Dear BEYSAD members;

The guest of this issue’s member interview is Mr. Aşkın Korucu, Sales Manager of Copreci. We are grateful to him for indulging us and sparing time for us in his busy schedule.

Could you please tell us about yourself?

My name is Aşkın Koray Korucu. I graduated from Uludağ University’s Department of Economics. I have been working at Copreci since 2005. 

Could you please inform us about Copreci’s organizational structure?

Copreci manufactures raw materials for the white goods sector under the Mondragon Group based in North Spain, and it is a leading company in its sector. The Mondragon Group which we are associated with is the 7^th largest company in Spain at large, and the largest cooperative company in the world. Its 85 thousand employees are both the staff and the owners of the group. 

Within this group, Copreci is the raw material manufacturer in the industrial unit. The units Copreci manufactures for are; 

•          Gas-powered cooking,

•          Industrial gas-powered cooking,

•          Gas-powered braziers and fireplaces,

•          Induction,

•          Domestic appliances (gas-powered catalytic heater valves and natural-gas heater valves), and

•          Drain pumps for washing and dishwasher machines. 

Copreci has a total of eight production facilities, two of which in Spain and the rest in Mexico, Chech Republic, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, and China. Approximately 2000 personnel are employed in these facilities, and the company has sales offices in 21 counries. 

2013 is Copreci’s 50^th anniversary and the 10^th anniversary of Copreci TR’s foundation. In this context, I would like to give some brief information about the history of Copreci. 

Copreci started manufacturing gas valves with a team of 40 people in North Spain in 1963. In 1970, the production of the first drain pump motors for washing machines started. By the 80s, Copreci has already become a successful company with an export ratio of 70%, it was in this period that Copreci established its overseas sales and agency network. In 1988, the company manufactured pressure sensors for the rocket Arianne. 

In 1989, Guadalajara factory in Mexico started production. The Mondragon Group made its first overseas investment with this factory. In 1991, Copreci became the first company in North Spain to obtain the Aenor and Afaq certificates. The company started manufacturing in the Chech Republic in the same year. It was awarded the Prince Felipe prize in 1992, and then the Silver and Gold prizes in large-scale customer groups, respectively. In 1994, Copreci formed the Mondragon Component unit along with other cooperatives serving the white goods industry. 

In 2000, Copreci began its first Induction Cooker production. The factory in China became operational in 2004, and the company embarked on the “Smart Cooking” project in 2007 by combining gas-power and electronics. 

Could you please inform us on Copreci and its activities?

The true reason for the decision of investments in Turkey and other countries is that Copreci is a customer-oriented company and feels the need to be close to them to provide the best service. That is why we established our factory at Gebze in 2003 to serve to Turkey’s developing white goods industry and our customers in the best manner possible. But of course this is not the sole reason for this factory’s establishment; it has been founded also to provide service to the Middle East, Iran, and North African countries which are the natural markets of Copreci Turkey. Currently, the majority of our exports are made to these countries; we are also exporting certain special products to Europe. 

What are the traits that distinguish you from your competitors?

Copreci is a company that has been serving the white goods sector for 50 years, and the main reason for its performance so far has been “trust”. This trust is felt by our team first, and then radiates to all our strategic customers and suppliers since we believe that trade should be performed in a team spirit from customer to supplier and becoming a team is not possible without trust. Our mission is to provide solutions to white goods manufacturers by maintaining our leading position in our sector. As a requirement of our field, we have constantly invested in quality and innovation. As a company, we provide the end customers ease of use by bringing gas and electronics together and make the greatest investments in this field. We have always aimed to provide the best quality to our customers for the best price.  

As a new member, what are your expectations from BEYSAD? What can we do for you?

We expect BEYSAD to bring us together with the other manufacturers in the industry for domestic and foreign supplier alternatives as well as for new market opportunities. We would like BEYSAD to contribute to Turkey’s white goods industry to enable it to increase its appeal as well as competitiveness against rival countries by increasing both its quality and efficiency.