SteelOrbis talked to Volkan Anık, owner of Anıl Paslanmaz, about their new investment and future expectations.
While stainless steel production has increased globally with the capacity increases made in previous years, we have been observing price declines for about two years due to the continuing decline in demand. I cannot recall a period in my working life that has lasted so long with prices never rising. We do not expect any major changes in global markets and prices due to the uncertainties caused by Trump and developments related to quotas and taxes.
What will be the impact on the market of the antidumping investigation launched against China and Indonesia, which is expected to be concluded soon?
As a long-standing finished product seller, we are following the ongoing discussions about increasing antidumping duties in our country with interest, but also with the thought that one day a mill operator might come to invest in our country. The fact that two new investments will be added to the existing ones highlights the appeal and importance of the Turkish market and surrounding markets. Local producers should certainly be protected at the beginning of the investment, but there must be a time limit and restrictions. The main goal should be to find a balance that protects producers without harming other sectors that depend on these products.
Can you tell us about your new investments?
In 2025, we completed the modernization of our warehouse, which we had been planning for a long time. We completely eliminated manual handling using muscle power. We took steps to take advantage of the warehouse's height. We installed an automated shelving system with a 468-ton capacity, consisting of 156 cassettes, each with a maximum capacity of 3,000 kg, with a base area of 80 m2 and a height of 9.5 meters. Now we can reach the desired measurement with the push of a button.
We also installed cantilever racks reaching up to six meters high on the side walls of the warehouse. We load and unload these racks using a forklift that can operate up to six meters high. With these racks, which have a capacity of approximately 200 tons, we have lifted around 650 tons of material off the floor. Thanks to these systems, our average order preparation speed has increased, stock control and management have become more efficient, the risk of accidents in the warehouse has decreased, scratches and deformations on material surfaces that occurred during shelving in the old system have been completely eliminated, and the amount of scrap material has decreased.
How is 2025 going and what are your expectations for the rest of the year?
It is quite difficult to say that 2025 has been a good year for us due to both global and domestic economic conditions. While we do not expect any changes globally, domestically a revival may be possible only if inflation and credit interest rates fall to the 20s percent, leading to an increase in money circulation in the domestic market. However, we will not see these levels this year. I hope and believe that, barring any political, geopolitical, terrorist, or natural disaster surprises, we will start to see movement from the first months of 2026 onwards.