Continuing its member meetings to improve member relations, evaluate the latest developments in the sector and give information about the activities of the association, AIMSAD met with Istanbul members in June. Members of AIMSAD Board of Directors, AIMSAD General Secretariat and Istanbul Members attended the member meeting organized in Kozyatağı Byotell on 9 June 2023.
AIMSAD, which has come together with its members to discuss the developments and problems in the sector and to increase the unity within the sector since the day it was founded, met with its Istanbul Members on June 9, 2023 at Kozyatağı Byotell. Approximately 35 people attended the meeting held after the meeting of the board of directors. At the meeting where the problems, demands and suggestions of the members were discussed, AIMSAD Chairman of the Board İsmet Toktaş shared information about the activities and goals of the association.
Pointing out that AIMSAD is an association that acts with a common mind, AIMSAD Chairman of the Board İsmet Toktaş continued his words as follows; “As you know, our association is experiencing a serious growth. Since I was elected president two years ago, our membership has nearly doubled. In the previous period, a different association was established due to some disagreements and strategic incompatibilities. Our friends in that association came back to our association. Therefore, our association reached a very wide participation and became a strong association. Although we are a nine-year-old young association, we are in the position of an association that has a say and draws its own destiny.”
“THE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE CHANGED İN ORDER TO PROVİDE EQUAL CONDITIONS TO OUR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS”
İsmet Toktaş, who shared up-to-date information about the innovations brought to life regarding the WoodTech Fair with the members; “As we all know, Intermob and WoodTech Fair will be organized separately as of this year. For many years, we could not have the presentation areas we wanted. There were also some injustices from the past. We had to change this system in order to provide equal conditions for our association members. The primary reason we left with Intermob Fair was that the fair area was insufficient. We all have growth demands, but the fairground could not meet it. That’s why we had to give up something, so we left with Intermob Fair. I don’t think it will harm us if we part with this fair. Frankly, I do not think that the overcrowding in the fairground gives us an advantage. As the crowd increases, the yield does not increase, it even decreases. As a result, if you spend time with your customers, you can reach the commercial collaborations and results you want. Therefore, we took initiatives to make WoodTech a more efficient fair.”
“WE ARE TRYING TO BE COMPANIES THAT ARE MORE DETERMINED, HAVE A CLEAR STANCE AND REALLY GIVE CONFIDENCE”
Stating that as the Turkish woodworking machinery sector, they have achieved very important successes around the world, Toktaş said; “I say this for all our members. We don’t produce passive, third-class goods like we used to. We are trying to be companies that are more determined, have a clear stance and really give confidence. We are making serious investments for this. Our recent growth rates clearly show this. Today, our exports are more than our imports. We also have importer friends among us. We have never separated our importing companies from ourselves. Because we know that the Turkish machinist is in their hearts too. After all, they are also our stakeholders in the industry. If the Turkish machinery grows, the sector grows. The development of the Turkish machine school, its recognition in the world, and the creation of a certain value perception will take time. Our work on this has been going on for years. As AIMSAD, we undertake important works that will introduce ourselves both in fairs and in the press and media. At the latest LIGNA Fair 37 of 53 Turkish companies were members of AIMSAD. This is tremendously proud. In the ranking of the participating countries, we were in the top five.”
“OUR AIM IS FOR ALL OUR MEMBERS TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR ASSOCIATION”
İsmet Toktaş, who stated that the interest in Turkish machinery and Turkish machinery manufacturers in the world is increasing day by day continued as follows; “Italians and Germans, the most important players in the industry, always talk about Turks. This is the indicator of our success. But of course, this does not mean that we have come to a point, we have solved everything. This shows that we are on the right track, open to progress and can do better. As AIMSAD, we are concerned about sharing information with all our members and opening a new vision. Our aim is for all our members to benefit from our association in the best way possible. After all, associations are not the property or company of the chairman and board members. Associations belong to members, they are organizations that work for the benefit of members. We can discuss and talk about all kinds of ideas, all kinds of issues, all kinds of suggestions to the end. Both me and our board members are open to this. The mind is superior to the mind, there may be things that we cannot see but that you see. As a result, we do all kinds of work for the benefit of all of us”.
“MAKING A DIFFERENCE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGY FOR US”
Drawing attention to the danger of China in the world, AIMSAD Chairman of the Board İsmet Toktaş said; “As a manufacturer, the conditions of the Chinese and the advantages they have provided to the market are pressing us. Here we have to separate, to pull ourselves aside. Since we cannot pull ourselves to the Chinese side, we have to pull ourselves to the European side, that is to the quality side, to the service side. Making a difference is the most important strategy for us. I also visited the LIGNA Fair and saw that the machines produced by Turkish machinery manufacturers in recent years have nothing to do with the old ones. Our machines have become competitive with Europeans in terms of aesthetics, design and service. In addition, we do not exhibit our products on the coast or in the corner as before. Our stands are at the most crucial points of the halls and each of us is under serious cost burdens to exhibit our products in the best possible way. The way to break down the current negative perception about us is better presentation, better marketing, but above all, unity.”