Exclusive, When Others Collapse Due To Pandemic, Stephanus Koeswandi Gets An Opportunity From A Desperate Situation

The COVID-19 pandemic is not always miserable. For Stephanus Koeswandi, Vice President of the Tatalogam Lestari Group, they actually got the blessing behind this pandemic. When other companies collapsed, this company that produces steel products managed to penetrate the export market. Not kidding, through its subsidiary, Tata Metal Lestari, it has succeeded in exporting to the United States, Australia, Thailand and Puerto Rico. Next, the African market is the target.

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The pandemic that hit Indonesia in early March 2020 also worried Stephanus and the entire staff of the company. The problem is that at that time they had just built a factory worth Rp. 1.5 trillion in Cikarang in 2019. The production from the factory was sustainable, meaning it could not stop. Because when the production stops, it will cause huge losses.

“We started exporting from one subsidiary of the Tatalogam group, namely PT. Tata Metal Lestari at the beginning of the pandemic. So the story is interesting because maybe this is called the power of stagnation. We have to rack our brains so that production can be distributed. Because the engine is running continuously, production cannot stop. Finally, we pioneered the export market, one of which was to America. And it turned out to be translucent even though the requirements were very strict,” he said.

At the beginning of the pandemic, 40 tons were exported per month. As time goes on, the number of exported steel products also increases and finally the number of exports to the United States has reached 7,000 tons. This export figure is only 10 percent of the total production, because the domestic market is still a priority. “Many countries have used cashew steel products in Indonesia. We can be proud that the steel produced by the domestic industry is accepted by the export market,” said the son of the founder of Tatalogam Lestari; Yarryanto and Wulani Rismono. Both of them are still mentors for Stephanus in doing business.

Because it managed to penetrate this export market, it really saved the company. When other companies are affected by the pandemic and many have collapsed, the Tatalogam Group is the opposite. "Praise God to this day there have been no layoffs of employees, no employees who have been laid off, no salary deductions and even THR. We are grateful for all of this. This is the hard work and persistence of all employees, management and 1,500 staff spread across various provinces throughout Indonesia,” said Stephanus Koeswandi, who is endlessly grateful for this situation. To Edy Suherli, Savic Rabos and Rifai from VOI, he shared a story about the Tatalogam Group who managed to overcome the pandemic when he was met at his office in the Kebon Jeruk area of West Jakarta not long ago. This is the complete excerpt.

Many companies have been affected by this pandemic, but Tatalogam Group on the other hand, can share stories about this?

At first, we were like other companies, very worried in early 2020 because the pandemic began to enter Indonesia. But we have to face this reality, can't avoid it. Companies must adapt and be agile because there are many employees who depend on this company. Of course this is a moral responsibility so that the company can continue to run and all staff can work in this company. And development in Indonesia is still ongoing, we must also support this. Of course it is not easy to deal with this situation, we follow the government's advice to produce normally. This requires persistence, and until now we are grateful to have survived.

It's been said that up to now, there is no PKH for employees in your company, even though the situation is difficult?

Indeed, many industries that have been affected by this pandemic have finally been forced to lay off or housing employees. Yesterday I read the news that many companies were forced to lay off. But we have a commitment that as much as possible we will not layoffs. And thank God, to this day there have been no layoffs, no layoffs, no salary deductions and even THR. We can still pay for everything. We are grateful for all of this. Of course this is the hard work and persistence of all employees. management and 1,500 staff spread across various provinces throughout Indonesia.

So what makes the company survive and even grow during this pandemic?

Who is not worried about facing a pandemic that has been proven to have caused many companies to collapse. Yes, we have to rack our brains, finally we pioneered the export market. And with the twists and turns that are not easy to finally penetrate the export market. We started exporting through one of the subsidiaries of the Tatalogam group, namely PT Tata Metal Lestari, to the United States. So the story is also interesting because maybe this is called the power of stagnation. So we had a factory investment at the end of 2019. It turned out that we were hit by a pandemic in early 2020. Everyone was forced to rack their brains, how to keep this continuous sealer machine running because it is impossible for this machine to stop.

