 1977. The Chemistry Department at İnönü Technical High School, where I received four years of education, played a very important role in shaping my career path. Thanks to chemistry high school, I realized that I loved this field and that I could succeed if I worked in this sector. In the university entrance examination, I chose and was admitted to Istanbul University's Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemistry. After four years of study, I obtained my chemist diploma. I had internship experience in various sectors such as Hacı Şakir/Colgate, the pharmaceutical industry, and Mercedes Benz automobiles. I worked for two years at Türk Hoechst, a German pharmaceutical factory. I served for eight years as a Technical Sales Manager at a company that distributed BASF and Clariant products, working in the chemical raw material sales field. Armed with the experience gained from my profession and work experience, I decided to establish Bilim Kimya at the age of 32.

Can you provide information about Bilim Kimya? What sectors do you serve and what types of products do you offer?

With a total of 90 employees, in 15,000 m² of enclosed and 5,000 m² of open space, we supply raw materials for many different sectors such as detergents, cosmetics, fragrances, textiles, denim, agriculture, environmental health, cleaning and biocidal products, and water chemicals, and sell them to manufacturers. The main companies of which we are a distributor or dealer are German PCC Exol, Swiss Archroma, American ICM Products, Italian ACC Silicones, Dutch Si-Linq, South Korean KCC Corporation, British Basildon Chemicals, Indian Esteem Industries, and Chinese Pangs Chem Co. As Bilim Kimya, over the past 10 years, we have been producing raw materials that many manufacturers require and use in their formulations by performing esterification, condensation, and polymerization reactions in our 2 universal reactors of 15 m³, 1 of 7 m³, 2 of 6 m³, and 1 of 5 m³. The main chemicals we produce with our expert team at our facility are: Betaine 30%, Betaine 35%, Betaine 45%, Esterquart 90%, Esterquart 40%, Polyquaternium 7, Benzalkonium chloride 50%, Peracetic acid 15%, Sodium polyacrylate 45%, Polyacrylic acid 45%, Maleic acid, Acrylic acid copolymer 45%, Sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate 75%, Nonionic and cationic fabric softeners, Polydadmac 45%, PEG 400 Oleate, PEG 400 Cocoate.

Can you tell us about your domestic and international sales volume?

As the Bilim Kimya family, each year both our new personnel hiring, turnover, and tonnage are increasing day by day. Our year-on-year growth in domestic and international markets averages in the 20–25% range. Our growth in the cleaning products and biocidal products sector due to the pandemic has reached 40%. In exports, the share of Europe, Balkan Countries, the Middle East, and Turkic Republics is increasing. The year 2020 was a year in which we exceeded our export targets and increased our sales in many countries.

As a company engaged in chemical raw material supply, how do you assess the impacts of Covid-19?

I hope that in the shortest time possible, scientists working tirelessly on combating Covid-19 will develop more vaccines and medicines for treatment. As a result, both our country's valued citizens and other citizens of the world will regain their health in the shortest time possible and transition to the lifestyle they were accustomed to, returning to normalcy. Particularly in the fight against Covid-19, which began in February 2020, the supply of active ingredients and auxiliary materials of biocidal products such as ethyl alcohol, IPA, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine digluconate, benzalkonium chloride, carbomer, and certain other chemicals encountered major difficulties. Subsequently, the supply problem was gradually resolved by increasing the production capacity of existing facilities. Restrictions, closures, and pandemic response efforts by many countries in the global market caused sectoral contractions in textiles, automotive, petrochemicals, and other fields. In recent months, we have faced serious problems in the supply, transportation, and sourcing of containers for basic chemicals used in many sectors. This situation increased raw material prices. Our expectation is that within the next six months, chemical supply and freight prices will approach previous market levels.

What does R&D mean for your company? Can you tell us about the activities you conduct in your R&D laboratories?

The world is constantly changing, people's expectations and needs are becoming more diverse. In our view, R&D is the brain of a manufacturing company. We have 5 R&D and quality laboratories within our organization that serve different sectors. Our expert colleagues continuously diversify their activities according to each sector's dynamics. They develop nature and environmentally sensitive, sustainable products that factories need. At certain intervals, we prepare KOSGEB and TÜBİTAK R&D Projects. To respond to our customers' demands, our team comes together with academics on different platforms and conducts joint work.

What are innovative technologies in the textile-denim chemicals field? Can you tell us about the actions taking place in this context in our country and in your company?

Textiles are the sector from which Turkey exports the most after automotive. In textiles, thanks to our trained human resources capable of producing European-quality products, our accumulated knowledge, and our machinery parks, we are a preferred country for which many countries in the world have their production made. I believe that due to our extensive experience in contract manufacturing, our low production costs, our geographical location advantage, and the speed of our delivery times, we will remain a leading country in textile products for a long time to come. As Bilim Kimya, through our R&D work in textile chemicals, we are increasing the number of our sustainable innovative products that provide savings by using less water and less energy day by day. With our new generation environmentally friendly products, we are shortening the fabric dyeing and finishing processes and durations in textiles. In the denim sector, by developing products and enzymes that will eliminate the use of pumice stone and hypochlorite, we are eliminating the treatment burden on facilities and the damage to the environment. At Bilim Kimya, we guarantee customer satisfaction, efficient service, quality raw materials and products at reasonable prices.