Bostik Gives Interview on Its Products and Technologies

Bostik, with a long-established history, provides solutions across many different sectors through its developed products and technologies. In our interview, we spoke with Suna Ayvazoğlu, Marketing Manager at Bostik Turkey, about the adhesive and sealant industries. Ayvazoğlu provided information about Bostik's activities, evaluated 2020, and shared her expectations for 2021. [caption id="attachment_124197" align="aligncenter"] Suna Ayvazoğlu[/caption]  

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

I graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Graphic Design department in 1996. I started my career as a graphic designer at an advertising agency, and later worked as an art director. In between, I received training in public relations from London School of PR. I then worked as advertising and public relations manager at Çuhadaroğlu Holding for approximately 8 years, and have been working as Marketing Manager at Bostik since 2006. I am married with two children.

Could you provide information about Bostik's establishment process and the stages it has gone through to the present day? What is Bostik's structure today and how long has it been operating in Turkey?

Bostik, which has a long-standing history, has grown through major acquisitions and mergers over the years. With its technology and innovative breakthroughs, Bostik maintains its presence on five continents and is entering its 132nd year this year. From cradle to grave, from home to office, Bostik smart adhesives are found everywhere. Over the 20th century, the company, which has obtained more than 9,000 patents, operates in more than 55 countries with a turnover of EUR 2.1 billion in 2019 and 6,000 employees. It entered Turkey in 2005 by acquiring Çekomastik, the brand name that defined the sector, and was structured as Çekomastik Kimya San. ve Tic. A.Ş. In 2009, it further enriched its product range, which steers the construction sector, by incorporating Tekbau A.Ş. into its structure. Today, as a single company in Turkey, we continue as Bostik Kimya San. ve Tic. A.Ş.

Which sectors does Bostik primarily serve and what types of products and services does it provide? Could you provide information about the products, brands and services that Bostik offers specifically in the Adhesive and Sealant categories?

Bostik serves three areas worldwide: end consumer (hygiene), industry and construction. In Turkey, we are active in the adhesives, insulation and construction chemicals sectors in the industry and construction areas. Our full range of building and construction solutions products is used to construct and renovate many of the world's well-known buildings, landmark structures and tourist attractions. Our products in the areas of floor and wall preparation, adhesives and sealants, waterproofing, decoration and wall repair are manufactured with the latest technology to prepare a building from A to Z, ensure its waterproofing, provide adhesion and protect the building from the most demanding conditions. Our brand has earned the trust of millions of architects, contractors and dealers/distributors around the world.

Could you describe your domestic and foreign sales activities? Which regions do you primarily serve domestically and abroad, and what types of products and services do you sell?

We conduct our sales through our dealer network, focused on domestic and project-based sales. We deliver our sealants and adhesives, waterproofing systems and technical mortars, and floor product groups to various sectors through our dealer network. During the pandemic period, in addition to serving the domestic market, we are maintaining our potential by exporting to neighboring geographies.

What kind of work do you conduct in the areas of innovation and R&D as Bostik?

Through collaborations with our customers and suppliers, we closely monitor market needs. In this direction, we have an innovation strategy supported by three main objectives: designing adhesives with functional value, reducing negative impacts on health and the environment, and developing adhesives for new applications that provide additional benefits. For this purpose, a "Smart House" was built in France to test, validate and develop new solutions in the construction field. With this unique home concept, Bostik aims to transform its know-how on material and energy efficiency into a real-life demonstration. The Smart House project was designed as a living pilot laboratory and lifestyle exhibition hall reflecting how sustainable construction will look in 2030. This home allows the group's research team and scientific partners, companies and universities to test innovations based on four main pillars (Environment, Energy Efficiency, Comfort and Health) in real conditions in future constructions. The Smart House consists of two complementary buildings: The first is a 160-square-meter futuristic house built with ultra-sophisticated solutions and technologies. This full-scale real ecosystem entirely devoted to research and development houses experiments containing everyday life scenarios. These experiments are evaluated by our R&D center in Paris Venette since 2014, resulting in more efficient products for future generations and a sustainable world. Our two other equivalent major R&D centers, one in Milwaukee, USA and the other in Shanghai, China, also strengthen our global research and development capacity.

