Strong in Turkey

“The activities of Is¸ik and Soudal have blended seamlessly in terms of pro­ducts, channels and distribution strategy,” says Bart Lambrechts, Soudal’s export director. “We were able to bundle our forces superbly in the building and retail mar­ket and so bring about integration in the Turkish marketplace within only a short time,” Lambrechts continues. Both companies were already actively involved in the local stores. While Is¸ik has for years been successfully selling its Light Fix brand there, Soudal has been working with its own brand among professional users through its subsidiary company, Soudal Insaat Malzemeleri. The strategy for the future goes as follows: both brands will still be represented in the market, Soudal in all market segments and Light Fix in the areas of silicone, acrylic and PU foam. “The sound market know-how provided by Is¸ik, combined with the quality and variety of Soudal’s products, has resulted in a promising partnership that is much appreciated by customers,” says Erhan Is¸ik, managing director of Soudal/Is¸ik Tic A.S. “Even before the end of the first business year we can say that the market acceptance of our link-up is extremely positive. We are looking towards the future with optimism,” he continues. Expectations surpassed The building materials market in Turkey counts at present among the most dynamic and rapidly expanding in the world. Turkey is currently ranked at number eighteen among the world’s biggest eco­nomies, and number seven in Europe. Soudal/Is¸ik stands at third place in the local market and, with sales of around € ten mio, recorded growth of thirty per cent in 2011 compared with the previous year. The ambitious sales targets for 2012 have already been exceeded by five per cent. Soudal’s brand-name products are available throughout Turkey after only about a year. The sale of PU sealants, PU foams, silicones and acrylics is proving especially successful for the manufacturer’s customers, who number approximately one thousand . “With our focus on product development and innovation we are ideally prepared to strengthen our market position,” says Is¸ik, “we offer special adhesives and sealants that are totally new to the Turkish market.” But what do customers in Turkey expect? “Although Turkish consumers are known for their price orientation, they also react sensitively to product quality, which is however always seen in combination with the variety, stability and quality of the manufacturer,” Is¸ik maintains. These…