Part 3: Farewell tour brings Dietmar Alber to Istanbul and Ahmet Örgücü

Following company visits to Jordan Minerals in Amman and ASCOM Carbonate and Chemicals Manufacturing (ACCM) in Cairo (see AT MINERAL PROCESSING 02/2026 and 03/2026), the farewell tour of Dietmar Alber – marking 40 years of technical and application expertise at Hosokawa Alpine – brought Mr. Alber, AT MINERAL PROCESSING editor Lukas Höpfner and Görkem Cardak, Managing Director of Mikronsis and long-standing local representative of Hosokawa Alpine, to Turkey.

In Istanbul, the group met with long-time Hosokawa Alpine customer Erciyes Mikron, represented by Ahmet Örgücü, member of the board of Kireç ve Tuğla Kimya Sanayii A.Ş. and responsible for the development of Erciyes Mikron since its very beginning until early 2026.

At times, the conversation became highly personal: Ahmet Örgücü’s late father and brother played a key role in shaping the company’s history. Topics ranged from the company’s first steps into micronized calcium carbonate with Hosokawa Alpine technology to major milestones in its development and the continuous efforts required to ensure consistently high GCC quality in an increasingly competitive market. From the very beginning, the company’s strategy was to invest in the best available technology in order to differentiate itself from existing competitors and establish a reputation for reliable, high-quality products. Closely connected to this journey has been the expertise and technical support provided by Dietmar Alber over many years.

From lime to microns: The Alpine connection

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: Mr. Örgücü, thank you for joining us today. Looking back, what was the original vision behind the company and its GCC business, and how did Hosokawa Alpine first become part of the story?

Ahmet Örgücü: My name is Ahmet Örgücü. I am a board member of Kireç ve Tuğla Kimya Sanayii A.Ş. and responsible for Erciyes Mikron from the beginning until early 2026. It is a family-owned business with roots going back several decades. My father and our founder Mr. Gürsel were very good friends who studied civil engineering at Istanbul Technical University the 1950s. The company originally focused on civil engineering and construction, with activities in Turkey and abroad, including Saudi Arabia. In the 1970s, they decided to establish an industrial branch.

There was a small lime production facility around 60 km away from Kayseri with a limestone quarry and an outdated plant that was not running properly. My father decided to invest in new kiln technology from Maerz in Switzerland and restarted operations. That was the beginning of our industrial business.

In the mid-1990s, the second generation joined: my late brother, a mechanical engineer, and myself, an electrical engineer. Together with my father and Mr. Gürsel, we began exploring new opportunities. We started researching powder and granules from limestone. 

The initial idea came when my brother saw an advertisement in an Austrian trade magazine about screening equipment for limestone fractions – not yet micronized products, more like graded material for construction industries. We visited the company in Klagenfurt. These systems were mainly simple screening and conveying systems, but this was one of our first steps toward viewing limestone as a processed industrial mineral rather than just as lime. 

A key moment came at the POWTECH trade fair in Nuremberg. While walking through the halls, I noticed the Hosokawa Alpine booth, where a system was being demonstrated. This video immediately caught our attention. We also met Mr. Winzer, who was the sales manager for Western Europe, including Turkey, at the time and a colleague of Mr. Alber.

That is how it started. During that trade fair visit, my father was unwell, and Mr. Winzer kindly assisted us – even providing medicine. The next morning, we travelled to Augsburg, and my father was already feeling better. That was in September 1994, I believe. Interestingly, my father already knew the Hosokawa Alpine name from advertisements in earlier industry publications. So, when we saw the company at the fair, he said: “I know this company - let’s talk to them.” That meeting marked the beginning of our collaboration.

First discussions in Augsburg: Laying the foundations for GCC production

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: And this is also where you met Mr. Alber?

Dietmar Alber: When you visited Augsburg, Mr. Örgücü, Mr. Winzer was still relatively new to calcium carbonate processing. I remember he came rushing into my office and said: “I have a customer here who wants to produce GCC with a top cut of at least 10 µm. What is the best solution we can offer him?” I suggested a medium sized ball mill combined with two main classifiers for 10 µm and an additional ultrafine classifier for products down to 5 µm. I also recommended our Contraplex coating system, as the polymer industry was expanding rapidly. Although I was not yet responsible for Turkey, I helped prepare the quotation.

