Deniz and Atil Paint a New Future for Turkish Students

At the beginning of 2019, the technical high school in Kocaeli, Turkey, reached out to our colleagues in Istanbul. The school was looking to convert their metal workshop into a color application laboratory, where they could teach their students the art of refinishing for the automotive industry.

Atil Özer and Deniz Sahin were proud to take the lead in moving this special project forward.

Atil has been with us for five years. He has seen his role evolve from training specialist to business development and color IT specialist, presenting our company as a solution partner to customers in the service and body shop industry.

While Deniz works as the technical sales representative for the Protective and Marine Coatings business in Istanbul. He joined us 16 years ago as a logistic coordinator.

From Empty Shell to Full Paint Shop

Thanks to Atil, Deniz, and their supportive colleagues, after some initial planning, the project really started to take shape.

Alongside their trusty team of volunteers, they got to work painting the inside of the building. Not just the walls, but they painted the floors and steel construction of the roof too. Once revamped, their task was to turn the (now colorful) empty shell of a room into a paint room for classes.

They built a specialized mixing room with an Envirobase HP cabinet, computer, and scaling and painting equipment. To this, they added a preparation area and spray cabinet.

A Better Result Than They Could Have Imagined

The team had already noticed how dedicated the teachers at the school were to adding value to the education of their young people. But what totally surprised them was what a huge impact their hard work had on the students.

Although spaces were limited and only 10 places were available on the course, as a direct result of the project, over 40 students applied. The team has helped introduce the specialist profession to all those taking part and given them the tools to build a successful career in the refinishing industry.

A Program with Prospects

The project was just the beginning. Since the equipment in the lab is so state-of the-art, the team had to train the teachers on its use, led by Eyup Yavuz. Eyup works as a PPG Refinish business development consultant at our Istanbul site, and he has been with us for almost nine years. Him and Atil still visit the school on a monthly basis to help educate the students on how to use the new equipment properly too.

The first intake of students will complete their training this June. To show their full commitment to the project, our team is in discussions with a customer about providing job opportunities to the program’s graduates. This is a true monument to the bright future that lies ahead for everyone that took part.

How Will Our Heroes Spend Their Energy Now?

As with all our PPG heroes, Atil and Deniz keep themselves very busy. Atil likes to travel and runs marathons in his spare time.

Deniz also enjoys traveling, and keeps fit by cycling. He’s a keen scuba diver, too, and loves taking photos.