The aesthetics of wood AGT

THE AESTHETICS OF WOOD

In the context of the volatile global economy, Turkey’s AGT (Advanced Technology in Wood Industry) has still managed to record an impressive 45 per cent growth rate in 2015 with a turnover of half a billion Turkish Lira. AGT’s sales and marketing group chairman, Sirzat Subasi, spoke to Industry Europe about the company’s successful origins in a small workshop and its steady 30-year rise to become one of Turkey’s top 500 industrial enterprises.

With its vision of becoming ‘a worldwide brand known for shaping wood with passion and high technology’, AGT is becoming widely recognised all around the world for its processed wood products. The company currently exports its products to 60 countries in five continents, serving the construction sector in particular. It produces flooring, doors, wall panels, power gloss and baseboard. It also supplies furniture and home improvement manufacturers with products like MDF, MDF-LAM Panels and Profiles.

A family affair

AGT was established in 1984 by Ahmet Soylemez and his two sons, Mustafa Hulusi Soylemez and Mehmet Semih Soylemez, in a small workshop in Turkey’s most famous holiday destination, Antalya. Today AGT employs over 1000 people and operates from state-ofthe-art facilities in the Antalya Organised Industrial Zone, to which it moved in 1994. Subasi explains that “We produce any wooden product you might use in a living space in our facilities.” From its beginnings as a family business, AGT has harnessed a strong work ethic and great enthusiasm for high quality and strong aesthetics to grow into one of the leaders in its field.

Aesthetics meet technology

Subasi explains that one of the secrets to AGT’s success has been a constant refusal to compromise on quality or let go of its principles. The company aims to maintain a strong reputation as an innovative and leading brand all around the world. It guarantees that its products and customer services are of the highest quality by using the

latest production technologies and a vast network of reliable dealerships. The company has 1000 sales points around the world and stands by all its customers and external stakeholders by providing business partners with sales services based on convenience, and technical support that offers complete peace of mind.

Subasi says: “We try to make our customers’, dealerships’ and workers’ lives more beautiful by giving absolute priority to occupational health and environmental sensitivity during every stage of production.” AGT’s processes are compatible with ISO 9000:2008 quality management standards, and the company ensures that all of its products adhere to E1 standards: “Sensitivity for the health of our employees and those who choose our products is still our top priority,” Subasi says. He also stresses that the company is proud of the way it adds colour and elegance to the living spaces of millions of people around the world, while ensuring it does so in a sustainable and ethical manner.

Exports to 60 countries

AGT first became an exporter in 2000 and Subasi is keen to underline the importance of its engagement in foreign markets since that time, making the point that in 2015 around 40 per cent of its turnover was achieved through exports. In addition to offering blanket coverage of Turkey, AGT now has sales points all around the world and exports to more than 60 countries. Its biggest markets at present are in eastern Europe, the Balkans and Iran. Although the company’s executives are on the lookout for opportunities all around the world, it is also planning to boost sales in a number of strategic markets in 2016.

New products

In the second half of 2015 AGT launched a new product, AGT Flooring, and so far “its rich colours have been very well received,” according to Mr Subasi. This year the company added a new line of wall panels, AGT Soft Touch, which he says will transform any indoor space. He expects that the company will meet its sales targets for both products in 2016 and will also dramatically inncrease sales of AGT Power Gloss panels ,which are available in 24 different colours. Continuous investment

In 2014 AGT opened an integrated MDF construction facility occupying 500,000 square metres, followed in 2015 with a new production line for flooring. Executives are already planning further capacity increases based on their sales targets, and there are particularly strong plans to invest in the furniture wing of the business since there is major potential for this in its domestic market.

AGT has also continued to focus on environmental and community projects through a number of social responsibility initiatives. It has been working with the Turkish Consumer and Environment Education Foundation since 2013, and has worked alongside the Ministry of the Environment and Urbanisation to increase the recycling of factory materials. AGT has also worked extensively with universities and sponsored various social awareness campaigns and local engagement projects in Antalya and across Turkey. n