Menatek Walks with Confident Steps to the Future with its Managers in the Aftermath of Late Kazım Ünal.'
Menatek, a subsystem supplier to many armed forces and
sector companies around the world, lost its General Manager Kazım Ünal, who was
also one of the doyen names of the sector, in May. The management of the
company was taken over by Menatek Managing Partner Mehmet Ünal and Business
Development and Strategy Director Naz Ünal, who are currently undertaking
critical tasks in the company and represent the next generation of Menatek.
Mehmet and Naz Ünal talked about the vision that their father Kazım Ünal
brought to the company and the company's future goals and growth strategies for
MSI Magazine readers.
MSI Magazine: Mr. Mehmet and Ms. Naz, we are all saddened
by the passing of your father, Mr. Kazım, who was the founder of Menatek and
undoubtedly played a leading role in the company's growth. From a corporate
development and sustainability perspective, what kind of Menatek did the late
Mr. Kazım leave you?
Naz ÜNAL: Our father was a very visionary person and shed a
very good light on our path with his knowledge and culture. He founded Menatek
after his retirement with the experiences he gained during his military career
and engineering studies. He was well aware of the problems in the supply of
subsystems and spare parts, both in the defense industry and on the end-user
side. Menatek, which started its life in a small office nearly 30 years ago,
has become a critical industry player, exporting products to 23 countries around
the world and doing business with many companies in the Turkish defense and
aerospace industry. He passed on his knowledge and engineering experience to
us, who represent the next generation of Menatek, during the last 10 years we
have been working in the company. He has added a vision that can carry Menatek
to much more important points in the future.
Who is Kazım Ünal?
In 1968, Kazım Ünal graduated from Kuleli Military High
School with the first rank and was awarded the Golden Graduation Plaque. He had
the honor of receiving his diploma from then President Cevdet Sunay and Chief
of General Staff General A. Cemal Tural. He then graduated from Istanbul
Technical University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with the 3rd place and
graduated as a Senior Mechanical Engineer, and then completed his master's
degree in business administration at the same university. He worked as Plant
Manager in various Main Maintenance Factories of the Ministry of National
Defense and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF).
After his retirement, Ünal founded Menatek in 1995,
utilizing the deep knowledge and experience he gained in military uniform.
Since its establishment, Menatek has been supplying spare parts to all of
Türkiye's strategically important military factories. In 2000, Menatek began
cooperating with the United States, becoming an approved supplier to NATO in
2002 and to the US Army in 2006.
Unal, who has been instrumental in Menatek's many firsts
throughout its history, has played a major role in reducing Türkiye's foreign
dependency by contributing to the indigenization of nearly 15,000 parts,
including brake systems, pumps, filters, alternators, generators, starter
motors, switches, periscopes, special type bearings, gears and test benches, as
well as various products and systems, especially all components of the walking
parts of tracked and wheeled military land vehicles.
Major Technological Developments that Kazım Ünal was
instrumental in Menatek's Production for the First Time in Turkish History:
The technology of plastering porteur (road) wheels, which
are one of the main components of the track parts of tanks
Technology for forging arm assemblies and track arms with
track adjustment mechanism
Casting and gear manufacturing technologies to be used in
the production of many different types of pumps
Ultra-high precision machining technology for the brake
system of 50-ton vehicles and the rotary shock absorber of tanks over 70 tons
Mono-block lamination technology used in periscope
manufacturing
Forming technology applied for special types of bearings
Cold forming and robotic welding technologies used in swing
arms
Torsion bars and reclamation and preset technologies for
tanks weighing over 70 tons
"Beyond all these, the most precious value that Kazım
Ünal left to the entire Menatek family is to work tirelessly and without losing
motivation and to achieve honorable successes."
Menatek Family
Naz ÜNAL: We talk about this a lot among ourselves: Menatek
is actually an unprocessed gem with its know-how and vision. Our father showed
us this. We are trying to process this ore. In the future, we will keep our
father alive in the corporate culture of the company with the moral values and
business culture he left us. While continuing Menatek's growth with new plans,
we will carry our company to the future with stronger steps. About 2-3 years
ago, Menatek started to experience a generational change and embarked on a
journey of transformation in which our father made significant contributions.
In line with the strategy we have drawn for this journey, we have set various
goals and we are taking firm steps towards these goals. In short, our father
left us a young sycamore, and we will take the necessary steps to make this
young sycamore even bigger. We will immortalize Kazım Ünal by aligning the
company's values with our father's life principles.
Although we are aware that this will not be easy, we are
prepared and equipped for this process, which does not scare us. Because his
energy, his ability to stay positive and his motivation were a source of
inspiration for all of us. His favorite thing was to work without stopping and
without giving up. Every day, with the same excitement and dynamism, he took
great pleasure in bringing something new to the employees and the company. We will
keep him alive by turning these values he left behind into the main culture of
the company. Although it will be impossible not to feel his presence and miss
him, Menatek will continue on its way, growing and intact.
