About two years ago, hubergroup decided to bundle its chemical expertise in a separate division: hubergroup Chemicals. Although it has been a challenging time due to the Covid pandemic and its economic effects, our new division has established itself in the market and can already boast some successes on its second birthday. We spoke to Taner Bicer, President of hubergroup Chemicals, to find out more about hubergroup Chemicals and its experiences since the launch.
Taner Bicer: hubergroup Chemicals diversifies and expands hubergroup's business. With more than 255 years of experience in the printing industry, hubergroup has gathered extensive know-how in the production of pigments, concentrates, and polymers. Our facilities enable production capacities of up to 300,000 tons per year. So, establishing the Chemicals Division was a logical consequence.
What are the core competencies of hubergroup Chemicals compared to hubergroup Print Solutions?
Taner Bicer: Our Print Solutions team offers a wide variety of products and services for the pressroom. The Chemicals Division primarily focuses on developing, producing, and distributing speciality chemicals. These are resins, pigments, pigment concentrates, and lamination adhesives. In addition, we develop intermediate products for the chemical industry. With our extensive capacities, we are also available for custom manufacturing projects.
First the pandemic, then the Russia-Ukraine conflict. How difficult was it to build up hubergroup Chemicals in those times?
Taner Bicer: When we decided to launch the Chemicals Division, the pandemic was in its early days. The first year was very difficult, as it was a new experience for the whole world. Everything worked only digitally, and laboratories were unstaffed for a very long time. The unstable availability of raw materials was a bottleneck as well. Consequently, it took a long time before we received the first laboratory approvals for our raw materials. But the crisis was also an opportunity for us to prove that we are a reliable partner. Such excellent performance in these times requires an exceptional and highly motivated team.
What has been your personal highlight in the last two years of hubergroup Chemicals?
Taner Bicer: We have succeeded in delivering tailored solutions to specific customer inquiries in a timely manner and have continuously developed our portfolio. For example, we now offer a wide range of products in the area of radiation-curing systems. We are currently placing a special focus on wood coatings, and I am very excited that we will soon be officially launching this portfolio.
A lot has happened in the two years since hubergroup Chemicals was founded. What is your conclusion so far?
Taner Bicer: We are a supplier to many global and regional companies. Having established hubergroup Chemicals as a new player is probably the most important milestone. We are especially happy that we have been able to supply our customers reliably throughout these difficult two years, which posed logistical challenges to the entire world.
What is special about the people working for hubergroup Chemicals?
Taner Bicer: The people at hubergroup Chemicals combine expertise with curiosity. We are always looking for new solutions and support our customers from the first inquiry to final approval. We have a strong application technology team that forms the bridge between technical support and R&D and can deliver tailored solutions within a short time thanks to our lean processes.
How do you think hubergroup Chemicals will develop in the coming years?
Taner Bicer: We will continue to grow strongly and especially strengthen ourselves in the area of research and development.