Ahmet Örgücü: Exactly. The first quotation included detailed drawings and technical documents, which we studied carefully. It was a tough process, but it was carried out consistently and marked the beginning. In 1996, we commissioned our first system: a closed loop ball mill system with Alpine Super Orion ball mill (S.O. 200/600) with two Alpine Turboplex classifiers (ATP/GS 630), a post-classifier Alpine multiwheel ultrafine classifier (ATP/GS 200/4) and a coating system (C 630) for surface treatment. This up-to-date processing package allowed us to produce both coated and uncoated GCC for applications such as paint, sand and plastics across Turkey.

Dietmar Alber: It was a versatile state-of-the-art system for entering the GCC business: capable of producing mainly 10 µm products, with some ultrafine 5 µm special product, and an integrated coating option for the plastics industry. It was a very effective package for a newcomer in the GCC industry.

Ahmet Örgücü: At that time, I did not know anything about grinding and classifying, but Alpine helped us a lot. My engineering background helped us communicate effectively, and my father also had strong technical expertise. From the start, we focused on selecting top-tier suppliers. We had already chosen Swiss technology for lime, and Alpine was – and still is – a leading company for systems for micronized calcium carbonate.

My father believed that working with top suppliers reduces risk. Of course, there is always risk – human error can happen anywhere – but reliable machinery makes a crucial difference. That first system is still running today, after all these years. Some components have been replaced, but the core system remains in operation – a testament to Alpine’s quality.

Dietmar Alber: Around 1996 our sales organization shifted towards more application-focused markets and sectors. I took over the responsibility for the Turkish market during the commissioning of your first GCC system. I remember fighting for this market a little bit and arguing: “Turkey is so important for us – I’ll take care of that market myself.” I did this until I retired last October. I remember our first meeting, when you came to Augsburg for an Alpine seminar with your brother and your father, and I gave a presentation. Your father was especially interested in ultrafine calcium carbonate, which is how the ATR system came into discussion even at that early stage.

The ATR: A gateway to ultrafine products

Ahmet Örgücü: After installing our first traditional ball mill system, we identified a market gap. growing demand for submicron and very fine products, especially for the PVC and paint industry applications. While the ball mill and classifier system could produce fine material, its efficiency and output at the ultrafine range were limited. We therefore began searching for a more suitable technology.

In 1997, at the ACHEMA trade fair in Frankfurt, we attended an Alpine seminar where Mr. Alber presented the ATR system. At that time, the technology was still relatively new for Alpine, but highly promising. We conducted trials on Alpine’s test system, which delivered excellent results: a perfect ultrafine particle distribution (D70-90 below 2 µm) combined with low specific energy consumption.

Dietmar Alber: Yes, the ATR is a vertical agitated media mill, fundamentally different from a ball mill. It was the right solution for the growing demand for ultrafine products, especially in the polymer industry. Over the years, it has been continuously optimized and remains a unique dry processing system for ultrafine GCC, it is still sold regularly by Alpine.

Ahmet Örgücü: We decided to invest, even though this was a major step into unfamiliar technology. It was not like a cement mill or a traditional ball mill and required new knowledge and expertise. But during start-up and commissioning, Alpine provided strong technical support, which ensured a smooth start-up. Looking back, it was a very important learning experience for us and a big game-changer for our position in the market as well.

Advancing GCC: From commodity product to functional fillers

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: After that first connection with Hosokawa Alpine, you made several further investments. What were the key milestones in the development of both production and your business, and what role did Alpine play?

Ahmet Örgücü: We always wanted to differentiate ourselves from the competition. Producing standard calcium carbonate was not enough – we focused on developing tailor-made, functional fillers. With the ATR system, we were able to produce ultrafine materials and create special grades for paint, PVC, cables and paper.

Our aim was not just to supply fillers, but wanted to offer products that provide our customers with real added value, improve product quality and reduce costs at the same time. Consistency was key to building trust and long-term customer relationships – and Alpine’s reliable technology played a major role in achieving this.

We developed a range of advanced products: very fine products to reduce titanium dioxide in paint formulations, coated ultrafine products for special paints, and double-coated products for PVC profile producers. One example is our PRF product for PVC applications – combining precise particle size, coating technology, and consistent quality. We also supplied paperboard manufacturers, including one customer requiring around 700 t per month, over many years without quality issues.

