Beta Kimya Inc., which has made a name for itself with appreciation and praise since its establishment, has also registered its success in this field of activity by taking firm steps in the hygiene market with the Covid-19 period. Drawing attention to the place, importance and targets of Beta Kimya Inc. in the international arena, Cihat Sayacı, General Manager of Beta Kimya Inc., said, “The BETA Kimya GEBKİM Campus, the foundations of which we laid last July, is a product of our excitement to generate high added value. Our new integrated facility, which will be commissioned with an investment of 315 million TL, with a hundred percent domestic and equity capital, will be the largest adhesive and glue production facility in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.”
You are a company which has been continuing your activities safely for almost half a century and has made a name for itself. In this context, could you tell us about the establishment story of Beta Kimya Inc. and the history of your company?
As Beta Kimya Inc., we started our production in Istanbul in 1987 and we have been continuing to produce for 34 years and add value to Turkish chemistry. We took our first step into industrialism with the production of furniture adhesives. While continuing our global journey with our generic brands Apel and Mitreapel, we focused on generating a wide product range which appeals to all areas of life, just like chemistry.
In 2007, we started the production of new generation adhesives and chemicals for the wood and construction industries with our production facility established in Tuzla, Istanbul with an advanced technology investment. Then, with the increase in production capacity, we continued our additional investments and established our first R&D laboratory in this facility. In addition, our R&D laboratory, which operates with a team consisting entirely of Turkish engineers, succeeded in being registered with the R&D Center Certificate in 2019. Recently, with the Antibacterial Spray and Liquid Hand Disinfectants we have developed in our R&D center, we have recently stepped into a new product group for health and hygiene. We also take place in 250 companies which invest most in R & D in Turkey.
In 2010, we started the production of technical aerosols, polyurethane-based adhesives and filling materials in another production facility we established in Tuzla. Later, we opened two new factories in 2013 and 2016, respectively, increasing the total number of production facilities to 4.
We export to 75 countries as of 2020, including neighboring countries, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and America region. Since 2018, we have been participating in the Brand Support Program within the scope of TURQUALITY, the world’s first and only state-supported branding program, with our Mitreapel brand.
Our Mitreapel brand, which has succeeded in being one of the generic brands in the export of the Turkish chemical industry, was also registered as a “Well-known Brand” by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in 2020.
In addition, we are one of the rare companies in the Turkish chemical industry which continues its investments and activities entirely with its own equity.
You have different brands within your company and you have a wide range of products. Could you give information about the fields of activity of these brands and your product categories?
We have been among the leading companies of the Turkish chemical industry for 34 years. With our generic brands Apel and MitreApel, we produce in 4 main product groups, namely Construction Chemicals, Adhesives, Technical Aerosols and Disinfectants, in 9 categories in total.
We address many different sectors with our nearly 150 products in the categories of P.V.Ac. based wood glue, cyanoacrylate-based fast adhesives, polyurethane-based adhesives, hot melt adhesives, hybrid adhesives with MS Polymer technology, silicone and sealants, polyurethane-based foams, technical aerosols, and spray and liquid disinfectants.
We have a very wide and functional product family that touches almost every sector from furniture to construction, from textiles to automotive and even health.
You gain a lot of appreciation and liking in your industry for your R&D studies. Could you tell us a little bit about your work?
We have a corporate culture which focuses on production, R&D and innovation since the first day we were founded. In doing so, we always focus on high technology and high value-added products. We have an R&D unit consisting entirely of Turkish engineers and holding an R&D Center Certificate.
We closely follow global trends and develop innovative products that offer rational solutions to the changing needs of consumers. We even renew and develop our existing products together with our developing technology and R&D studies. We believe in the power of innovation and constantly invest in developing high value-added products.
We also have cooperation with departments of universities such as chemical engineering and industrial engineering from time to time. Here, our basic philosophy is to add the bright ideas of our young colleagues to our business and to contribute to both our country and my industry with the principle of win-win.
We are a highly proactive industrial company in terms of R&D and innovation. Such that; Even during the Covid-19 pandemic process, we developed our Mitreapel Antibacterial Spray Disinfectant product for disinfection of all surfaces in a short period of 1 month. Immediately afterwards, we launched our Mitreapel Hunter Antibacterial Hand Disinfectant product, also during the pandemic period. We have stepped into liquid disinfectant with this product. We rapidly moved our experience in technical aerosols to the disinfectant category based on the surface penetration efficiency provided by the aerosol in line with the need in the field of health.
