Denge Kimya Product Manager Esin Gökmen Answers Our Questions

In our interview with Esin Gökmen, Product Manager at Denge Kimya, we discussed the company's operations and the product groups served by its Densurf brand. Gökmen shared insights on Denge Kimya's digital transformation and future goals with our readers.

Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I graduated from Ege University Department of Chemical Engineering in 2010. After graduation, I enrolled in the Engineering Management master's program at Izmir University of Economics (İYTE). In 2012, I started working as a Polymer Engineer at a domestic paint company in the resin facility. Between 2014 and 2018, I worked as an R&D Color Engineer at the same company. In 2016, I began a master's degree in Chemical Engineering at İYTE. I completed my master's thesis by researching silicon-boron composite nanoparticle synthesis and its adaptation to industrial applications. Between 2019 and 2020, I continued my career by providing consulting services on pigment paste design, dispersion, and paints and coatings additives applications. My career journey at Denge Kimya began in 2020. I currently serve as Product Manager for the Densurf brand, which operates in paints and coatings additives and silicone resins. Alongside my professional work, I am continuing my doctoral studies in the Chemical Engineering Department at İYTE.

Could you describe Denge Kimya's development since its establishment?

Denge Kimya began operations in 1993 with the trading of textile auxiliary chemicals. A production facility was established in 2002 and the Denge Kimya R&D Center was founded in 2016. To date, 14 valuable projects have been completed with support from TÜBİTAK-TEYDEP and KOSGEB. Denge Kimya serves the textile chemicals sector with the DNG product group. The paints and coatings additives and silicone resins sector are served by the Densurf product group, which started as a TÜBİTAK project in 2016 and has become a brand today. This division provides input to the sector. In 2019, the company established Dena Boya A.Ş. to conduct operations in the textile dyes sector.

What are Densurf's products and product groups? Which sectors does it serve?

Densurf is a registered brand through which Denge Kimya pursues its mission to deliver innovative and differentiated solutions to the paints and coatings sector. The product group includes dispersion agents, surface additives, defoamers and silicone resins. The company also develops products for other sectors such as detergents, cosmetics and agriculture.

Could you discuss your sales activities? Which regions do you primarily serve?

Densurf operates primarily in the Marmara, Aegean, Central Anatolia and Mediterranean regions within Turkey. Internationally, the company conducts sales through its distributors to numerous countries including Bulgaria, Romania and Uzbekistan, and continues its efforts to expand operations on a global scale.

Could you provide information about your venture at Teknopark İzmir, which began operations in March this year?

The Densurf brand was born as a start-up from TÜBİTAK projects. Our goal is to grow Densurf and position it as a company within the Denge Group. Toward this objective, we took an important step by opening a project office at Teknopark İzmir. We will use the advantages that Teknopark İzmir provides to strengthen our university-industry collaborations, apply for EU projects and develop partnerships with paint companies positioned in İzmir that have very strong technical and technological infrastructure.

Advancing technology and digitalization are offering innovative opportunities to many sectors. What are Denge Kimya's initiatives regarding digital transformation and globalization?

Within the Denge Group, we declared 2021 as the "Year of Digital Transformation." 2020 was the year we developed and expanded our R&D operations. Globalization has compelled companies to act more agilely to maintain their position in the future. In this context, we first strengthened our R&D center to enhance and accelerate our customer services, and now we are working closely with technology to deliver our services more rapidly. Beyond these, in order to reduce the footprint that this pace and growth would leave on the world, we declared 2022 as the "Year of Sustainability." To prepare both ourselves and our customers for the coming year, we organized "Sustainable Development Days" in 2021. Our objective is to support Denge's sustainability vision, which has existed since the company's establishment, through both our digital transformation and sustainability projects by the end of 2022.

What do you do in your free time, and what are your hobbies?

I generally find it difficult to create free time for myself. Managing academic and professional life together fills my schedule. Activities I enjoy include reading books and doing puzzles. Before the pandemic, I attended yoga three days a week. I am awaiting normalization to return to those days.