Interview for Superstructure Magazine

Arslan Damper has completed its last term reconstruction and  its factory to the demands of the market.

How does the developing tipper market affect on your company reconstruction process?

Arslan Damper has completed its last term reconstruction and  its factory to the demands of the market. Our company continuing its production on the 25000 m2 area since 2007.And it benefits from the last term developing market. We achieved to catch 20% growth after the crisis period. This year our goal is 25% growth. We catch the target before entering the last quarter of the year.

What kind of products do you supply to the market and what are the leading ones?

We can evalaute the product range of Arslan Damper in two main groups. Tipper and trailer. Besides we are trying to supply the demand of the market with Lowbed, Hook-lift, Hydraulic Refuse Compactor, Container products. Most of the orders that we get are mostly consists of Hardox tipper and Hardox tipper trailer.

What is your suggestions to the drivers and companies about operating the tipper?

The first thing that the tipper operators should be careful is to work with the qualified staff. We manufacture considering every kind of risks. Thus the the superstrure should be manufactured and calculated the volume appropiate to the vehicle. Our goal is to make standard the safety system in private sales as community sales.

Which kind of quality certificates are required? And what is the most important one?

TSE, TSEK, ISO and CE certificates should be standard for a uperstructure manufacturer. Besides the welding workers should have also EN 287.1 certificate.

The steel utilized on the products are imported? The utilization rate of ST37 and ST52 dicrased?

The imported steel utilization is pretty much. We prefer HARDOX 450 manufactured by SSAB on tour tipper as wear steel. For the chassis of the trailer we import DOMEX resistance sheet from the same company. For the trailer tipper tailgates, we also profer DOMEX steel. We utilize ST37, ST44 and ST52 as local sheet.

Did you move the production mainly trailer? What is the rate of the rigid tipper?

The 35% of our production consists of trailer production.  It is more easy to make standard production.  We want to increase our producton in this product group. But they know us as a truck tippers in the market.

Does constant fluctuations in steel pricesand do you have any problems to get products from the stock?

The steel prices are changing regarding the exchange rates. There have been serious fluctations on the exchange rates. It is a serious problem for the imported steel. Besides our export is on EURO and USD, therefore we can manage this situation. The fluctations on the exchange rates is effected increasing the prices of the truck. This caused a delay and cancel on the orders. But there is not a serious problem right now.

How many people work in your company and do you have any problem to find qualified employee?

We hire 105 workers in our company.  We do have problems to find qualified workers. After we move to ALOSBI, we are a little bit out of the city. We transfer our workers by special services.

Do you shape the tippers in your facilities or do you get it form another company?

We manufacture all our tipper in our own premises rom sheet to tipper.

What size are your relations with the commercial vehicle manufacturers? Do you have attemps to be the approved superstructure manufacturer?

We are the approved superstructure manufacturer of BMC and Renault Truck. Our approval process keep going with FORD Otosan and MAN Truck. (We are now as a recommended superstructure company) . We will start the approval process in 2014. We are very close relations with the other manufacturers.

What are the attractive projects in the market? Is any projects you will involved in or will involved in?

Ongoing major projects we are taking our share of part. Road constructions, dams, irrigation channels, urban renegeration and mine enterprises makes our business more attractive. We get a big advantage of to be near of Petkim investments and Candarli port projects.

What was the major project you are involved in?

We made different projects in abroad. We do have orders from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Besides we made 150 tippers for Petkim Project.

What is the major problem in the sector?

The classic problem of the industryis not meet the qualified workers. In addition with increasing the production capacity, difficulty to find new markets and  toensure the continuity of production.