Dietmar Alber: Later, we further optimized the ATR concept. We realized that the two ATP/GS 316/6 multiwheel classifiers were oversized for a single ATR 900 mill. I suggested adding a second ATR 900 and using the existing second classifier from the first ATR system – effectively doubling production capacity at a significantly lower investment cost.

Ahmet Örgücü: We followed that approach in 2003.

Dietmar Alber: Later we saw that one classifier was perhaps too little and two were too much. So, we discussed the next system and developed a better solution, with improved classification capacity. We moved from older classifier designs with turbine classifier wheels to the New Generation Forced Fortex classifier wheels (also known as NG technology) with improved performance. The ATP/NG 500/3 proved especially effective. While I initially estimated a 50 % capacity increase, the actual results exceeded expectations. Together, we optimized the balance between mill and classification capacity.

Ahmet Örgücü: The guaranteed figures were always conservative. During commissioning and fine-tuning, we often achieved better results. Over time, we optimized our larger systems further. Today, all our ATR 900 mills run with the ATP/NG 500/3 classifiers, achieving optimal fineness, capacity and energy efficiency.

Staying one step ahead

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: What role does coating play in Erciyes Mikron’s company history?

Ahmet Örgücü: Over time we also bought several coating systems including – CW 800 and C 630. We wanted to keep the operation easy and standardized.

Dietmar Alber: Another milestone was the Alpine AWM table roller mill. You were always open to new technologies. A successful reference project in Turkey was able to produce up to around 10 µm – a new technology for Alpine for medium fine GCC quality production at high quantity and low cost. You took to the idea right away and invested into a AWM 1200 system.

Ahmet Örgücü: Yes, the machine is still running today, along with our other Alpine machines. It is easy to operate, energy-efficient, and the building structure is simple. My family, especially my father, always encouraged us to adopt new technologies to stay ahead of the competition.

Dietmar Alber: We also discussed precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) for a long time because you already had lime production. Together with Dr. Fernández, who was then the team leader for wet grinding and PCC, we discussed the process and made studies.

Ahmet Örgücü: The results were promising, but PCC production requires large amounts of water. In our region, securing sufficient and reliable water supply was not feasible, so we had to abandon the project.

We also considered other ways to create more value – masterbatch and plastics compounds. Competition in calcium carbonate is hard in Turkey, so we needed differentiation. Eventually, we invested in masterbatch production, integrating it directly with our calcium carbonate production. In masterbatch compound production, the most important factor is the quality of the calcium carbonate. If compound producers buy calcium carbonate from outside, they pay packaging and transport costs, and they depend on external quality. We decided to make our own compound using our own calcium carbonate, only a few meters away from the carbonate plant. That gives us control over particle size, coating quality and consistency.

Building trust through consistency and quality

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: What is special about calcium carbonate from your company?

Ahmet Örgücü: Our customers value reliability: consistent quality, dependable volumes, and on-time delivery. That is why they stay with us. In Turkey, with high inflation and strong competition, quality and consistency are very important.

We are also lucky because we own our quarry. We do not have to buy raw material from outside. The quality is excellent, the whiteness is very good, and although the reserve is not unlimited, it is enough for the next decades. Our focus is not on volume at any cost, but on preserving both the deposit and the value of our products.

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: How do you ensure product quality?

Ahmet Örgücü: In the early days, Alpine helped us with particle size analysis as we built our own laboratory and quality management. At first, we also had to educate customers on particle size distribution, quality figures and what these mean for them. Later we invested in our own measuring systems, because for very fine products, accurate measurement is essential. For production quality control, we use Micromeritics and Sympatec systems. We also measure colour, coating quality and other important parameters. Everything is strictly controlled. We have had no product rejection for a very long time, and this is very important for our market position.

Expanding markets, improving sustainability

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: When did you start thinking about exporting calcium carbonate? Was export there from the beginning, or did it grow out of the local market?

Ahmet Örgücü: We looked at export markets quite early, initially targeting nearby regions such as Russia, Bulgaria, Central Asia, and North Africa. Europe was less of a focus at first – partly because we were more engineering- than sales-driven. Our objective was always to make a good and unique product. Selling it internationally in a structured way was more difficult for us.

