Growing in the right direction

Bakrie Sumatera remains one of the top harvesters of rubber in Indonesia.

Ambono Janurianto, CEO of Bakrie Sumatera Plantations (BSP), is ensuring that all those objectives are met.

Consistently meeting the strict quality demands of local and international customers, BSP was awarded ISO 9002 certification and the group's state-of-the-art approach to quality management extends right from the field, through processing, grading, packing and storage.

"We believe the management of our company and our respect for the environment must be intertwined. Environmental aspects are very important to the employees, customers and investors as they want us to create an environmentally friendly business," said Janurianto.

Top achievements

"Important milestones for the company have been the certifications we have achieved, such as ISO 9002, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. These are important to instill investor confidence and show that we are taking the necessary steps to develop the company in accordance with international standards," the CEO added.

Recognizing the potential of the profitable palm oil sector long ago, BSP expanded its core business in 1990.

Two years later, the company converted part of its rubber plantations into palm oil plantations.

Producing crude palm oil and palm kernel at mills within the vicinity of the palm plantations, BSP ensures fresh fruit bunches are transported within short distance, maintaining their freshness and ensuring the high quality of oil.

This year, BSP will develop and build a biological diesel plant, an important step for the company, according to Janurianto.

"There is a competition between industries today as to who is going to provide the best alternative energy sources. Bio fuel is becoming increasingly important and we want to be a part of this competition in order to prove we can play an important role with our palm oil," he said.

As new opportunities arise, BSP recognizes that sustainability cannot be achieved without good corporate governance, which instills greater trust among customers and shareholders alike.

Meanwhile, Janurianto is as confident about his products as he is about BSP.

Coop with China

"God-made is better than man-made! Natural rubber always outperforms artificial rubber despite the technology we have access to. We are looking to increase our international exports and China will play a part in this. We already have business with Sinochem of China and regularly attend rubber conferences in China," he said.

"While the prices of soft and hard commodities are increasing, we have significant plans for further expansion. We currently employ 1,800 employees. By the end of 2007, we intend to increase this number to 20,000. Through further acquisitions, we intend to develop this company into a dominant player in the rubber and palm oil industries. Corporate culture is very important. We have to transfer our business culture to the companies we acquire in order to secure a smooth transition and maintain our long-term goals for the company. While this is a challenge, we believe it is vital in order to run our businesses as one successful entity," he noted.

www.bakriesumatera.com

(China Daily 08/17/2007 page19)