Could you tell us about the properties of the materials used in the production of Slastik brand and the technology of production?
Slastik is one of the visionary companies that attaches special importance to the issue of sustainability, which has become a trend in many sectors, and acts proactively in this regard and takes action in advance. It has been considering this issue for years while conducting R&D studies based on continuous development. First, it started to produce environmentally friendly products by using Rilsan® Clear G850, a plant-based material that we call bio-based in the production of glasses. This material not only provides high performance with a highly flexible structure for the product, but also allows for a lower carbon footprint. For some time now, the brand has also been developing its eco-friendly credentials by using recycled materials in the production of all ancillary materials, including eyeglass cases and eyeglass storage pochettes.

Let’s talk about the new designs of Slastik eyewear. Is it difficult to implement different designs in your collections produced with a special technology and technique?
Since the collections are designed in Spain, even though we are not involved in the design process, there are periods when we exchange ideas with the brand owner in terms of design. In general, it is not difficult to implement different designs, but the brand focuses on more timeless designs. Even if new models are added to the collection, the brand does not aim to create a new collection every year. Instead, it prefers to constantly improve the color range of the models.

A few years ago, the Slastik brand filed a lawsuit against some manufacturers and dealers in Turkey for producing and selling imitations. Could you tell us about the role you played in this process and how is the case going on?
Actually, we do not have a role in this process. As I mentioned before, the brand owner has been filing lawsuits against manufacturers and dealers who violate Slastik patents in many countries around the world, including the largest manufacturer of imitation glasses in China. Contrary to popular belief, the first lawsuits in Turkey were actually filed in 2014-2015 and resulted in favor of Slastik. The reason for the increased awareness of this issue in the sector in recent years is that the brand owner has contracted with a new law firm that specializes in patent rights. As far as we know, this new law firm acted very quickly as soon as they received the trademark owner’s power of attorney, investigated the sellers and manufacturers of imitation products and initiated the processes within the scope of the law. As I said, we had no involvement in this process, but we did our best to inform the parties involved through all possible channels. We know that lawsuits have been filed against some opticianry establishments that sell imitation products and the lawsuits are ongoing.

We know that you have created your own brand as Optist Optik Ürünler. How is your journey with Blue-Coral going? What is your inspiration for the designs? Do you produce the brand in Turkey?
Creating our own brand has been a dream of mine for a long time and we finally started production this year. Our products are made of acetate material in Italy. When we created the first collection of our brand, we preferred the middle and upper segment reading glasses product type, which we thought was open in the sector. When we chose the name BlueCoral, which means Mavi Mercan in Turkish, we emphasized the marine theme. In our collection, which we started with four models, we determined the model names by considering the marine theme. Although we started with four models, we kept the color scale quite wide. From now on, we will continue to invest in our own brand. We are at the stage of presenting our products to the market and our next step will be to diversify our collection with new designs.

As a company that has been exhibiting in Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair for many years, what are your thoughts about the fair? How would you interpret the contributions of Silmo Istanbul to you and the sector?
Since we do not have a large sales team, it is very important for us to show our presence in fairs. Instead of the cost of establishing a sales team, we prefer to invest in our online dealer portal within the scope of modern shopping trends and reach opticians across Turkey and introduce our brands at Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair. In this way, we try to pull back our sales prices that we offer to our dealers. As Optist Optik Ürünler, we are very happy to take part in Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair since the beginning. We think that your energy, problem solving and positive approach during the whole fair process has created an unprecedented synergy for the sector. In addition to the fact that being an international fair contributes to the export of local brands to nearby markets, we think that Silmo Istanbul is a very effective organization in terms of promoting the brands/products of companies like us that do not have a large sales team, following the developments in the sector and establishing a network.

July 2023

“Silmo Istanbul is an organization that we have been supporting since its foundation, perhaps feeling like its founder like many of our colleagues. We don’t see its success story very different from Novax’s.”

