Interview with Emre Tuna, Board Member of Farmasi

We conducted an enjoyable interview with Emre Tuna, a Member of the Board of Directors at Farmasi, in which we discussed the company's R&D activities and new-period objectives. Tuna also provided information about the opportunities Farmasi offers to transform homemakers into businesswomen. [caption id="attachment_123229" align="aligncenter"] Emre Tuna[/caption]

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

I was born in Istanbul in 1994. After graduating from Koç High School in 2013, I continued my education in the United States. I studied Business and Industrial Engineering at the University of Southern California. At the same time, due to my interest in aviation and my passion for flying my own aircraft, I completed my pilot training in the United States as well. I have had the opportunity to visit more than 60 countries so far and add new ones each year. In 2016, shortly after returning to Turkey, I rolled up my sleeves and joined Farmasi, the family brand whose development I had witnessed since childhood, to contribute to its growth. Since I started working, I have worked on countless different subjects. Production, planning, R&D, warehouse operations, legal, innovation, technology, sales, marketing and many others I cannot enumerate. I have generally managed foreign operations. In addition to working with many countries, I also look after new country and market development. Furthermore, I am a Member of the Board of Directors at Farmasi.

Could you provide information about Farmasi's success story?

The foundations of Farmasi were laid by my grandfather, Dr. Cevdet Tuna, who began medical education in Istanbul and then received a scholarship from the young Republic to study at Goethe Medical School in Germany. Returning to Istanbul in 1950, he established a company called "Tan Pharmacy" and launched products developed with his own formulas, such as burn ointment and cough syrup, which met the needs of the general population and became a legend in the sector in those years. In the 1970s, he expanded production by establishing a factory. Of course, my grandfather was a scientist; producing is one thing, but turning it into profit is a different competency. In the early 1980s, with my father Hakan Tuna, the second generation, entering the business, the company achieved significant commercial momentum. The "Farmasi" brand was born in 2004. To take the company to the next level, which my father had brought to a certain stage, in the late 2010 my brother Sinan Tuna and I, as the third generation, joined the company. With a few minor adjustments, we first strengthened the infrastructure in Turkey. In 2016, we began our first international investments in Central Europe. Then in 2019 we established Farmasi America. This is an important step we took on the path to becoming a global company. Last year, we entered the list of the world's 100 largest direct sales brands at rank 32, and we proudly celebrate the achievement of being the only Turkish brand to enter this prestigious list.

What are the sectors you serve and your product variety?

Farmasi is one of Europe's largest integrated facilities, housing nine separate factories, with very strong production capabilities. From makeup to skincare, from healthy household cleaning products to dietary supplements, we have over 2,000 product varieties. We produce almost all of our products ourselves. By the end of this year, we will launch our dietary supplement facility, completing all of our production in-house.

What is your domestic and foreign sales volume? What are your new-period objectives?

In 2020, we closed Turkey with sales revenue of TRY 1,000,000,000. Globally, we are currently above USD 500 million.   We want to be one of the world's top 10 cosmetics companies and a global brand. As part of this objective, in April we will enter Mexico, one of the world's five largest markets. This will be followed by Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea and China. Our 2023 target is to generate USD 3 billion globally.

How do you answer the question "Why Farmasi?" What is your target audience's priority when choosing Farmasi products?

We have 70 years of production experience. We create a significant difference in product variety. The profit plan we offer to our members is much better than our competitors. We have 1.2 million active entrepreneurs, 100,000 of whom support their families with income from here. More than 5,000 earn over TRY 5,000 per month. Every product we say we have sold is genuinely in stock. We package orders within 24 hours and hand them over to cargo. We have Turkey's most advanced warehouse system. We are a profitable, investment-capable, fast-decision-making, dynamic family company. If a customer wants a 20-million-unit product, we provide it quickly and manage operations very well. We catch trends quickly. When the sector average is 1, we launch at least 10 new products per month. We have operations in America and Europe. Perhaps this is our biggest difference from competitors. Our foreign operations are much more profitable. We use this strength to benefit our country and close the gaps here. Farmasi users have many priorities for choosing us; our satisfaction rate is very high. Providing affordable, quality and reliable products, our delivery speed, and our customer service where they can reach a contact person immediately are some of these.

What is your perspective on R&D? Could you provide information about your R&D activities?

We own one of the few R&D centers in Turkey. We have tremendous R&D investment. Our products are produced in Farmasi laboratories by R&D engineers who closely follow technology, in the highest quality standards and environment-friendly methods that protect human health. Using the product formulas of our founder, my grandfather Dr. Cevdet Tuna, and adhering to his golden rules, we develop products that do not contain heavy metals, parabens, triclosan, and do not use animal-derived content, in compliance with good manufacturing practice standards and without testing on animals.

Could you tell us about your most recently launched product? What features does this product have?

In February, we launched Spirulina, known as a superfood, to the market. This product, used as a dietary supplement, is a plant-based product containing blue-green algae. It has the richest organic iron ratio in nature, containing 58 times more iron than spinach and 28 times more than beef liver. Moreover, it is the richest source of antioxidants in nature. I believe our new product will receive considerable interest from consumers.

Could you provide information about the projects you plan to implement in the coming period? What advantages will these projects bring to the sector and your customers?

As I mentioned, in the second half of this year we plan to open our Dietary Supplement Facility. Our preparations are in the final stages, we have selected all our product groups, and we aim to reach 100 product varieties within three years. Together with new products to be added to our Nutriplus Series, our dietary supplement brand, we are preparing to provide much more support to our customers' nutrition journeys. Among our specially designed high-quality product formats will be meal replacement shakes and dietary supplement products, snacks, refreshing low-calorie beverages, teas, gel-format products that melt easily in the mouth, water-soluble products and liquid-format products.

Could you mention the measures you have taken while producing for a more sustainable world?

We keep sustainability at the core of our business; we view land, air, water and energy resources as nature's trusts to us. In conducting our operations, we have adopted the principle of meeting today's needs without limiting the opportunities of future generations. We use natural spring water in our products and treat our wastewater in our modern advanced treatment facilities, returning it to nature harmlessly. We recycle approximately 8,500 boxes daily, we use energy-efficient technologies in energy consumption. There is no harmful waste from our factory to nature; we are an exemplary facility with our characteristic of being a chimney-free factory positioned within nature.

Finally, what does Farmasi bring to women's lives? How does one become a Farmasi entrepreneur?

Farmasi has long been a brand striving to transform homemakers into businesswomen. In the digitalizing world, we at Farmasi have taken measures to enable our entrepreneurs to run their business and generate income without leaving their homes. To become a Farmasi entrepreneur, you do not need a diploma, a special skill, or large capital accumulation. Farmasi provides equal opportunity for all women. Our entrepreneurs can contribute to the family budget in their own determined time and within their own determined potential, educate their children, spend more time with their loved ones, and develop themselves. They can think more professionally, build teams and increase their earnings. Moreover, joining Farmasi is free; anyone over 18 years old can become a Farmasi entrepreneur by filling out the registration form at farmasi.com.tr.