In the upcoming period, we will continue to make many more innovations with our innovative products to be used in many different sectors.
What are your principles which differentiate and highlight you as Beta Kimya Inc. in the sector you serve?
We are a company which always focuses on producing better and better quality, plans all its investments by considering all positive / negative scenarios and derives its strength from the rich values of these lands. As Beta Kimya Inc., we think globally at every stage of our business processes with the understanding of adding value to the Turkish industry and the chemical industry.
We are a chemistry family which is very dynamic especially in R&D and innovation, closely follows the sectoral trends in the world and makes serious investments in this field. We have launched more than 30 new products in the last 3 years. It is a proof of this that we are among Turkey’s top 250 R&D firms that invests most. With a team consisting entirely of Turkish engineers, we prioritize innovative products that touch many areas of life. Meeting the expectations of our customers, maintaining high quality standards, competing with ourselves in production and determining trends with rational solutions are just some of the important principles of our corporate culture.
In addition, we are a rare industrial company with one hundred percent domestic and equity capital. We did not back down from investment even during the Covid-19 pandemic process. The BETA Kimya GEBKİM Campus, which we laid the foundations of last July, is a product of our excitement to create high added value. Our new integrated facility, which will be commissioned with a hundred percent domestic and equity capital, with an investment of 315 million TL, will be the largest adhesive and glue production facility in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
As Beta Kimya Inc. family, we believe Turkey’s power and rely on the potential of the Turkish chemical industry. We are proud to be the pioneer of the sector in R&D, production, export and investment.
Especially with the Covid-19 outbreak, the issue of hygiene has stand out and hygiene products have been significant. As Beta Kimya Inc., you are in this market with your Mitreapel Hunter disinfectant products. Can you tell us about your work in production, export, etc. related to your Mitreapel Hunter disinfectant brand?
With the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world, all the dynamics of daily life have changed dramatically. Health is always our top priority. However, with the coronavirus epidemic, health and hygiene gained a completely different importance. As Beta Kimya Inc., we turned to disinfectant products that will contribute to the protection of human health and how valuable domestic production is in this difficult process.
While rapidly adapting to the new normal period, we added new products to our product range that meet the expectations of the period. We developed our Mitreapel Hunter Antibacterial Disinfectant product in just a short time like 1 month and launched it quickly. We rapidly moved our long years of experience in the field of technical aerosols to the disinfectant category. Mitreapel Hunter Antibacterial Spray Disinfectant and Mitreapel Hunter Antibacterial Hand Disinfectant, which we offer in two types as spray and liquid, attracted great interest from domestic and foreign markets.
With Mitreapel Hunter, we have opened a new product category that offers both surface and hand and skin disinfection. We acted proactively and received orders from many countries, especially in Europe, during the pandemic process. While our Mitreapel Hunter product is currently being sold on many e-commerce sites, we will soon have access to a wide pharmacy channel.
Our Mitreapel Hunter products, which you can carry with you in every moment of daily life, are also preferred in multi-living areas such as factories, hospitals and shopping malls with their large size packaging for industrial use.
Finally, how do you evaluate Turkey disinfectants and other hygiene products market? Can you share your predictions for the future?
Turkey is an extremely powerful country in the field of health and wellness products. During the Covid-19 pandemic process, it was once again seen that countries are self-sufficient and how valuable domestic production is. Considered from this angle, disinfectants and other hygiene products to be manufactured to the highest standards in Turkey is very valuable. Because, in this process, we saw that; It is of great importance to provide hygiene in every moment of life.
The change and transformation experienced with the Covid-19 pandemic has also changed our priorities. In addition to wearing masks and keeping social distance, we now first disinfect our hands before entering a restaurant or a grocery store. We clean a cargo package that comes to our home or workplace with spray disinfectants and we are fighting a relentless fight against viruses and bacteria.
Disinfection is now a very important part of our lives. I think the effects of the epidemic on human life, changing habits and our priorities in daily life will continue for a long time and even after the pandemic.
Therefore, disinfectant and hygiene products will be one of the basic products we will use without leaving us in the upcoming period. Hunter Mitreapel our disinfectant products, we foresee will continue to increase the use of Turkey and the world.