Adding value to the sector with its Technology Center Laboratory which was established with national finances, Alpet retains its successful position in lubricant and grease manufacturing. Facility Manager Ayşen Yıldırım gave significant information about Alpet Lubricant Blending and Filling Plant as one of the most modern manufacturing facilities in Turkey, and Exports Manager Dinçer Ateş made a general assessment on imports and exports.
As an important actor in the lubricants industry, Alpet offers various products and services. We would like to learn more about the company.
Alpet Lubricants entered into the lubricants industry in 2005 as one of the most modern manufacturing plants in Turkey. Adopting the principle of creating value in the sector, our company serves as a national capital laboratory in Turkey for lubricants, grease and fuel with its Technology Center Laboratory which is accredited by TÜRKAK under TS EN ISO/IEC 17025.
We started this journey with an aim of creating globally recognized brands, and today we reach our customers in three main business fields–automotive, industrial and marine– under Alpet Lubricants, Alpet Industrial and Alpet Marine brands.
Alpet Lubricants, a special brand for automotive applications, is a preferred brand both in Turkey and abroad with its engine oils, gear and transmission oils, agricultural lubricants, automotive greases, antifreeze, hydraulic brake fluids and Adblue products.
Alpet Industrial focuses on industrial lubricants. Our main product lines include a high number of lubricant types used in various industrial applications, such as cooling fluids, pure shear oils, protective oils, slideway oils, gear oils, hydraulic oils, fire-resistant hydraulic fluids, mold release agents, industrial greases, and textile oils. We continue to develop the scope of Alpet Industrial brand to meet the needs of users in different areas such as white goods manufacturing, automotive industry, iron and steel industry, and machine parts production.
Alpet Marine is one of the most preferred brands of marine lubricants with its ability to supply oil at every port of Turkey and its product portfolio for marine applications. It is of utmost importance that ships passing through the territorial waters of Turkey arrive at their destination as soon as possible. We provide services to the maritime industry with a minimum time of oil supply, used oil analysis service, and high quality products that meet global standards.
What are the corporate values that feed your success?
We believe the main factors affecting product salesare; brand, stability, quality and teamwork. However, to attain success it is also a necessity to support these factors with the best prices and service quality. All of our departments act upon the philosophy of joint services and work with a common consciousness to form the right processes, solutions and collaborations. We provide technical support services for users who prefer our brands to maximize the benefits of their products. Our technical service engineers help extend the life of lubricants and reduce lubricant costs by advising on the correct application methods of lubricants and by organizing special technical training programs for our customers.
When necessary, customized product designs are made for special processes of customers to help them choose the most appropriate product for their industrial applications. The used oil analysis is a highly beneficial service to determine any potential problem that may arise in the equipment nof our customers. On the other hand, communication with customers is of great importance. Our regional based sales teams are made up of highly skilled and competent experts who know the geography and the people of the region well.
Which strategies do you follow to keep up with the industry and always be one step ahead?
The product range is constantly updated in line with the needs of users and developments in the sector. Lubricants, grease and fuel laboratories, equipped with advanced technology analytical instruments and a team of experts, incorporates all developments in the world simultaneously. Our team, which consists of great experts in their field, follows recent developments in the world by participating to international organizations, training programs and congresses as well as by having elaborate meetings with academics.
The manufacturing plant was designed to incorporate the latest technological developments. There are innovations in the production line to meet the needs of the sector. With the investment made in 2014, we started to manufacture grease under the same roof. By the end of 2017, the product range particularly in our Alpet Industrial brand will be increased with the investments made throughout the year. Necessary devices for new product types will be added to our Technology Center Laboratory. With our effective procurement organization, our team closely follows the changes in raw materials and additives in the world. In line with the developments related to raw materials, the R&D activities are aimed at creating the best formulations with the best raw materials.
Can you please give information about Alpet Lubricant Blending and Filling Plant?
The project was completed in 2005 and the plant was commissioned in 2006. It works entirely on national capital and has an effective automation system that still keeps up to date. Alpet has become a plant that can produce and sell a large number of product groups within the same body on the basis of the same quality standards. Alpet’s station network started with customer groups and now the company has distributor agreements both in Turkey and abroad. In addition, it is a part of contract manufacturing agreements with domestic and foreign companies. In 2017, with the aim of increasing the production and storage capacity, a new storage system was introduced for effective management of all these processes, and machinery and tank investments were made for new product groups. Under the same roof, the plant offers manufacturing and filling services for a high number of products in automotive, industrial lubricants, greases and antifreeze ranges. Thanks to its comprehensive accredited laboratory, TSE and international standards can be tested in the plant’s laboratory without being dependent on other laboratories. Many of the equipment at the grease plant, which was commissioned at end of 2014, was designed specifically to ensure consistency and smoothness in grease products. Greases in different grades which were imported before 2014 can now be manufactured at the Alpet Grease Unit. The entire team works diligently and carefully to add a special product to our product range every day.
What are you planning for the future as Alpet? What is your objective?
Our objective is to meet all of the needs of our current customer portfolio and to ensure that Alpet Lubricants become a reference for prestigious businesses. Rather than being an ordinary lubricant company, we commit ourselves to protect our position in the sector with the innovations we try to achieve on the basis of our service philosophy. In a period when the environment is under a rapid consumption pressure, we will always continue to focus on nlong-life and synthetic product groups. We will be working on investments in this direction.
Lastly, as a general assessment, what can you say about the import-export environment and current status in Turkey?
Global competition has intensified and become more challenging in this period, which negatively affected the lubricant sales and exports just like other sectors. Despite all these problems, we work hard to keep up nwith the sector in Turkey and abroad, to attach greater importance to R&D activities, and eventually increase our shares in the market. With the geographical advantage of our country and the state support to export, Alpet Lubricants aims to increase its sales volume by entering ninto new markets every year. There is a negative aspect in the present situation, which is the necessity to import the raw materials.
Raw material imports in our country increase along with the export figures. As Alpet Lubricants, nwe aim to meet the need for technology and raw materials within our own body in accordance with the regulations instead of import, and we are making significant effort to minimize this gap. We are planning to develop innovative products especially in the industrial area to enter into new markets, because the current engine oil markets in this geography are price-oriented rather than quality-oriented. In the coming years, we as Alpet Lubricants will continue to offer new products and services by prioritizing the demands and expectations of our customers abroad. Our objective for the year 2018 is to achieve growth in Europe and Africa. In this context, we will take particular steps to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing additional services.
