“What I said will save the entire industry”
As life gradually began to normalize after the pandemic, we decided to visit the marble enterprises to examine the pulse of the sector as Turkish Stone World Magazine. Our first stop was Lion Marble in Izmir. As we entered through the door of Lion Marble, Company owner Hüseyin Arslan and Export Manager Çiğdem Saraylı welcomed us very warmly. We should state that this article is not a company presentation, but recommendations of Hüseyin Arslan, who struggles with faith, courage and determination to become a world brand. After reading this article, I am sure you will begin to question your dreams and courage and feel much stronger. Maybe you will decide to take the step that you could not take and start your best fight to reach your dreams ...
“We are not merely marble producers, but artists”
We are at Lion Marble, right across Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. It is located on an open area of 6,000 square meters, including 3,000 square meters of indoor space, and has a total plate capacity of 60,000 square meters. Arslan said, “This is an art gallery. We are not merely marble producers, but artisans,” for their gallery where the stones of the company are exhibited as well as the upper segment stones it bought from domestic and foreign quarries.”
We have doubled the marketing network during Pandemic
We begin our conversation with the affects of Covid-19. Hüseyin Arslan stated that they did not lay off any staff during the crisis period. He said: “In this crisis period, we tried to survive by expanding the marketing network twice without getting any support from the state, without decreasing production in spite of the reduced sales. ”
“You can't achieve anything without dreaming”
First he dreams first, writes down his dream, thinks on it and looks for ways to realize his dream. While visiting the marble gallery, he touches the stones he calls art, Arslan says: “Hüseyin Arslan has become an architect, a porter, a contractor and a merchant.. I had hard times, but I always dreamed, never gave up dreaming. About five years ago, I made a list of all the stones to be displayed here, and now I touch them. Every company has its own dreams. Lion Marble was also my dream and this dream came true. You can't achieve anything without dreaming. My advice to all; imagine first, the rest will follow. Write whatever comes to your mind. One day that draft can change your whole life. ”
“My goal is to create value”
"I always think of the ways of how to contribute to my country. We can always develop ourselves and can create better solutions for humanity. My goal is to achieve more beneficial jobs, provide employment opportunities and create higher value. My concern is not to compete with Turkish companies. My concern is to compete with world companies. My goal is also to create a world brand in Turkey. It is my first goal to prove that this business is not in the hand of Italians, and that the Turks are successful in natural stone production. So my goal is to create value. We Turkish people can achieve this. ”
“I don’t want to waste our national wealth”
While trying to achieve dreams, there are also some compelling obstacles on the way. One of them is price competition! Aslan said: “There is a very similar stone to our stone in the market. Unfortunately, it is priced the half price of ours. This situation causes us to spend 50 percent more effort. We have also eliminated the price policies of competitors by controlling the price stability, production quality and production amount, by constantly communicating with our existing customers, and by making advertisement works. Continuity in communication, quality and correct time management are the most important factors that bring success. I also find it very important to use the same communication channels and telephone numbers. People should be able to reach you even after 20 years. As long as we work with the logic of 'Let's produce, sell, make money' in the natural stone industry, we have no chance to come to a desired level. We should not produce aggressively and be able to sell natural stone at its value. I cannot tolerate our national wealth to be wasted. These products do not belong to us but to our country. Our success will become our country’s success.”
“Those who produce the same stone should be combined under one roof”
Arslan said: "Turkish Marble sector can not develop as long as price competition is stopped and service quality is improved. We need to produce end products to create added value in this sector. All the companies that product the same product groups should unite under a single umbrella and apply the same price policy. Our government should not allow the production of equivalent products in the same region. For instance if a company wants to open a quarry and make natural stone production, it should prove that the stone in its quarry is different than those produced in the same region.”
Extremely corporate structures kill the spirit of the company
Arslan is against full professionalism in business life and he thinks extremely corporate structures kill the spirit of companies. Arslan, says that it is good to have a little amateur spirit. He adds: “We sell works of art and natural beauties that God bestowed us. We work with an amateur spirit and touch the feelings of people. There is one thing I always say to my colleagues: “Be corporate in your business, be social in your relationships.”
“If you cannot feel the spirit of natural stone, you cannot sell it”
“If you cannot understand the language of natural stone, you cannot make the best of it. If you can not fictionalize its story in your mind, you cannot sell that stone,” says Arslan. Because, according to him, nothing without a story has no future. Arslan said, “As Lion Marble, we think of the story of every piece of art that comes to us and every natural stone that we see as a miracle. We feel the spirit of natural stone and then we sell it. Every stone is very precious for us. Any manufacturer who does not value his own product should not expect to get the best of it.”
“We do not make business with any quarries without vision”
Arslan said: "As Lion Marble, we buy large quantities of blocks from domestic and international markets. We process the blocsks and export as processed material. Currently we are one of Turkey's largest stone buyers. We don’t work with companies that don’t have decent price policies. We want to make business with broad visioned quarries. Lion Marble is a designer company. We are able to provide all kinds of services from the beginning to the end of any project. We provide natural stone consultancy services to Turkey's largest architectural offices. We started with a 10x10 cm sample. We are one of the companies that know very well that a 10 x 10 cm sample can turn into a work of 100 thousands of square meters. Many companies try to be a brand name by imitating others. However, to be a brand name you need to have a serious vision and corporate culture. Total quality awareness should be adopted as the own culture of the company. Time and patience is very important in this regard. Decisions taken without vision and plan can not be finalized.”
“Be more determined as you grow”
Arslan, who says “Imagine, believe and struggle,” completes his words as follows: “Especially some big companies lose their souls after reaching at a certain level and making money. After a certain time, they become losers. It is very important to be more modest, considerate and determined as you grow. Big companies should not forget that Nokia was also a very big company; however, it could not keep up with the change and disappeared. No company that cannot keep up with change and that behave arrogant has any chance to survive. Our company is not arrogant and ambitious, but determined. We are after perseverance. Where there is no faith and courage, there is no success. Let's imagine, let’s struggle without getting tied, without losing our faith. I believe that this spirit of struggle is in Turkish people. They just need a little spark, courage. Let's fire that spark! ”