MSI Magazine: How did Menatek handle the generational
change that you mentioned started 2-3 years ago?
Naz ÜNAL: Family companies usually experience great pains
when changing generations. Of course, we have also had our share of problems,
but we are very lucky in this regard. Our father made us a part of this process
long before he passed away. By assigning us critical tasks within the company,
he made sure that we learned how to handle these challenging tasks.
Thanks to the trust he placed in us and the wide playing
field he left us, we learned how to take the initiative and we gained
experience by actually managing all the processes within the company. In this
process, we had both failures and strategic breakthroughs that brought the
company to where it is today. These have both shaped our activities in the
international arena and prepared us for the future. So much so that it made us
say, "Look, Menatek can evolve here too." In fact, while our father
was alive, we drew a vision for Menatek and created a detailed plan by
embroidering all the steps we would take to achieve our future goals. Of
course, as in any place where different generations come together, there were
conflicts, but our path was clear. In his absence, we will continue this
process from where we left off.
Menatek Growing by Maintaining Dynamism
MSI Magazine: Could you elaborate a bit more on this
transformation process?
Naz ÜNAL: In order to complete this transformation in a
healthy way, we have been receiving support from management consultants for
some time. In this process, we have been looking for ways to grow Menatek
without making it cumbersome and preserving its dynamism. Our era does not
allow for cumbersome structures. We are aware of this and want to preserve the
dynamism of our company. On the other hand, we also have growth targets.
Therefore, we want to build a scalable and dynamic system that coincides with
our growth plans. In short, we dream of a Menatek that grows continuously, but
does not become cumbersome as it grows.
When we look at it, Menatek is not just an intermediary
company that has subcontractors perform work for the defence and aerospace
industry. It is an engineering, operation and project center with a very
intricate structure. Thanks to these capabilities, our past experience and the
strength we derive from our know-how, we are able to make rapid changes when
necessary, and to step into different projects in different geographies, where
we can emphasize Türkiye's advantages.
There are significant differences between our business
processes a few years ago and today, and we are reaping the fruits of this. We
are working much more efficiently now. The projects we have undertaken, the
successful deliveries we have realized, our growth and export successes are
concrete indicators of this.
MSI Magazine: Will there be any changes in the distribution
of duties during this process?
Naz ÜNAL: Within the transformation process I mentioned, we
are also building a different structure in terms of management. On the other
hand, there is no reason for us to rush in this regard yet. Because we have
already been in the decision-making mechanisms of the company for the last few
years. We have been working in the company for the last 10 years, and
especially in the last 5 years, things were already running via us. Menatek has
also grown especially in these 5 years. Therefore, we plan to maintain Mr.
Mehmet's and my roles within the company for a while longer.
Within the scope of the transformation, we will create
certain critical positions in order to create the structure we envision and for
us to be more effective in our areas of expertise. We will bring people with
both sectoral and managerial experience to these positions. But we are not in a
hurry here either. All of this will happen over time.
In addition, our Board of Directors will also
differentiate. We are also planning to create a Board of Advisors. In the Board
of Advisors, we want to have doyen names in the sector and in their own fields.
We have taken the first steps in this regard.
5 New Countries in the Last 2 years
MSI Magazine: How is this transformation reflected in your
organizational chart?
Mehmet ÜNAL: On the one hand, we are expanding the staff of
our existing directorates, and on the other hand, we are establishing new
units. For example, we have taken serious steps in the area of enterprise
resource management (ERP) and we have made a new organization in this area.
Apart from that, we have separated our sales, marketing and business
development departments from each other. There are currently eight people
working in these three separate departments. We took such decision because at
Menatek, the processes of creating a project and the subsequent tender phases
and relationship management are completely different from each other. Even
though these 3 departments are different units, they feed each other and at the
end of the day, they complete one job and pass it on to the other. Therefore,
even though they are different departments, they work as a team. We have
already begun to see how right this decision was and in the last 2 years, we
have added 5 new countries to our customer portfolio.
35% Growth in 2021
MSI Magazine: In our interview with you last year, you
stated that Menatek grew very rapidly between 2018 and 2020 and that this
growth continues. What kind of a 2021 did Menatek leave behind? What were the
prominent developments of the past year?
Mehmet ÜNAL: 2021 was actually a milestone year for us.
Especially for us two siblings. Because with the impact of our new projects, we
experienced a leap in terms of infrastructure, employment and turnover. While
expanding our facility on the one hand, we increased our turnover by 35 percent
on TL basis and by 10-15 percent on foreign currency basis. We tripled our
employment. While managing this growth, we also went through various
difficulties and overcame great difficulties. These added very important
experiences to us. It was an important year that made us feel stronger and
better today and increased our self-confidence. We have already proven this
with the projects we have recently received.
2022 Goals are Achieved Step by Step
MSI Magazine: How is the year 2022 going for Menatek?
