Esteemed BEYSAD Readers,

We continue to get to know our new members and introduce them to you. In this issue, our guest is Müge Ova, the founder of Bimeks İthalat. We would like to thank her for giving detailed and cordial responses to our questions.

Could you please introduce your company?
Bimeks İthalat İhracat ve Nakliyat was founded in 1991 as a family business by Cem Mete Hadımlı and Yasemen Müge Ova. We started our operations by producing double-adhesive bands and continued with selling graphic/printing clichés and various printing machines and supplies in later years. We imported bands from Taiwan, which was quite popular then, while expanded our business to various specialized band producers from all over the world in time. The company gained experience in especially double-adhesive band marketing. We focused on not only finding economic alternatives, but also producing the most effective adhesive solutions. Adopting a customer-oriented business model helped the company become an owner of the most comprehensive converting machines and devices in Turkey. We put special emphasis on training. The sales engineers employed in the company receive trainings from foreign band suppliers every year and contribute in the company’s mine of information.

Could you tell us about Bimeks İthalat and its operations?
The company set off by importing bands and started producing bands in recent years to contribute in both the company’s and Turkey’s economy. We now work diligently in the process of transition to our new premises in Tuzla Organized Industrial Zone, which we bought to give a more efficient service. We are on a fast track to become the number one producer and service company in the double-adhesive band sector with our plans to buy large stock areas, quality monitoring systems to benefit quality tracking, quality control laboratories and brand-new machines as of 2016. We are aware that engineering support behind our products is very important and we are trying to enhance this support.

When did your path crossed with Bimeks İthalat’s?
After I graduated from Boğaziçi University, School of Administrative Sciences, I worked as a product manager for Eczacıbaşı Holding / İpek Kağıt for 4 years. Next, I worked in the tax department of Arthur Andersen. In 1991, the importing sector that became more active with Özal motivated me and my brother Cem Mete Hadımlı who was working as a broker for Çukurova Holding to start our own business. Over the years, our children, who are all engineers, brought their young perspectives and fresh projects to the company.

Last April we celebrated our 24^th year. Our objective is to celebrate our 25^th year in our new production field and leave an important stage towards open our company to public behind.

Could you tell us about the organizational structure of Bimeks İthalat?
The company is managed by two founding partners. The partners created two departments – sales and marketing and production – by dividing labor according to their natural skills.

The domestic sales and marketing team and the export manager support both partners interactively through constant reporting with management and decision mechanism. None of the decisions are taken solely from the top management, but always through consultation. Interactive management has a constant communication advantage without giving way to disconnection between the employees and the management in the production division, as well, and contributes greatly in the development of the company.

Which sectors do you give service to?
Today our company is involved with leading companies in the automotive, white appliances and label/package printing sectors, paper industry including the crepe paper production, bathroom and kitchen accessories producers, construction sectors and many others and achieves approximately 15% increase in turnover in Euros every year.

Could you tell us about your export rates and which countries do you mostly export to?
Exporting was the biggest dream of the founding partners even when the company did not produce anything. Objectives and decisive steps taken towards them without doubt guide us all toward excellent results over time. Our export manager, our son Güray Özonar, has made deals and created a bond with a number of customers from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East since 2011, when he joined the company, which enables the continuity of our cooperation without being affected by any unfavorable conditions that may occur in various geographies from time to time. Moreover, our products reach to the American continent through the corporate customers who buy products from us in Turkey. Knowing all of these is a source of motivation for all of us today. Now our direct export has reached 10% of our total sales figures. We know that the rate including indirect exports to foreign customers is far above.

What distinguishes you from your rivals?
We of course cannot know the internal dynamics of our rivals. However, we are well aware of our advantages. The most important point that all of us – from the employees in the production segment to the mid-level and top managers of the company – agree on is that everything in life is possible. We do not take “no” for an answer. Decisive, persistent, and goal-oriented work will sooner or later has taken and will take us to where we want. We, managers, and all our team mates who are in close relationship with the market actors with our interactive working style supported even with our sitting arrangement in the office turned it into a company that takes and implements decisions the fastest in time. We benefited from these rapid, yet well-calculated decisions even when purchasing machines. We have never let hierarchy get in the way. We have always preferred modest and simple methods and we have simplified the already complicated business life. We have never got annoyed of discussions and expressing opinions freely; we have always listened to each other. We have believed that criticisms rather than compliments will make us grow. We have our imperfections, too, of course; however, we think that our dreams and our belief that we will make them come true and above all, our never-ending passion and enthusiasm distinguish us from others.

What are your opinions on BEYSAD and your expectations of BEYSAD? What can we do for you?
BEYSAD represents without doubt a very important network for us. We see that BEYSAD is an important tool to help us connect with our customers more effectively and push the doors we are yet to open in and outside the country. Hopefully, we will become a more active member of this network. We would like to thank you for helping us introduce ourselves to the members of this network.