The company from Denizli in western Türkiye has seen massive growth in exports. Askon Demir Çelik only entered the international market in 2018. Today, it generates an annual turnover of 10 million euros in 32 countries around the world. The majority of exports go to Europe, but the company, which was founded in 1932 and has 539 employees, is also active in countries such as China and South Korea. Its customers mainly come from four sectors: Mechanical engineering, mining, the defense industry, ground support equipment and automotive.
There are several strategic decisions behind the growth. Thick plates and special steels, for example, make up a large part of the product range in order to stand out from the competition. The company also offers additional services: Components and assemblies instead of steel sheets and laser-cut parts, or supply chain management instead of just deliveries. Quality also plays an important role in the strategic considerations. However, the human resource policy with which the company is driving its growth is particularly noteworthy. “We are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers in every country we work in, including Türkiye,” says Murat Özdemir, Deputy General Director of the company. Therefore, the situation was becoming more difficult by the day, Askon Demir Çelik took the initiative itself and founded an academy three years ago. The company also deliberately trains women there, not only in office jobs but also in production jobs. “Our female welders and laser machine operators previously worked at home or in agriculture. Now they can earn their own money,” emphasizes Özdemir. To further promote women, the company joined the UN Women Empowerment Program and the UN Global Compact in 2022. “It's always people who move things forward, regardless of the technology” the Deputy General Manager is convinced.
“It's always people who move things forward, regardless of the technology”
– Murat Özdemir, Deputy General Director
In order to achieve the necessary quality for the export business, Askon Demir Çelik has invested 25 million euros in its machinery over the past four years. This included two FlatMaster® precision levelers from ARKU, a smaller FlatMaster® 55 and a larger FlatMaster® 120, which were later joined by the EdgeBreaker® 4000 deburring machine. “We primarily use it to level special steels, up to 15 mm thick with the smaller machine and up to 40 mm with the larger one,” reports Özdemir. Mechanical engineering customers in Türkiye and Europe in particular value flat and stress-free sheet & plate metal. “These precision levelers are particularly suitable for leveling laser, punched and flame-cut parts,” adds Toygar Üner, Sales Director of ARKU's Turkish sales partner Bilol Makine Mümessillikleri. He continues: “Within a very short time, the FlatMaster® makes the parts flat and virtually stress-free. Subsequent processes such as welding, bending or folding are faster and more reliable.” Askon Demir Çelik's customers are also impressed by such advantages: “We have leveled sheet metal and parts for some customers even though they didn't ask for it - free of charge. That convinced them so much that they are now ordering leveled materials,” reports Özdemir.
The ARKU levelers also make life easier for the employees. Before the two FlatMaster® machines came to Denizli, the employees at Askon Demir Çelik had to level their sheet metal or parts using press brakes or roll bending machines. This not only requires a lot of experience, but is also labor intensive and time-consuming. With the leveling machines from Baden-Baden, the company saves time and energy, while at the same time improving quality. “Just a few days of training are enough for someone to be able to operate the machine,” says Özdemir. However, the task in Denizli is not trivial. Contract manufacturing means that the employees are constantly dealing with new parts. According to Özdemir, the skilled workers must continue to gain experience after the training until they have mastered all the details of leveling.
Askon Demir Çelik also became aware of ARKU through his close contact with Bilol Makine. Özdemir and his colleagues not only use trade fairs to find out about the levelers. Bilol Makine also established contact with other ARKU users in Türkiye, with whom the experts from Askon Demir Çelik were able to exchange information. “They helped understand the added value of leveling and deburring with ARKU machines for us,” says Özdemir. However, it was another offer that tipped the scales: “We put our trust in ARKU and Bilol Metal for after-sales service and quality,” explains the Deputy General Manager and confirms: “Bilol is always at our side.”
All in all, he is therefore very satisfied with the ARKU machines. Askon Demir Çelik was not only able to acquire new customers. Existing customers also increased their order volumes or took advantage of the new services. The company still has big plans: "In five years, we want to be one of the best steel service centers in the world," explains Özdemir, "To achieve this, we need the right processes, the right employees and the right technology, including the machines. ARKU Maschinenbau gives us good support to achieve our goals and is one of our most important partners."