Founded in the USA in the 1920s, Univar Solutions offers solutions to many different industries. In our interview, Ms. Songül Yıldırım, Univar Solutions, Adhesive and Construction Chemicals Sales Manager gave information about the products and technologies they offer in the fields of adhesives and sealants.
Could you please briefly tell us about yourself, your educational and professional background?
I was born in Istanbul in 1984, after graduating from Şehremini Anatolian High School, I graduated from Trakya University, Department of Chemistry. After my graduation, I’ve started working in sales at Eral – Protek company in 2009.
After the acquisition of this company by Univar Solutions in 2010, I continue my career as Adhesive and Construction Chemicals Sales Manager in Univar Solutions.
Could you please give information about Univar Solutions’s history and milestones? What is the current structure of Univar Solutions today?
Univar Solutions is one of leading distributor company established in the USA in the 1920s, supplying international chemical raw materials.
It has achieved its current structure by making various acquisitions both in America and Europe and for Turkey, Univar got into the market by purchasing well-known local distribution company Eral – Protek in 2010.
The industries which we held operation with the supply of chemical raw materials are paint, construction, adhesive, cosmetics, food, rubber, plastic, pharmaceutical and cleaning products chemicals and solvents.
To which industries and with what kind of products does Univar Solutions mainly serve, especially in the field of Adhesives and Bonding? Could you please give information about Univar Solutions’s products, brands and services?
As Univar Solutions, we offer high and sustainable quality product range into the adhesives and sealant industries by reaching our global network we secure our supply constant and continuous.
Hydrocarbon resins, epoxy resins, rosin esters, PE wax, TPU, MDI, castor oil, dehumidifiers,
acrylic resins, thickeners, pH regulators and various other additives are our main focus. As we can state some of our valuable partners as Cabot, Olin, BASF, DOW, Braskem, Yuen Liang, Angus, Lotte Fine Chemicals.
PU adhesive, hotmelt, shoe sole adhesive, PIB-based adhesive and mastic manufacturers are among the sectors where we offer these products. In general, we supply various raw materials to all water and solvent-based adhesive sectors.
Could you please tell about your domestic and international sales activities? To which regions and what kind of products does Univar Solutions mainly sell?
Since Univar Solutions is an American-based international distributor, it continues its activities as the authorized sales distributor of the products of the leading chemical raw material manufacturers in 20 countries in America, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East and Asia.
Could you please give information about Univar Solutions’s innovation and R&D studies? Do you have any projects that were developed in the context of university – industry cooperation?
As chemistry is an industry that constantly develops itself, there are serious innovation investments for the sectors we serve.
The first priority is the procurement of sustainable, nature-friendly materials, the second is the procurement of products that will provide cost advantages, and the third is the procurement and supply of products that keep up with the developing technology.
In this context, as Univar Solutions, we continue to work on the supply of raw materials that we can provide in the transition from solvent-based products to water-based products, and the technical support required in this regard from our technical team of 8 people in Europe.
Technology always plays a very active role in our lives and business life. Since we are an international company, the CRM system we use provides communication opportunity to all team members in our company, wherever they are in the world.
We are very pleased with our team in the field and this digital platform we use supports us.
We have a digital shopping platform that is actively used in America, its use has increased with the pandemic and our efforts to expand it in Europe continue.
The use of digital shopping and information sharing tools will increase in the coming days. Currently, we implement a digital payment system in Turkey, and our customers can easily make their payments remotely with a credit card via their phone or computer.
Could you give information about Univar Solutions’s environmental policy and sustainability approach? What kind of works and studies are performed in the area of worker health and safety?
Our first priority is safety and safety covers while providing products and services in all our operations is the environment, human health and occupational safety. Our company motto is “Safety is first!” It is a priority known and implemented by all our employees.
It is the responsibility of each of our employees to stop the wrong job( spot and stop). With a proactive approach to the prevention of occupational accidents, training and information are provided at all levels.
In order to protect our employees, business partners and the environment, we make risk
assessments regarding our activities and ensure that the actions to be taken are taken in a timely manner.
What are the priority criteria of Univar Solutions when creating investment plans? Does Univar Solutions have any investment plans for near and far future?
Univar Solutions is a company that grows with acquisitions while opening up to new markets, we have a team that works specifically and dedicated in this field focus over projects opportunities.
Our investment plans are shaped by the needs of customers in the market, the identification of deficiencies and the guidance of our business partners, and we work hard to put these plans into practice in both existing and new countries.