Hello Mr. Murat Balcı… As Beta Optik, we know that you have a highly developed and large facility. Could you tell us about your production process and capacity?
As Beta Optik, we are the pioneer company that brought FreeForm technology to our country in the production of eyeglass lenses. At that time, we were the first practitioner in Turkey of the method of producing eyeglass lenses with software, which was just beginning to be used in the world. In the years we have left behind, we have invested more and more in technology every day, further expanding the advantage given to us by the fact that we took off earlier than all our competitors in the sector. We have made our brand synonymous with technology. This perception, equipped with great efforts spent in the light of science, has made Novax a preferred eyeglass lens brand not only in our country but all over the world. Now, we have our own production culture. We have established our own standards. All this has ensured that a product that meets all the expectations of our colleagues in terms of quality, while also being acceptable in terms of price, reaches the trading houses of our business partners. This is the summary of our success, which has become more easily observable especially in recent years, but which, as I said, is based on many years of labor.

Are all of the brands within Beta Optik produced in your facility in our country? Do you also produce brands abroad? We know that your factory in Portugal can also produce at high capacity. What are the reasons for having such a facility in Europe and why Portugal?
As you know, we made an exclusive manufacturer/distributor agreement for the Turkish market with Zeiss, the world leader in terms of brand perception in our industry. Currently, we produce almost the entire Zeiss product portfolio for our country in our facilities in Istanbul at the same standards and quality level as Zeiss production points all over the world, and again with Zeiss processes. All certifications and periodic inspections of this production are carried out by Zeiss. Being able to fulfill these requirements and easily comply with these standards without any special procedures has been a great opportunity for us to see how much we have been doing the right things in the production field over the past years. On this occasion, it has been a great honor and pride for us to add the appreciation of a world giant like Zeiss to the appreciation we have already received from our colleagues for years. We firmly believe that our cooperation with Zeiss will continue in the future by expanding its scope and becoming even stronger. In addition to our production in Istanbul, we started to produce in our company in Portugal in 2018, which we established in 2014. Nowadays, we are increasing the capacity of this production facility and moving it closer to logistics centers. I think we will complete all our installations and start production with our increased capacity within two months. Our production and management building in Porto is planned as the epicenter of the entire European Union region of Beta Optik. The difficulties we experienced in exporting to European Union countries from our factory in Istanbul, and some conditions that would put us at a disadvantage in terms of preference against our competitors, forced us to establish a production facility in a country within the borders of the European Union. In this way, we have realized the second step of our project “A factory on every continent and becoming a world brand”, which has been on our agenda for years. We have prepared the infrastructure of our factory in Portugal in such a way that its capacity can be increased 3 times more than its current state without the need for any additional time and investment. In the next 2 years, we aim to further expand our already existing exports to the European Union by expanding our exports to all 28 European Union countries. There are two answers to the question of why Portugal. The first is that Portugal is the only developing economy within the European Union, not counting the Eastern European countries. Therefore, it is a market that has become a center of attraction for investors. Labor costs are lower than in other European countries and, above all, the country is willing to receive investment. Secondly, Portugal is both a member of the European Union and a very important gateway to Latin America. With this feature, it is natural for a company like Novax, which exports to all over the world, to be preferred. For this reason, Portugal was one of the important reasons why we chose to establish a factory in Europe.

For 20 years, you have been representing our country in an ideal way by exhibiting in international fairs. Could you give information about your export activities? How many countries do you export to in total?
Personally, I am a big believer in fairs. As you follow, we have exhibited in almost all of the world’s optical fairs since our establishment. There were years when we exhibited in 14 fairs a year. Then, of course, we reduced this number to a manageable level by measuring the benefits of all of them. In the current years, you can see Novax stands in all of the organizations that we can call the signature fairs of the sector, the number of which does not exceed 4-5. Speaking of stands, I cannot pass without underlining the concept, equipment and design of our exhibition stands, which we have maintained for years and have never compromised. For 20 years, we have exhibited in all fairs with the same concept, regardless of where in the world they are organized. We paid very serious prices for this, but at the end of the day, we managed to add a strong brand perception to our product, which we are proud of its quality. The first years were a bit difficult. Although we exhibited in fairs, we could not export in the quantities we wanted, but I can say that we broke this chain after the fourth year. We offered a quality product to the market at a reasonable price and represented our brand at fairs tirelessly. At the point we have reached today in our struggle that started 20 years ago, there are 58 countries where Novax lenses are exported. Among these countries, there are countries of high importance in the optical industry such as America, Canada and France, as well as many Middle Eastern and African countries where we started the export project 2 years ago. In the second half of 2023, with the commissioning of our expanded production facility in Portugal and doubling the capacity of our production line in Istanbul, we aim to increase the number of countries we export to over 100 by the end of this year.

