26 January 2017

Hekim Profile Expands to Europe by Focusing on Solar Energy Systems

Hekim Profile Expands to Europe by Focusing on Solar Energy Systems

Hekim Holding, Being one of the important players in the structural steel and prefabrication sectors, continues to strengthen its position in the market with its eight companies, eight enterprises and investments. Hekim Profil Sales and Marketing Manager Kutay Dündar stated that they are following the sector dynamics in order to continue their growth rates asHekim Profil in the coming years. and said that they are focusing on increasing product diversity for the year 2017. Mr Dündar reporting that the feasibility studies were carried out for plant and machinery investments that can produce all steel products employed in the field of steel structures and solar energy sytems, said that ” ”Recently, along with the increase of solar energy system projects in particular, we have started to export our products to the European market, primarily to Germany.“
Mr Dündar told that high precision productions are made in the HekimStructureROBOT lines of the company; an stated as follows: “The products we manufacture are fabricated using certified and first class raw materials in the relevant ‘European Norms’ and standards.” It can satisfy requirements of all projects, by featuring the capacity of drilling holes at 56 different dimension and axis on the same profile, which is the sole and the first ever in Turkey.”
Mr. Dündar, reporting that use rateis quite low in in Turkey when compared with that of the developed countries in the world, which range between 30% and 55%.; and expressed that: it is inevitable for our country that the due importance should be attached to the use of structural steel, and that the rate of usage must be raised to the rate of usage in the developde countries.” Mr. Dündar recorded that “Continuous fluctuations in the cost of raw materials employed in the sector in today’s conditions, are an important problem, and emphasized that the cost-oriented approaches of the investors caused the quality required by the sector, to gradually decrease and push other companies to enter into unfair competition. Mr. Dündar answered the questions of “DÜNYA” Construction Magazine as follows:

– Can you tell us about your company, product range and services?

Mr. DÜNDAR: Hekim Profil is the brand with which produces qaulified structural profiles (shapes) for multi-storey light steel structures, industrial plants and wide-span special projects, of Hekim Holding, which is the leader company in the sector with its innovative power and many integrated facilities in its possesion in the readymade sector, and carries on its operations through 8 companies, 8 enterprises, 191,000 m2 production area, readymade building promotion area, nearly thousand employees, exports to more than 100 countries in 6 continents, more than 120 dealers inland and abroad, and more than 50,000 references. Hekim Profil,which was established in 2014; is a structural profile production center where the steel is cold formed by the specially designed weldless connection technology. Hekim Profil; produces the load-bearing structural profiles (C, C+, Z, Sigma, Sigma+, U) of lightweight steel structures and solar energy systems in accordance with the requirements of our customers through the latest technology production lines. The structural profiles that we managed to produce are produced by drilling at the desired dimension and axis as per project details provided by our customers, and packaged as customized to the requirements by marking with inkjet, and delivered as featuring high precision in accordance with the European norms.As Hekim Profil, we are actualizing our production at 111.000 square meter Hekim Yapı Production Campus in Hendek 2nd Organized Industrial Zone.

– Can you evaluate the year 2016 in terms of your company and convey your 2017 goals and expectations?

Mr. DÜNDAR: As it is known in 2016, it has been a year full of challenges for all of us.We will be closing this year approximately with a growth rate of 14% by increasing the number and variety of the customers with the marketing activities we carried out this year. We will continue to follow the sector dynamics in order for the growth rate continuing as of the date Hekim Profil was founded, to go on increasingly in the coming years. For 2017 we focused on increasing our product range and what kind of difference we can make for our customers.

– Can you give us information about your new projects and investments?

Mr. DÜNDAR: Feasibility studies are being made for the investments in the facility and machinery, whicjh can produce , all of the steel products used in the ‘steel structures and solar energy systems’ that Hekim Holding provides services.Our aim is to provide our customers with the best quality, the best service, from the right address..

– Can you tell us about your domestic market and export activities? What kinds of products do you mainly sell to which regions?

Mr. DÜNDAR: Our customers that we conducted sales and marketing activities in domestic market, carry on activities for big projects almost every region of our country.You can see Hekim Profil brand in the reputable projects taken place in the steel sector of our country.We export our profiles to many countries abroad.. As Hekim Profil, we more intensely export to Turkmenistan and Arab countries. Recently, along with the increase of solar energy system projects in particular, we have started to export our products to the European market as well, primarily to Germany.