Dietmar Alber: Logistics also play a key role in Europe. Local producers have an advantage due to proximity, as calcium carbonate is not suited for long-distance transport.

Ahmet Örgücü: That is true. But I am sure that if European customers test our products, they will like the quality. We have supplied global companies, for example in PVC profiles, and even explored the U.S. market, but tariffs and logistics are factors outside our control.

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: One topic we have not talked about yet is sustainability. Do you have emission reduction targets or requirements from customers in this direction?

Ahmet Örgücü: Sustainability is not only about emissions, but also about using materials more efficiently and reducing the cost and environmental burden of formulations. For example, in paints, high-quality calcium carbonate can reduce the need for expensive titanium dioxide. The same applies in PVC: better filler quality allows higher usage rates, improving both cost and environmental performance. Consistent quality enables customers to optimize their formulations more efficiently.

More than business: A personal connection

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: You have known Alpine and Dietmar Alber for many years. How would you describe the relationship?

Ahmet Örgücü: Our relationship is not only between Erciyes Mikron and Hosokawa Alpine. It is also personal. For decades, we have trusted Dietmar Alber’s technical recommendations – his principle was always “technology first.” We also share similar views beyond business, which makes communication easy and efficient.

Having a strong local representative is equally important. Görkem Cardak, who has represented Alpine in Turkey for almost 20 years, is our key contact here. Being able to discuss ideas in our native language is a great advantage.

Dietmar Alber: I remember visiting your factory near Kayseri and you taking meme to Cappadocia for sightseeing. I still have many pictures from that trip. Usually business trips are only business, but that opened my eyes to the rich culture of that region.

Ahmet Örgücü: Yes, Cappadocia is a very special place with both Turkish and early Christian history. It’s a place full of stories.

The future lies in functional fillers

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: Looking at the market today, is there an oversupply of calcium carbonate production machinery and fine powder in Turkey? Or is the business becoming tougher?

Ahmet Örgücü: It is becoming tougher if you focus on standard products. The future lies in functional fillers. If we supply only standard calcium carbonate, competition is hard. But if we can offer a product that gives the customer a cost or quality advantage in their product formulation, then we create a new market. The customer may pay a little more for the product, but the total cost of production can be lower. That is the value. For me, this is the future: functional calcium carbonate, tailor-made products, close cooperation with customers and technical development.

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: Looking at your long history with Hosokawa Alpine, if you wanted to invest in a new machine or technology again, what would you expect from Hosokawa Alpine?

Ahmet Örgücü: The end user defines the demand. We must listen to the end user of GCC and then create the right product. I would like to produce more tailor-made products and again create brand loyalty. Maybe that means narrower particle size distribution, higher fineness, or better surface properties. Lower energy consumption combined with higher performance is a clear benefit.

Dietmar Alber: That sounds like a fine product version of the AWM – a system with lower energy demand and steeper classification.

Ahmet Örgücü: Exactly. Working on new technology with Alpine is always rewarding because the feeling is: if we know what we want, Alpine can build it. We get what we need. When I visit Alpine, both personally and technically, I feel confident. You are good engineers and talented people. Your approach is clear: listen to the customer, understand the requirement, and solve it through engineering. Business follows technology.

Farewell to Dietmar Alber

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: We have spoken about the origins of your company, your father and brother, your contact with Hosokawa Alpine and Dietmar Alber, the market and the technology. What does it mean to you personally that Mr. Alber is now saying goodbye?

Ahmet Örgücü: Many good friends are now leaving active business. I hope and am sure I will still have opportunities to see Mr. Alber, maybe during visits to Augsburg or somewhere else. He is like a brother to me. He guided us over decades, and I wish him all the best I know he has grandchildren now, and I am very happy for him. If he is happy, I am happy.

We will always stay in contact. If I ever need advice, I know where to find him. I also remember visiting Augsburg with my family. Alpine organized a memorable trip to Neuschwanstein and the region. My family still remembers that trip very well.

My father was an important part of this journey as well. This business has not only been about work, but about building lasting relationships and shared memories.

AT MINERAL PROCESSING: Mr. Örgücü, thank you very much.