Ural Medikal who brought the space technology, Visco Elastic Memory Foam, to Turkey about almost 17 years ago has started providing this technology to the consumers via its own brand Visko Love since 2008.
The firm sustaining its operations only with the production of visco matresses and pillows has reached 155 distributorships in 48 provinces under the brand’s signboard at a short notice. Nilüfer Uysal Aktomas, Business Development Manager of Visko Love stating that visco technology was brought to Turkey for the first time by Ural Medical only 4 years after it was introduced to the industrial field, remarked that the first visco-gel products were produced by them. Ms. Uysal stating that right now, they have more than 300 sales points evaluated 2013 by answering our questions about the company and sector.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Nilüfer Uysal Aktomas. I have been in this sector since 2005. As of 2011, I have been working under the body of Ural Medical as Visko Love Business Development Manager. The company distinguishes from other companies in the sector with its production system and quality and has been unceasingly working to provide better products to consumers.
Can you give us information about the past and current status of Ural Medical and Visko Love?
Ural Medical is a company which has been operating since 1996. And in 2008, Visko Love has commenced its operations. Visko Love started its sales operations as corners at the department stores at the beginning. Then, the first store of Visko Love under a signboard was opened in the year of 2010 and since then, in other words in just 2 and a half years, we have reached 155 stores with its own signboards in 48 provinces. We are providing service from more than 300 sales points.
Visco technology was first brought to Turkey by Ural Medical. What exactly is visco? How is it produced?
Visco Elastic Memory Foam is a product developed by NASA in 60’s to decrease the load and pressure falling on the backbone of astronauts during space launch. The product, the patent of which belongs to NASA, is also used in medical products such as x-ray pads or in sports products such as helmets.
Visco technology is started to use in the mattress sector after 1980. As visco technology is a product which requires experience, the number of entrepreneurs in this field was limited initially. At the beginning of 90’s, this product has been first started to be used in the matress sector by a Swiss-American partnership company. Just 4 years after this date, visco was brought to Turkey by Ural Medical.
Our company creates this product one by one from open-cell Visco Elastic material in specially designed plates. The use of plate system and high-density materials in the production of our products increase the comfort and life of the products. Visco Elastic material is an open-cell structure and smart material. The mattresses created from this material which decreases pressure and has memory start molding quickly depending on the temperature and weight as soon as contacting with body thanks to the memory cells in them. The molding continues until the mattress gets the shape of body. The mattresses contouring the body perfectly and filling in the spaces help regulating your blood circulation by decreasing the pressure to the minimum, relieving joint pains and shaping your backbone properly. The cushions produced of the same material go through the same process or system. The cushions support neck and shoulder muscles and help eliminating the possible pain causes.
What kind of products do you have in your product range as a company?
Actually, we can group them as mattress and cushion to 2. We have different products we produce for medical stores and provide for the health sector. For example; waist cushion, bottom cushion, wheel chair cushion are some of these products. To use this mattress or cushion, it is not necessary to have any health problems. Each healthy individual can use these products.
Within our product range, we have 20 different mattress types. These range from soft and medium-hard to hard mattresses. For instance, we produce mattresses which have options like more ventilation, anti-stress, harder types. Moreover, it is not possible for any customer to come our stores and can’t find any mattress for himself. Thanks to our diverse product range, you can easily find the mattress or cushion which is most appropriate for your body shape, neck or shoulder.
First visco-gel cushions from Visko Love…
Nilüfer Uysal Aktomas, Visko love Business Development Manager said that they are the first company who produced visco and visco with gel in Turkey.
You are the first one who produced visco with gel in Turkey. What are the features of this product and what is its benefit to health?
Apart from the mattresses, we are the company who owes the most different cushion types. We also have products with gel. We are the first company who produced visco and visco with gel in Turkey. These cushions and mattresses with this gel layer cool the one using these products.
Visco is a product which molds according to your body temperature and weight and while molding, it doesn’t apply pressure to the body. Thus, the blood circulation is not interrupted while you are sleeping. As the blood circulation is interrupted while sleeping, numbness might occur and as a result people tend to toss and turn. Thanks to visco, you don’t need to turn in the bed anymore. Because it doesn’t interrupt your blood circulation and thus you don’t lose your sleep. Besides these, it relaxes the people who have joint pains and heart problems.