The fact that Turkish brands have distributorships in various world countries strengthens and makes the whole sector proud. We can say that Novax brand pioneered the sector in this regard. In which countries do you have distributorships?
As I mentioned above, the number of countries we currently export to is 58. However this number is very dynamic. It is increasing day by day. Believe me, the days of counting the names of countries are long gone for us. The most important thing I want to say here is that in the past, we used to go from country to country, door to door, so to speak, looking for customers. Now Novax has become a brand that is reached and desired to work with on different occasions. In some countries, we even witness that several companies are struggling to become Novax distributors. In some countries, we have to choose one of several options. This is the distance we have been through. This is what we really need to talk about. Of course, it is our greatest source of pride to be exhibiting in the fair, which we attended years ago as the only Turkish company, now with our other colleagues, as you underlined in your question, to have pioneered them, to have encouraged them by showing them that this is something that can be achieved. We hope that Novax will become a global brand that not only our colleagues but also the whole of Turkey will be proud of, by increasing its penetration and establishing new production facilities in other continents in the coming period.

In 2022, you entered into cooperation with Zeiss, one of the world’s most recognized lens brands. Could you tell us about this cooperation process and the services you will offer with Zeiss in the upcoming period?
First of all, I would like to ask our colleagues and all our followers not to see our business partnership with Zeiss as an ordinary exclusive manufacturer or distributorship agreement, because the scope of our relationship is much different. There is a unity of purpose here, a unity of ideal here. Regardless of their financial size, this is a success-oriented and long-term project of two companies that have adopted quality and success as their motto. Beta Optik has become the “first” third party to produce many of Zeiss’ products in the world, apart from Zeiss’ own production facilities. This clearly demonstrates both the importance Zeiss attaches to this project and its confidence in Beta Optik’s production capability. Going forward, we will rapidly increase the number of products on the Zeiss side, and we will realize many different sales and marketing activities that will help us carry the Zeiss brand to the place it deserves in our country. Our colleagues who know that instead of instant and sensational successes, we plan long-term and lasting successes that are built on hard work in a sensitive and meticulous manner will understand what we mean much better.

How would you evaluate the ten-year process of Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, of which you have been an exhibitor since the first day?
For me, 4 your eyes and Silmo Istanbul are inseparable parts. Underneath all of them, you have been working for many years. There are works done very well. There is support, there is solidarity, there is very high quality human relations management. Silmo is a world brand in fair organization. Perhaps the name Silmo has become an argument that complements your experience in the sector. Silmo Istanbul is an organization that we have supported since its foundation, and perhaps like many of our colleagues, we feel like its founder. When was it born? When did it speak? When did it start to walk? We honestly could not understand. But one thing we understand is that if you are doing the right things and following the world well in your sector, walking and working in the light of these, very good results come out. That’s why we don’t see your success story as very different from Novax’s. Thanks for your labor and heart. Silmo Istanbul has a support that cannot be ignored in the growth of Novax. In this respect, we owe a debt of gratitude to Silmo Istanbul.

Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could we learn your opinion on the evolution of “4 your eyes” to digital broadcasting?
As for the digital 4 your eyes, it was a very good decision in today’s world where almost everything has evolved to digital platforms. It is both easier to access and easier to review. While reviewing the digital version, I realized that I read many parts that I had not read in the printed magazine. We wish 4 your eyes success in its next publication life.

May 2023

“I think Silmo Istanbul is of great importance for both manufacturers and suppliers by bringing different cultures and societies together.”

Hello Mrs. Nazlı, could you tell us about yourself? Did you first start working in the optical sector with Göral Gözlük?
Hello, I am one of the women who have ideals, who can take steps to realize these ideals and who always aim to keep the level of effort at the highest level in order to achieve maximum success. First of all, I have been very interested in glasses since my early ages. Before moving to the factory and production network, I did a lot of research looking for ways to be the best in this sector. I went to China, one of the leading countries in the production of eyeglass frames, and stayed in China for two years to conduct various researches by visiting various factories in this direction. Finally, I returned to my country by blending my curiosity and research. The desire to contribute to domestic production in Turkey has further strengthened my courage to specialize in the sector. In 2003, this adventure that we started has produced great results with the sufficient determination of myself and all my colleagues. I always wanted to make a small contribution to the position of women in today’s society, to provide employment and to stand on their own feet. In this context, I succeeded in creating a female employee capacity of eighty percent of our company. By moving in the direction of my ideals, we have succeeded in becoming the best company in the production of glasses in Ankara.

