How was your export performance in 2023, did you reach your export targets? Can you share your expectations or targets for 2024?

"As EQ Lift, we made our first productions and our first export in 2022. The year 2023 was quite successful in terms of reaching new countries and customers in exports. Especially due to the fairs we participated in and our overseas visits, we exported to 22 countries, primarily in Europe, the Middle East, Turkic Republics, and North African countries. We have achieved our turnover and quantity targets at a high rate. Our unit number and the number of value-added projects were quite satisfactory. Especially, we shipped high-capacity projects between 1600 kg-5000 kg and medium-speed 3m/s projects. For 2024, we have set our targets to increase our turnover and quantity by 30%, focusing mainly on fast groups ranging from 4-6m/s. Despite the economic difficulties experienced in our country and the election atmosphere, we aim to significantly contribute to our country's export performance, along with overcoming payment problems in the Russian region."

In your export activities in 2023, did you feel the need to make specific adaptations to the technical specifications or designs of your products according to the needs of the target markets? If yes, what were these adaptations and for which markets were they made?

As EQ Lift, we have an export-oriented mission. There are differences in the standards applied by countries and in regional needs. In all our product designs, we primarily ensure that our products comply with European standards, are environmentally friendly, and meet all conditions ensuring the safety of users and installers. We work in regions with climatic and geographical differences, therefore, we have product and system solutions designed for extreme cold, extreme heat, high humidity, and seismic zones. Additionally, as product concepts vary, we also have different product and system solutions in various concepts.

How much do you invest in R&D and innovation activities to differentiate and gain a competitive advantage in global markets? What are the concrete effects of these investments on the product development process and your export performance?

As EQ Lift, we are a newly established company. One of our brand's founding mottos, "Elevating Quality," reflects our aim to compete in this area by elevating quality. With an investment of approximately $5 million, our setup process has been completed, including R&D and product development activities. Our R&D and product development activities continue after we started operations. Such a significant activity has not been seen in the elevator industry recently. Of course, these investments allowed our newly established company to make a strong, safe, and successful start in the industry. We can say that the reason for our high customer satisfaction and quick acceptance in the industry is the impact of our product development activities. All these have a significant impact on our journey to become one of our country's distinctive brands in exports.

What are the impacts of the European Green Deal and related regulations on your company's production and export activities, and how do they affect your market choices and targets?

The European Green Deal is the EU's new growth strategy, which includes key goals such as achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and ending the reliance of economic growth on resource use. The main themes of this plan are listed as eliminating pollution, sustainable industry and production, preserving biodiversity, sustainable transportation, clean energy, and eco-friendly construction. From the installation phase of our production, we make environmentally friendly productions with the lowest carbon emission production methods and machinery park. We carry out all our processes, including basic production wastes and activities with an environmental impact, in a harmlessly measurable and 100% inspectable manner with relevant environmental and other regulatory organizations. Shortly, we will continue our activities with policies and methods that will contribute to leaving a healthy nature for future generations in our country at the point of using natural resources with investments that will increase our usage rate of renewable sources in energy resource usage. The use of green energy sources positively contributes to facility development, pricing, and our European partners with whom we collaborate in this field commercially.

In recent years, many steps have been taken worldwide for green industry, and many policies have been implemented in Turkey in 2023 specifically on this issue. As a company, how do you plan to integrate sustainability and eco-friendly practices into your elevator production process in 2024 within the framework of Turkey's green industry policies?

Green industry is described as an industry branch that aims to minimize environmental impacts, supports sustainable production, and is nature-friendly. With this approach, a focus is provided on factors such as waste management, energy efficiency, eco-friendly production technologies, and the use of renewable energy. Our company, which started with choices compatible with the Green Industry logic, in terms of founding purposes and investments, plans additional investments in 2024, especially in increasing the use of renewable energy sources, including Solar Energy Systems (GES), and in energy-saving points.

How do investments in green technologies affect the competitiveness of your products in the European market?

The environmentally friendly production methods of our machine park and our resource usage create a highly positive image during the visits of our European and other customers to our business. It is significant that customers are sensitive to this issue.

How have the fluctuations in global supply chain management and challenges in supply processes affected your company's production and export operations? What strategies have you implemented against these challenges?

We pay attention to using domestically produced raw materials in each product group of our company as much as possible. We offer alternative product solutions in some basic product groups where imported raw materials, such as stainless steel, are essential. We have alternatives from more than one country for products dependent on imports. We ensure that our stocks are as extensive as possible. We try to prevent as much as possible the occurrence of longer lead times and additional logistic costs in some critical products. Since we also produce for sectors outside the elevator industry, we keep the risk at a minimum.

We have completed the first 3-year strategy of our company as planned. Our motto is "Elevating Quality," therefore, it is to offer optimum products and solutions, and perform global localizations. Our planning for the next 5 years is to be among the leading export companies in our sector and to contribute to our country's exports with an annual volume of $120 Million; our 10-year plan is to be among the global players operating in 100 countries worldwide. In line with these goals, we plan to invest in different continents' countries through international localization.

I hope that together we can take visionary steps in line with the development of our industry and our country's second-century goals and succeed in keeping our country among the world's leading economies and most livable countries.

Thank you for your questions and interest.