Mehmet ÜNAL: First of all, I must say this: After the big
leap we experienced in 2021, we set ourselves the goal of maintaining the
positive momentum we achieved with this growth. Since we are a contract-based
company, there can be ups and downs in our work. From now on, we want to draw a
graph that always goes upwards. Also, in our new system, the way we conduct
operations has changed. Therefore, we need to assimilate this first. We are
trying to establish a scalable system in the employment figures we have
reached.
In this picture, 2022 was a year for us, which started
slowly and then saw very serious developments. This was actually due to the
approval of this year's budget of the US Land Forces, one of our biggest
customers, 2-3 months late. For this reason, we received some of the projects
we had targeted with a delay of 2-3 months. However, the developments so far indicate
that we will achieve and exceed our target of 15 percent growth in foreign
currency terms that we set for this year.
Menatek Expands to Europe
MSI Magazine: Have there been any other developments in the
first half of 2022 that you would like to share with our readers?
Mehmet ÜNAL: This year we added three new countries to our
customer portfolio, including a European country. This European country in
particular has been a new and beautiful market for us. In addition, in the
first half of the year, we were part of a new and very large domestic project.
We will produce the parts that make up the complete undercarriage of a
modernized tracked vehicle, such as suspension arms, traction gears, sprocket
assembly, portor wheels and torsion bars, and we will provide certain systems
inside the vehicle.
We have also submitted a series of proposals to NATO this
year, and we expect to receive the results of our proposals towards the end of
this year. The contracts in question here are long-term and very large projects
that will continue for three to five years. In fact, these are projects that
will have an impact on Menatek's history, and perhaps enable it to take the
next leap forward. For this, we have worked very seriously and made very
competitive pricing.
Infrastructure Investments Continue
MSI Magazine: How are your infrastructure investments
progressing?
Mehmet ÜNAL: We have developed a very serious test machine
for a specific requirement of the US Army. We designed this machine to qualify
a bearing to be used in a specific vehicle. We can also test different models
of our own NAZ bearings and bearings from other manufacturers. With its
capabilities, this machine has significantly paved the way for us, especially
for NAZ bearings. Because with a single test bench, we are now able to test
many different functions at the same time.
In addition to this, we have a very strategic investment
plan, which is still at a mature stage, and we aim to take steps next year. We
are currently thinking about how we can do this in the right way. We will actualize
this investment with a highly innovative and different perspective.
Countdown to AS9100 Continues
MSI Magazine: Menatek has been working on the AS9100
certification in the past period. Can you share the latest status of these
efforts?
Mehmet ÜNAL: When we took the first steps for AS9100
certification, we realized how suitable our existing infrastructure was for
AS9100 processes. At this point, I will remember our father once again. He left
us a very important experience not only in engineering but also in quality and
documentation. In fact, without realizing it, we realized that we were
documenting in AS9100 standards at every stage, from raw material procurement
to production, from coating processes to tests. We were already documenting all
our processes within a certain standard, we just didn't have AS9100. Our work
continues and we aim to complete the AS9100 process in the second half of 2023.
First Product Target for BOQU Scooters for the Last Quarter
of 2022
MSI Magazine: Menatek has recently stepped into the urban
mobility sector. In this field, you created a brand called BOQU Scooters and
started working on electric scooters. What is the status of your work in this
field? When will the first products be released?
Naz ÜNAL: As valuable as Menatek is for us, our new child
BOQU Scooters is just as valuable. BOQU Scooters is also critical for Menatek
to achieve its goals in its growth vision. We approach this issue with great
seriousness and give our energy for this brand.
In the case of BOQU Scooters, instead of strategically
diversifying by creating new products, we have focused on existing projects
that we have started R&D on, and we have now reached the point where we
will reap the fruits of these projects. In fact, thanks to these efforts, we
received the Good Design award, one of Türkiye's most prestigious design
awards, at the Design Türkiye Industrial Design Awards organized by the Turkish
Exporters Assembly (TİM).
We have recently completed a very successful test process.
In these field tests, we observed the performance of the motor, battery and
motor driver, and looked at the scooter's performance on hills, on the flat
surface, at medium speeds and at high speeds. ASPİLSAN Energy and BİAS
Engineering, our important business partners in the defense and aerospace
industry, did not leave us alone in these tests. We obtained very good data
during the tests, which we used to make choices on certain issues and to draw
up a road map for various improvements. The current plan is to start mass
production in the last quarter of this year, followed by deliveries immediately
afterwards. The first model we will produce at this point will be a product for
companies that provide services in this field; but after that, there will be
interesting models that we will reach directly to the end user.
MSI Magazine: Is there any other topic or topics you would
like to add?
Naz ÜNAL: Following the death of our father, we received
messages of condolence from all levels of the defence and aerospace sector.
These messages showed us once again what important work our father had done. I
would like to thank the entire industry once again through you here.
I would also like to share here that after his passing, we
took action to start a scholarship program in his name at his alma mater, ITU.
Source: https://www.savunmahaber.com