We know that you have moved to a large facility. Could you tell us about your production activities and the operation of your facility?
We have switched from our facility where we are currently manufacturing metal eyeglass frames to a larger facility where we can produce TR-90 upon continuous demand from our customers. With the start of production, we continue to produce and deliver almost every type and model of glasses needed with high demand. Since we have moved to a larger facility, we have provided more employment, so the number of our colleagues has increased considerably and each of them is creating tremendous work in effective working conditions.

Are all the brands of your company produced in your facility? Apart from your own brands, do you also import brands?
Since the eyewear sector is seen at high levels in terms of being a trend in Turkey and in the world and in order to do our job completely, we continue our work by paying special attention to each of our brands. There are eleven brands in total within our company.

Could you share with us the main features of your brands, their interaction groups and their position in the sector?
The brands named Avva, Tommy John, Nar’s are the group that we import and which we characterize as upper segment glasses. We have more than a hundred collections that appeal to modern and young people. I personally bring each eyewear model to our country by visiting the country of import, seeing the place of production and most importantly, choosing each model personally. Our own brands are Gemmar, Vivera, West Gate Dfarni and Luciano Gatto. These brands are produced in our own factory. The first form is imported from China and Italy as wires, but then they are shaped in our factory in Ankara and turned into glasses suitable for fashion and demands. These brands that we produce in our facility create a profile that attracts attention with its numerous models and affordable prices that appeal to all ages.

What is your priority when determining the collections of your brands? What inspires you when designing your products?
My priority when creating the collections is to choose frames that are absolutely in line with the demands and meet the needs. When I create collections with my own team, I aim to bring together quality pieces that appeal to the market and appeal to everyone’s opinion.

We know that you export your products to many countries. Which promotional activities do you prefer to strengthen your international sales?
In our international sales, we carry out the process together with our Foreign Trade Department. This department is responsible for the packaging of the products, the delivery of the products to the company that will make the delivery, the receipt and satisfaction of the product; It provides 24/7 communication support to each company. The most important process of our business starts after the products are received. The reason for this is the motto we have adopted as a company; “The biggest advertisement is the reference.”

As a manufacturer company that increases its capacity more and more every year, are you able to get the necessary support from the government for your investments? What are your expectations?
As Göral Gözlük, we are a company with an active customer portfolio and a production network that is growing day by day. We do not receive any support from the government. Our state will definitely have more incentive studies for production. We demand these to be expanded.

In our previous interview, you mentioned that you attach importance to R&D and innovation. Could we talk about the innovations and goals that await Göral Glasses in the new period?
We are concentrating on R&D studies and we aim to support these projects that are more widely demanded and to shape our products in a better quality and more qualified form. An innovative approach will surely take every organization much further.

As a company investing in the sector, what are your thoughts and expectations about the development of the sector?
As one of the rare companies whose production capacity has not suffered any interruption even during the pandemic, I can say that the sector will always need much higher quality and more innovative models. As a company, we are aware that we have a structure that shapes the sector. Making our awareness concrete by always working for more is our main source of motivation.

How would you evaluate Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which will be held for the 10th time with its new and larger service area, from the beginning to today as an exhibitor company?
I think that Silmo Istanbul is a fair where serious works have been accomplished since its inception. I think that Silmo Istanbul is of great importance for both manufacturers and suppliers by bringing together different cultures and societies.

Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could we learn your views on the evolution of our magazine 4 your eyes into digital publishing?
I think that your magazine 4 your eyes is a successful publication in the sector in order to keep up with the current news in Turkey and in the world. At the same time, I am aware that the magazine informs its readers about the development and innovations of many companies that are well-known or lesser-known in the sector. We would be happy if elements such as magazines and newspapers evolve according to the development of the internet and our speed of access to news and create digital publications. Because I am a strict follower of 4 your eyes, which draws a reliable profile to reach the right information. I wish you continued success.

April 2023