Could you provide information about Bostik's environmental policy and sustainability approach? What can you say about your work related to worker health and safety?

Our environmental policy and sustainability approach include managing solid and liquid waste from our facilities without harming ecological balance, in accordance with relevant regulations, and determining the quantities of waste generated from production areas and offices, ensuring their planned reduction in subsequent years. In addition to these, we place emphasis on taking all measures to reduce pollution impact to zero, monitoring and encouraging regulatory activities, using energy that causes minimal harm to the environment at our facilities most efficiently, playing an active role in the market regarding energy-saving systems, developing new technologies to contribute to the environment and natural life, analyzing accidents and determining root causes, and ensuring continuous improvement of procedures to achieve the "Zero Environmental Pollution" goal with continued operational progress. Our training concepts in occupational health and safety come from our Paris center and aim to encourage individual awareness and participation. We create and implement them accordingly. We adapt Bostik's global concept to all our production facilities. Compliance with legal requirements and "Safety" is our company's top priority.

What criteria are prioritized when Bostik's investment plans are formulated? Does Bostik have investment plans for the coming periods, and if so, what are they?

Bostik aims to invest in high value-added, specialized technology-intensive projects that align with its growth strategies. Bostik entered 2020 with a new acquisition by purchasing LIP Bygningsartikler A/S, a Danish leader in tile adhesives, waterproofing systems and floor preparation solutions. In the last quarter of 2020, by acquiring Ideal Work, an Italian company specializing in high value-added decorative floor technologies, it strengthened its floor covering product range. This project, in line with Arkema's targeted growth strategy in adhesives, perfectly complemented Bostik's existing product range in the construction sector with the latest technologies. In the last quarter of 2020, we began preparations to bring the names and packaging of all our products into alignment with global standards. The transition has been made in our adhesive group. Our sealant group is being completed. Just as we made fundamental changes and innovations in sealants and adhesives, we are doing the same globally in floor technologies. Our floor product range is strengthening, and new products will arrive in the Turkish market in the second quarter, taking their place in the Turkish market with their new appearance and new global names, just as they do around the world. In January, our website was redesigned on a global scale. With added innovations, our visitors can easily access all Bostik services and solutions. In the coming months, after the new look and design are adapted to other countries, our website will continue to be optimized. An advanced search portal will be added to our "smart new website" to enable effortless access to information, including contact forms, technical and security information form pages. In this new world where online communication is essential, we will continue to develop our website to provide the best service.

How did 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic period go for Bostik, and how would you evaluate it? What are your forecasts and expectations for 2021?

The Covid-19 outbreak was an unexpected situation for us like everyone else. No one fully understood the nature of the disease, its effects or its spread process. Without losing any time, we established an emergency action committee and determined our basic steps. These were: maximum security for all our employees and their families, operational continuity, and maintaining maximum communication with minimal contact. We prioritized creating a work environment that would protect our employees and their families. Because whether there is a pandemic or not, safety is the first of our company's core values. We apply this carefully in all our processes. We adapted our in-company training and meetings to online formats. Our operations units continued to serve our customers by strictly adhering to hygiene rules. Despite the pandemic, we achieved very successful results and ranked first among the 55 countries where Bostik operates. Bostik Turkey was recognized as the country that increased its success the most compared to the previous year and was awarded the best performance and success award. We will maintain our stability in 2021. We all know that the pandemic will not quickly disappear from our lives. Like the rest of the world, Turkey is experiencing an economic crisis. With the expansion of vaccinations, herd immunity will be achieved and the outbreak will be brought under control. Investments will continue in both the world and Turkey.