Tibet Makina: Preference of the World Giants
Tibet Makina, established by Temuçin Arbak in İzmir in the year 1970, produced spare parts for the automotive, land and leather sectors during the first years of its establishment. In the forthcoming periods, it served the heavy machine industry. It became the supplier of important firms of the sector like Asmaş, BMC, Çukurova Çelik, İzmir Demir Çelik, Ege Endüstri, Ege Fren, Çukurova İthalat, Metaş, Çimentaş.
When it was during the years with the 80s with the production of its first excavator, it began producing tower slewing rings where there was no production in Turkey of them in those years. It also supplied an important amount of tower slewing rings to amusement park, the new sector of those years, machines. In accordance to the increasing demands it shifted its investments to this line.
With the joining of Mr. Tibet Arbak to the firm in the year 1987, Tibet Makine, started to work on the establishment of a R&D department with the idea of providing innovative solutions.
Company General Manager Mr. Tibet Arbak, stating that he has joined the company in the year 1987, said that they have concentrated on the R&D subject since that period. “In these years, we have made a mutual decision with the Chairman of our Board of Directors, my father, Mr. Temuçin Arbak; ‘Specialization in a topic’. In accordance to this aim, we determined our choice as the tower slewing ring. Because it was a part needed in Turkey but which could not be produced then either. We started to structure our investments according to this. In the year 1996, we finished our factory in İzmir, Menemen and moved there. One of the most important factors for us to come to these days in sound steps, without any doubt, is making our investments with our own equity without any borrowing. During these years my sister, Mrs. Şölen Egemen also joined among us undertaking the sales and finance responsibilities. Our R&D activities moved on rapidly. The R&D activities we have made for yaw and pitch bearings for the Wind Turbine Wing and Towers were supported by TÜBİTAK. During the period when we had approximately a 5million € turnover, we made a 1 million € R&D investment. We can say that we got the results of these R&D studies in a very short period. 2 of our projects were supported by TÜBİTAK, and one still ongoing project is supported by İZKA. We started the design and prototype production of the Wind Turbine Main Rotor ring. We made a 1.750.000 Turkish Lira (675 .000 $) investment to this. ” he said.
Mentioning that their products are used in many sectors Mr.Tibet Arbak said; “Even though we have started by producing for the construction equipment sector, our products are used in many sectors like energy, iron and steel, defence and aviation, refinery, bottling and packaging, However, when one considers these as to sectors, each has its own quality requirements. We are one of the three firms producing aluminum wire-race bearings for the defense industry in the world. With our entrance in the defense sector 7 years ago, we attracted both the attention of 2 giant world firms as well as some of their reactions. But, in spite of the pressure, we have become the approved supplier of all firms producing for the defense industry of Turkey now. We also succeeded to become the approved supplier of important defense firms of the world in 4 years again in this sector. Military tanks, light military tanks, howitzers, rocket launchers, air defence systems, armored vehicles, naval gun systems, gun systems for mobile vehicles produced in Turkey are revolving with our seats. If we are to give an example without mentioning a name, the participation we will be making for the first phase of a very important project worked on by the DMU is about 8.000.000 €. The most important thing is that in case these parts are provided from abroad, the weapon system you will be producing will be subject to specific embargoes. In other words, if the country where the part comes from does not give permission, you can neither sell to another country nor use it for terrorism.
Mr. Arbak stating that they have caught the stable growth by transforming the difficulties of being a family company in Tibet Makine to advantages said; “We knew to evaluate the conflicts encountered in the ideas to walk ahead with ideas that will take us forward.”
Tibet Makina, the firm producing all its production except the material in its own premises, is making its new investments in accordance to producing its own material to eliminate the possible strategic problems that they may encounter as the material is provided from abroad. The firm recording important stages in the testing capacity, can perform many tests as to many standards, primarily the NATO standards, like in those for air-conditioning; cold –hot air between -40 +65 degrees, raining, high pressure, elastic deformation, friction torque, nondestructive hardness in its premises.
Among the future targets of the firm selling almost 40% of its production to abroad is to increase this level to the levels of 65%.