– What is your position in the sector and what are the qualifications that makes you different in the sector?

Mr. DÜNDAR: Hekim Profil has started its operation in 2016 under the roof of Prefabrik Yapı AŞ,of Hekim Holding companies, and is our brand which in aposition guiding the sector and proceeding on the way to being a leader. The product we produced are fabricated at the HekimStructureROBOT lines(Capacity: 2 thousand ton/year) with high precision. The products we manufactured are produced in accordance with the applicable Euro norms and standards, using certified and first class raw material. With the profiles we manufactured in the existing line, we can meet requirements of all projects, by featuring the capacity of drilling holes at 56 different dimension and axis on the same profilewhich is the sole and the first ever in Turkey We provide application conenience with the undercut operation we applied to the tip of profiles and 90 degrees mounting bend. Thanks to our high production capacity, flexible production abilities, machinery park of the latest technology, we can meet our customer needs in the best proper way in a quality and fast manner. In addition, we are able to pack the profiles we produce with our automatic packaging station in our production line in a correct and fast way according to customer demands. Position-based packaging enables our customer to position the right product in the right area in the construction site to prevent loss of time and labor.

– Is there any new product / innovation you will be introducing recently?

Mr. DÜNDAR: we, as Hekim Profil , have focused on how we can make difference for our customers. as in all sectors, the importance attached on innovation takes you one step ahead.For this reason, every brand of Hekim Holding places utmost importance on innovation foe every product produced. Based on this; In particular, the exposure of the steel profiles used in solar energy systems to corrosive environments makes the corrosion resistance of the profiles extremely important. We are continuously working together with the manufacturers in hot contact for the improvements that can be made in the raw material part we use in production. We believe that an innovation that can be actualized in this area will be of significant benefit to the sector.

– What is the cost dimension when we compare steel structures with other structures?

Mr. DÜNDAR: One-to-one comparison of other structures and steel structures in terms of cost can vary considerably according to the relevant project details. For this reason, in case the comparison is advantage-oriented, this will take us to more gorrect results. In short, if we consider the advantages of steel structures; pros are flexibility it provides during the design of project, faster installation process, in particular resistance to earthquake, and that it allows reinforcing works for the ongoing buildings and those in the design pahase

– What is the image of Turkey image interms of structural steel use compared to that of the developed countries from technological point of view?

Mr. DÜNDAR: Unfortunately, the rate of structural steel use in Turkey is below 5% while the rate of structural steel use in the developed countries, ranges between 30% and 55%. As it is known, 92 percent of Turkey is within earthquake zone; and 95 percent of the population is exposed to earthquake hazard,besides 98 percent of large industrial centers are located at the earthquake zone.Therefore, it is inevitable for our country that the due importance should be attached to the use of structural steel, and that the rate of usage must be raised to the level in the developed countries.

– How can the steel structure industry in Turkey possess a broader place in the whole construction sector?

Mr. DÜNDAR: It is necessary to change the existing habits and the steel structure solution in the design phase should be actualized. To this end, there is serious responsibility to be assumed by the sector organizations.All players taken place in the sector should follow the innovations in the global market, provide the necessary promotions and trainings in this regard, and manufacturers should make technological investments in this direction.We, as Hekim Holding, by being aware of our responsibility, are using our state-of-the-art HekimStructureROBOT line in the production of load-bearing profiles in our product range for Lightweight Steel Structure and Solar Energy Systems.

– Considering every stage of the steel structure construction, what is the educational dimension?

Mr. DÜNDAR: It is necessary for all employees to be trained and specialized in the direction for steel structures in our country to become widespread. Starting from the design stage, most of the firms, in the application part, do their work without technical training. As the project phase is the first step of this work, the required trainings, by following up the latest developments in the world, should be provided by the related organization to the architects and engineers and such knowledge should be kept up to date.

– Could you please explain the basic problems in the sector and submit your solution suggestions?

Mr. DÜNDAR: The most important problem we have experienced in the sector is the continuous fluctuation of the cost of the raw materials we have used in today’s conditions. This situation causes serious problems for both producer, practitioner and investor. Starting from the project phase until the end of the structure, the costs can vary unpredictably. On the other hand, there are many firms operating in this field apart from the related standards among the manufacturers and implementers. Investor’s totally cost-oriented approach causes the quality to be applied in the sector to decrease gradually, especially the companies like us who do not compromise on quality, enter into unfair competition with other companies.