Starting production in a 100-square-meter workshop in 1968, As Metal, which now manufactures turnkey press lines for CLT and GLT materials, is one of the few companies in this field serving global markets. We met with As Metal’s Chief Financial Officer, Gürkan Necipoğlu, to discuss the transformation of their company over the years, the R&D projects they have implemented, and their goals for the future.

We listened to the story of As Metal, a company that has been producing in the Turkish woodworking machinery industry for many years and has undergone significant changes over time, from As Metal’s Chief Financial Officer, Gürkan Necipoğlu. Necipoğlu emphasized that as long as there are companies that do not compromise on R&D and development, and most importantly, reinvest their profits into their businesses to maintain strong capital, the industry will continue to grow.

  • First of all, how was 2024 for the woodworking machinery industry in general? What are your forecasts for 2025?

While the world was just beginning to heal from the economic contraction caused by the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war that started in 2022, the conflict initiated by Israel’s operation in Palestine in 2023, which by 2024 expanded to include Lebanon and Iran, the long-standing

Syrian civil war, which has escalated tensions in the US-Europe-Russia triangle, China’s increasing aggressive foreign trade moves and a strained global economy… The negative impacts of all these on Türkiye’s foreign trade volume, which is geographically positioned as a bridge, cannot be ignored. On the other hand, the suppressed exchange rates and interest rates over the past two years, along with economically unsustainable policies, have compounded the situation. In summary, we can say that 2024 has been challenging not only for the woodworking machinery industry but for almost all industries globally. As for 2025, I honestly don’t see any signs pointing toward improvement.

  • Could you provide information about your company’s production capacity and facilities?

As Metal started its manufacturing journey in 1968 with a 100-square-meter workshop in Bayrampaşa-İstanbul, thanks to our founder Mr. Ayhan NECİPOĞLU.  Today, our operations continue at our 3,000-square-meter factory in İstanbul Dudullu Organized Industrial Zone, and with new investments planned for Yalova Organized Industrial Zone, we aim to expand our facilities to 13,000 square meters in the medium term.

  • What is your company’s core vision?

Efficacy. Do what cannot be done. Do it in the best way. Be effective.

“Our collaborations with the national defense industry continue to increase”
  • Can you provide detailed information about your R&D activities? What technological developments has your company invested in in recent years? How have these investments made a difference in the industry?

In addition to the activities we have carried out for the mentioned lines, since 2014, we have also started R&D activities in the field of robotics and automation. We completed the manufacturing of the “teach-play industrial robotic arm,” for which we developed the software domestically and under patent with our engineers, in 2018, and we began reaping the benefits of these efforts in a short period. On the other hand, we have also locally designed and completed  the manufacturing of precise ultrasonic and optical measurement devices, as well as modular robotic arms, and our collaborations in the national defense industry continue to grow in order to enable the highest-level production of new and technological equipment.

  • Can you provide information about your after-sales services? What kind of investments and efforts are you making in this regard?

In order to provide the best installation, training, maintenance, and repair services for the products we offer to our customers worldwide, we established a professional separate company called “As Makina Sanayi ve Teknik Hizmetler Ltd. Şti.” in 1990, dedicated solely to these tasks. This company has been continuously providing technical service and support for 34 years with its skilled engineering and technician staff.

“As long as we have companies that do not compromise on R&D and development, we will continue to grow”
  • What developments can we expect in the Turkish woodworking machinery industry in the future?

Our industry, especially between 2008 and 2011, showed incredible global growth by replacing many European companies that ceased operations due to the economic crisis in Europe with our own domestic firms. Today, it stands as the only industry within Turkish manufacturing industries with an export-to-import ratio of 160%. The biggest threat that our industry faces in the future is sustainability. As an industry that houses not only many well-established companies but also many young businesses, we can overcome the challenges of the global economic conditions as long as we have companies that do not compromise on R&D and development, and most importantly, reinvest their profits into their businesses to maintain strong capital.

“Having a fair like the WoodTech Fair is indispensable in terms of our national values”
  • Finally, we would like to hear your thoughts on the WoodTech Fair, the most important meeting point of the industry.

Trade fairs are of great importance for the machinery industries that supply the main capital goods of manufacturing industries. The introduction of machinery and equipment, as well as new technologies, to potential buyers can be achieved through fairs. Fairs, in a sense, are the doors that lead industries to the outside. From this perspective, having a fair like the WoodTech Woodworking Machinery and Equipment Fair, held in 2024 for the 37th time, which is the only fair that has continued uninterrupted for our industry, is indispensable for our national values. Especially in light of developments over the past two years, the fair’s shift to solely include machine suppliers has not only led to a genuine level of professionalization but also provided space for all industry stakeholders, nearly doubling its capacity and offering greater hope for the future.

“We export ninety percent of the lines we manufacture to Central Europe and North American countries”
  • What are the standout products and services of your company? Could you explain their position in the industry and their competitive advantages? In which regions do you have dealerships?

As Metal’s area of expertise lies in the production of hydraulic presses and auxiliary machines for woodworking and wood products. Although we have standard machines in our product range, over the past 15 years, we have deliberately transformed our focus and now manufacture turnkey press lines for the production of CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) and GLT (Glue Laminated Timber) materials used in wooden structures, rather than standard machines. Currently, especially in developed countries, we observe a growing trend towards using CLT and GLT materials in wooden-based structures, instead of reinforced concrete and steel, in order to control carbon emissions and align with green agreements. It is a well-known fact that these new types of structures are being supported by governments to increase their competition with traditional reinforced concrete and steel structures in the future. Therefore, we believe that the press lines we manufacture for woodworking and wood product technologies will become even more important in the future.

These types of lines require long and costly design, manufacturing, and commissioning processes, as well as advanced engineering capabilities. As a result, they are only produced by a limited number of companies worldwide, and the process is carried out through direct contact with customers rather than through dealerships. As Metal, being one of these limited companies, exports ninety percent of the lines we manufacture to Central Europe and North American countries.