A New Era of IMKTS Begins in the Construction Chemicals Industry

Foreks - Turkey İMSAD continues its work on the "Construction Materials Quality Monitoring System" (İMKTS) with a protocol signed with 14 construction chemicals manufacturers. Under this system, products from companies within the construction chemicals sector are being tested. Tayfun Küçükoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Turkey İMSAD, stated that the construction materials industry is of critical importance for our country, saying, "Our construction chemicals sector also plays an important role in the development of our materials industry. For this reason, products must meet the necessary qualifications for both the domestic and export markets. In the İMKTS process, we have focused on reliability with precision, and we are working in this direction."

The Turkey Construction Materials Manufacturers Association (Turkey İMSAD), the umbrella organization of the construction materials sector, announced the progress and details of the "Construction Materials Quality Monitoring System" (İMKTS) aimed at improving the quality of products in the construction chemicals sector. The press conference for the ongoing work under the protocol signed with 14 construction chemicals manufacturers was held with the participation of journalists, industry stakeholders, and relevant firms.

"Turkey needs safe living spaces" In his opening speech, Tayfun Küçükoğlu emphasized the importance of the construction sector and construction materials industry for Turkey. Küçükoğlu stated, "We can explain this critical importance with five fundamental factors. First is population growth and the need for urbanization. Turkey, with its increasing population, needs modern and safe living spaces. Secondly, earthquake safety and urban transformation. Seventy percent of our country's population lives in areas at risk of earthquakes. According to statements from our Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, six million risky housing units need to be transformed nationwide. Thirdly, the needs of earthquake zones. Addressing the damage and reconstruction processes in these areas present a long-term necessity. The fourth factor is energy efficiency. Reducing energy consumption in residential buildings is extremely important for reducing our country's current account deficit and contributing to a sustainable future. The fifth and final factor is renovation—improving existing structures. Depending on annual economic conditions, 40-50% of the production of our construction materials industry is utilized in the improvement of existing buildings," he expressed.

"We have carefully focused on reliability" In the continuation of his speech, Küçükoğlu highlighted the importance of the Construction Materials Quality Monitoring System, stating, "The construction chemicals sector plays a critical role in the development of the construction materials industry and has above-average growth potential. We believe that this sector needs to grow more rapidly in the upcoming period. For that, the materials produced must meet the necessary qualifications for both domestic and export markets. Moreover, they should be supported by proper certification processes, and the declared qualifications should genuinely exist in the products. This principle is vital for ensuring that our people and customers in the regions where we export access reliable and accurate products. Significant developments are taking place in this field in our country, and we aim to lead these developments. One of our greatest efforts is to grow our sector based on trust-based relationships. We meticulously focus on reliability in the İMKTS process and work in that direction," he stated.

"We have pioneered the creation of positive competitive conditions in the sector" Providing information about the operation of the system, Ferdi Erdoğan, Vice Chairman of the Board of Turkey İMSAD, stated that the results of tests conducted in accredited institutions are shared with the relevant companies. Erdoğan said, "If a non-conformity is detected according to the relevant standard in the test result, we warn the related firms and provide them with a specific period to carry out corrective actions. During this time, companies make the necessary corrective actions, and the products undergo testing processes again. Additionally, while implementing this system, we obtained the necessary permissions from the Competition Authority, pioneering the creation of positive competitive conditions in the sector." He emphasized that the purpose of this initiative was to meet customer expectations and that the results are shared transparently with the public and relevant parties. "I hope this work sets an example for the entire sector and gives us the opportunity to develop similar initiatives," said Ferdi Erdoğan.

The signatories of the protocol for the "Construction Materials Quality Monitoring System" carried out by Turkey İMSAD include companies such as Aragonite, Ardex, Bostik, Baumit, Integrated Mortar, Fixa, FoxBau, Kalekim, Koramic, Mapei, Myfix Construction Chemicals, Betek, Saint Gobain Weber, and Sika (SIX:SIKA).