From course participant to entrepreneur: Cengiz Kök’s career in NDT
30. August 2018
Looking back, his career almost sounds like a textbook success story. In fact, Cengiz Kök has followed a remarkably purposeful path since qualifying as a material testing technician in mid-2013. Even during his initial consultation about continuing education, Kök asked a question that many people still remember. After learning about the requirements, course content and career prospects, he asked quite naturally: “That all sounds very nice, but could I use it to become self-employed later on?”
Both Kök himself and Eric Poschmann from the W.S. TrainingCenter still remember that moment clearly. After a brief pause, the answer was an unequivocal “Yes.”
Kök responded immediately: “Well then, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
He consistently kept that promise throughout the following six months of continuing education.
An intensive period of learning at W.S. Werkstoff Service
Kök still looks back fondly on his time in our training rooms. “We worked really well together as a study group and helped one another. The atmosphere was simply great,” he recalls.
Of course, there were less relaxed moments too: intensive study, exam stress and a little exam anxiety. One particular episode from that time remains memorable. Following an accident, Kök took his practical UT2 examination with his hands bandaged, yet still passed with flying colours.
Support from the instructors
The trained vehicle and body builder attributes his success not only to his technical understanding but also to the support of the instructors. “Just like us, the instructors at Werkstoff Service often stayed an extra hour so that all our questions could be answered. They regularly sat down with individual participants to practise the work steps.”
There was room for fun too: the occasional game of table football in the break room, but above all, there was learning and hard work.
The idea of starting a company
Immediately after qualifying, Kök began carrying out his first testing assignments in the Siegerland region as a qualified, and later certified, NDT inspector (non-destructive testing in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9712). During one of these assignments, he met his future business partner, Sascha Knott. The two hit it off straight away. They shared not only an enthusiasm for non-destructive inspection methods but also a willingness to work hard and the ambition to become self-employed.
The spark that led them to start a company was just as unusual as Kök’s question during the initial consultation. The decisive idea came while they were working together on a pipeline inspection. As the two worked back to back, carrying out ultrasonic testing, Kök suddenly asked: “That all sounds very nice, but are we actually going to do it?”
After a brief moment of surprise, Knott gave a clear “Yes.”
That same evening, the two sat at Sascha Knott’s kitchen table and planned the first steps towards establishing CKS-NDT, known since 2019 as CKS-NDT Materialtesting GmbH.
Rapid growth through commitment
The two founders benefited from their approach to work. They had already built a reputation for being reliable, fast and committed, and for being willing to stay longer when others had already finished for the day. This attitude brought in their first assignments. Just four months after founding the company, they had to hire their first employees because two people alone could no longer manage the growing number of testing assignments.
An expanding service portfolio
Alongside his favourite method, ultrasonic testing including phased array, the company’s service portfolio now also includes digital radiography. “Actually, that was something I wasn’t particularly keen on during my time at Werkstoff Service,” Kök says with a wink. “But you never stop learning, and now we’re quite good at it too.”
Just a few years after his continuing education, the company has grown to eleven employees. At the same time, demand for qualified specialists remains high.
Cengiz Kök’s story clearly illustrates the opportunities that sound continuing education in materials testing can open up, sometimes even leading to a company of one’s own.
W.S. Werkstoff Service – expertise in NDT
If you would like to expand your knowledge of ultrasonic testing or gain qualifications in non-destructive inspection methods, the W.S. TrainingCenter team will be happy to support you with practical continuing education and training. Further information is available on our course and seminar pages.