Can you mention your R&D studies?
Of course. First of all, I would like to say that we are expert in visco production. We can diversify visco with different densities and features. As height and weight of all the people are not the same, we cannot provide them a mattress at one type. Additionally, when some people like sleeping on soft mattresses, some can prefer hard mattresses. The densities of our mattresses range from 60 density to 130 density. Besides, we have also high density mattresses which at the same time are not hard. Furthermore, our latest mattress model is perforated. With this product, we both provide ventilation and unusual comfort. Apart from the visco with first gel application, we are working on anti-static and anti-stress mattresses and cushions consisting of Bamboo Carbon. Nano-technology product Antimic developed and patented by Sabanci University is one of the state of art technologies used in our mattresses. We are providing our products developed meticulously by us to the customers in the best way by working together with the best mattress fabric manufacturers.
What is your production capacity of Visko Love? How do you contribute to production as the business development department?
Within the factory we have in Istanbul Kavacik, we have been working on the extension of our current production facilities. We have 70 employees at this facility. Production, production planning, procurement, R&D, marketing and production management, finance and senior management departments are at these facilities.
As a Business Development Manager, I have been carrying out my duty for Product Management and Marketing. After the determination of the product that the market might demand among the product range, our position is to enable the coordination between the production employees and sales departments for the subjects like price, design, special finishing to be made on the fabric to be used, and suppliers. We are trying to coordinate the studies to sustain the operations without any problems by discussing with all the departments.
Well, what about the exportation? Where do you export your products?
Exportation is an important factor for us since the foundation of our company. This year, we have made a move and increased 40% in exportation. A large number of our production is exported. Relevant to the increasing numbers of fairs we participate each year, I can say that our exportation has improved.
We are exporting to almost all corners of the world. There are 35-40 countries we make exportation to. Among them, there are France, İtaly, Greece, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Israel and recently Moldova and Estonia. But the countries in Europe are our major customers. Besides these, we are also exporting to the Middle East and Turkic Republics. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are the most significant customers. Recently, we have been sending our products to countries within the regions of South America and North Africa.
As someone who has been working for this sector for almost 10 years, how do you evaluate 2013? How as your company?
Compared to the market, we are a young company. Even though, we weren’t able to reach our targets in the market’s depressed conditions, we have better position in comparison with the others. With the encouragement of being a new brand, we are always aiming for the sky. Since, the growth rate of an old brand and the growth rate of a new brand will not be the same. Except that, I think that there exists a little downsizing in the market. Some companies went out of the business and this has revealed the situation. Even though this is for the benefit of us, we prefer a buoyant market. If competition exists, productivity of the business increases.
In this direction, what are your plans and objectives for 2014?
We want to increase the number of distributorships and expand our distribution network rapidly. We will also renew the product range as we do each year. With more distributorship, I think that visco technology will be introduced to larger masses. At the same time, this year we will attend ISMOB and EVTEKS trade fairs. Thanks to these fairs, our aim is to be more productive in the domestic market.
Abroad, we will attend the fairs in Frankfurt, Kazakhstan, Russia and Dubai. We are of the opinion that these fairs will be influential in terms of increasing the numbers of customers abroad and improving the level of import.
Finally, would you like to add anything?
As I said before, we have a developing sector. In terms of mattress business, beds are still our rival. Considering the production of first spring mattress in the 60’s, mattresses don’t have a long history in our country. Our target group is conscious consumers who have a good purchasing power. By its nature, visco is not a cheap product. Anyways, I believe that we are providing visco to the market at affordable and fair price. Visco is a new product and its popularity increases every day. Visco is a product which is preferred by conscious customers upon researching and trying.
Last but not least, I would like to give an advice to the consumers. While trying the mattresses, it is important to lie on the mattress for a long time with the cushions. After this, they can choose the most appropriate mattress and cushion for them. By this means, they will increase the quality of sleep to the maximum.
