Constantly offering a rich variety of products to the market along with Turkey’s first laminate flooring brand Parkelam, ÇAMSAN has achieved a great success with Platinum. And now the company is ready for a new success with a new line of products called AVANGARD. Çamsar Integrated & Marketing Co. General Director İbrahim Özcan explained us all about this new product line while telling about the company’s recent developments.
* Now that everybody knows about Parkelam, Mr. Ibrahim Ozcan could you please tell us about the success story of Platinum series?
IBRAHIM OZCAN: As you know, we presented our brand Platinum to the market in 2012 and also interviewed with you back then. At that time, our Platinum series was new and we had our worries whether the market would accept the product or not. However, we were also sure about the quality of the product. And the result was as we have expected. Even I can say that the sales were more that our expectations. In fact, Platinum has become a brand that all the high segment products in the market are being called as Platinum.
* What exactly are in the high segment products group? What are the differences between Parkelam and Platinum?
IBRAHIM ÖZCAN: First of all, our high segment products are AC4 group 2nd class. Meaning they are one class above AC3 31. Furthermore surfaces more special surfaces. They have the pattern of real wood, the more appropriate surface, with a different color collection. While the thickness of the others is 8mm, the thickness of Platinum is 10mm. ÇAMSAN has always been in the forefront with both quality and special collections. Our brand Platinum has been appreciated by architects, interior designers and contractors and won huge acclaim and admiration by the sales so far.
* When you look at the sales charts in 2012 and 201, what are the differences between Parkelam and Platinum? How’s the situation today?
IBRAHIM OZCAN: While between 2012 and 2013, the sales increase of classic hardwood was 20%, the increase of Platinum was 100%. Platinum sales in 2013 reached around 1 million 700 thousand m2. Also because we launched later in the year, closer to May, we lost time in 2012.
* We have welcomed a new collection in 2014. Can you talk about that a little bit? What are the characteristics of this collection?
IBRAHIM OZCAN: The name of our new collection is Avangard. You know in French, “avant- garde” has a meaning of the word pioneer troops in military. We also thought about the meaning of the avant-garde in terms of our industry while finding this name. Avant-garde includes the modern design, classic design in the furniture industry as well as a mix of avant-garde design. This series is also above our Plantinum’s current features; therefore we call this product series exclusive. Avangard is also exclusive with all colors and patterns. Panels are longer. Surface is very special. We have four colors as 100% registered emboss. The surface of a tree is 100 % compatible in terms of décor. We have 11 different colors. All exclusive. The colors of hardwood plinth are also 100% compatible with our colors.
* What about the terms of feeling it? Can you feel the tree or is it just the visual compatibility?
IBRAHIM OZCAN: Absolutely! You can feel 100% natural wood.
* Are you going to set up new dealerships for the new collection?
IBRAHIM OZCAN: As you may remember, you have asked me this question back then and I said we would not. After that interview, we received the same requests from several different sources like ceramicists, decorators, architects etc.’s and we did not accept any of them. We told them that whoever sold our other products would continue to sell the new Platinum. Today, we’re still saying the same thing and will not have any other dealerships. After Platinum series, our dealers have gained more experience. Now they know better when it comes to selling high segment products. But we will of course continue to support them. We will have advertisement in magazines, newspapers and even some television commercials in order to promote this new collection.
* Has the product been launched? Are the colour cards out in the market?
IBRAHIM OZCAN: It has been only 3 days that we have started to release the product. The delivery has started but has not reached everyone, and yet we continue. The products are currently in the studio for shooting. Color cards will be done in 15 days. However, I’m proud to express the first feedbacks as within the first day that our first dealer received the product line, he got five orders. Our expectations for Avangard series is higher than Platinum. We are thinking that the market will most probably like this product much better for both quality and visual reasons.
