Ozan Turan, Intl Business Dev Executive unveils how ODE spread its business in Europe and Asia
ODE Insulation is one of the most important manufacturers of insulation materials in Turkey. It is 100% Turkish company and operates with the target of being a global brand.
It exports its products to 5 continents primarily to Europe and Asia and recently has concentrated to increase its market share in Pakistan.
We had an interview with Ozan Turan, an International Business Development Executive of the company about what ODE Insulation has performed and their targets. Turan stated that ODE Insulation is among the top players in the sector in Turkey with over 4 thousand product variety and continues to be preferred in prestigious projects around the world for its quality.
Turan also added that in 2018 they focused on export and lately export became the driving force in their growth.
Could you give us a brief information about ODE Insulation?
As ODE we carry on all of our activities with the target of being a global brand created in Turkey. We are the only brand which is a hundred percent locally owned insulating company operating in our country. We are among the biggest producers in our sector with three manufacturing plants, over four thousand product types and expert teams of people. We are producing extruded polystyrene thermal insulation material with the ODE Isıpan brand; waterproofing membranes with the ODE Membran brand; glass wool used in thermal, sound and fire insulation with the ODE Starflex brand; elastomeric rubber foam used in HVAC insulation material with the ODE R-Flex brand.
Our goal is to be the leader in waterproofing. We are producing waterproofing bitumen membranes in every segment and developing new products in this field in our on-premise R&D
center. Among the recently produced products, we have a membrane with aluminum folio and membrane for the viaduct. We are the preferred brand in important projects like the 3rd airport in Istanbul, city hospitals and we supply thermal, waterproofing and mechanical insulation materials to almost all the city hospitals in Turkey.
What are your export targets?
In 2018, particularly in the context of the new product development, we have focused on R&D operations and on export in order to grow in the new markets. We have allocated a very serious budget for our R&D activities, which we carry on totally with our own technical employees and our own know-how. We have declared this period as the advancement for ODE. ODE has become a regional brand; our goal now is to carry our brand to the global arena. We have already caught up an important momentum in the export business and during the first four months of the year, compared to the same period of the last year, we have increased our export 35% in US Dollar.
For the coming period, we are planning to increase our export with the new products that we will develop according to the needs of the markets in target countries.
In which regions are you more effective in export markets?
Our company currently exports to five continents and is expanding its export network rapidly, mainly focusing on Europe and Africa and South America. We are growing fast in our region especially in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Our target as ODE is to increase the number of countries that we export more than $ 1 million. For the following period, we will direct our efforts to foreign markets, heavily to Asia and to Europe. In all our actions we take a global point of view. Today in ODE we speak 13 different languages. Last year, we have accomplished 24 different country visits and spent 337 days out of 365 in foreign countries for visits, exhibitions, and seminars. This year it looks like we will even exceed these figures.
Would you also briefly inform us about your targets in Pakistan?
Pakistan is a good market which is fast growing and especially in recent years drawing important foreign investments. It is a country open and suitable for cooperation in almost all fields, including the tourism sector, infrastructure projects, newly opened factories and the healthcare sector. All these bring together the increase in construction projects in the country.
And as ODE in Pakistan, we have concentrated to increase our market share and to take our part in major on-going construction projects. For example, ODE products were used in Orange Line Light Rail Metro Project which contributes to the transportation of Lahore, which is the second largest city of Pakistan. ”With the help of our partner QMB, we aim to become one of the preferred brands in insulation in Pakistan with our quality.”