If production stops, the losses could be incalculable, could be hundreds of millions. Finally we thought we were looking for an export market. The first we went directly to the US market, where the terms and conditions are quite difficult, they have high standards. Finally, we can fulfill it. And we start exporting from 40 tons per month and it's running smoothly. Now we have shipped 7,000 tons every month. But this amount is only 10 percent of the total production. The rest is still the domestic market. Now many countries have used cashew steel products in Indonesia. We can be proud that steel produced by domestic industries can be used abroad.

After being able to penetrate the United States market, which other countries are targeted?

Next we are targeting the market in Africa, where Africa has huge potential. There are still many housing developments, factories, offices and other buildings that require steel products. By targeting this esport market, we are not just selling products. But we are establishing relations between the two countries where there will be an exchange of investment between countries and friendship will also occur.

How is the industrial growth in the light steel sector?

Currently, the light steel industry is growing quite rapidly, so there are more than 150 companies that are members of the association which are national in scale, but apart from that, there are also MSMEs.

Steel products from China also enter Indonesia, how do you deal with this yourself?

When it comes to import attacks, of course it's not only in Indonesia, in China they have a very large industrial scale and also have all the tools to be efficient and so on. So we have to protect ourselves. Entrepreneurs and governments must unite to face this reality. In my opinion, the government should pay attention and take sides with the domestic industry. From this situation, fellow domestic steel producers must also learn to be efficient in production so that the selling price can be competitive.

Our strategy to fight imports is like playing football, if we keep on defending we will lose, because there is a big chance of conceding. So we must be able to think that competition for exports is not only selling exports or getting a profit, but there is a learning process. To see a company that is competitive in terms of price and efficiency, the company can export. So think not only inside the cage, but also outside the cage. I'm sure, there are many, very big opportunities out there. Moreover, we see that countries in Africa have huge market opportunities. This is what should be used.

How do you adapt to industry 4.0 which is now a trend?

Currently we are one of the metal industries that have applied 4.0. We get guidance from the government. So I'm talking that there is an end to end metal industry or steel industry, from the manufacture of raw materials to production, distribution to construction, all of which are connected to the industrial 4.0 digitization process.

We have to adapt to renewable technology. Starting from the production process to marketing must already use new technology. This is a tip to survive in the midst of the rapid growth and development of technology. Can no longer use the old technology that is out of date. So having to upgrade with new technology for production to marketing is a must.

In running this business, what are the values that are carried by the Tatalogam Group?

There are values instilled by our founder, namely SIGAP. It consists of loyalty (loyalty), integrity, gratitude or giving thanks, positive assumptions and professionalism. This is what we hold. In addition, being alert means that the company must also be agile in dealing with changes such as what is happening at the present time, due to the corona pandemic. We also apply that the higher the development of the company, the more blessings it should give to many people. Like rice, the more it contains, the more you have to bend down.

Traveling is a tip done by Stephanus Koeswandi to get away from his routine of dealing with Tatalogam Lestari. The choice is not too difficult, if you don't travel to mountainous areas, go to the coastal areas. However, when asked to choose, he tends to go to the mountains. After traveling the mind becomes refreshed and fresh ideas often appear that can be used in business.

Weekends, he took the time to relax after being tired of struggling with office matters. “Every week with my family and children, my wife and I like to go to the mountains. Usually we hike like to Mount Gede and its surroundings. Actually, I also like going to the beach. But it is more preferable to the mountains,” said the man who earned a Masters in Management from Pelita Harapan University (2014-2015).

Why do you prefer the mountains to the beach? “Because I like the mountain with its silence and also the nature that makes the heart calm. When I leave for the mountains, I often get inspiration for business and other things,” he continued.

Stephanus's traveling affairs have indeed crossed fashion to various corners of the world, both for business purposes and deliberately for sightseeing. “Like to the United States, I have visited several states both in the west and in the east. In addition, I have visited Australia, Europe and Asian countries such as China and Japan,” he said.

The next target he will visit are countries on the African continent. “The next trip I want to go to countries in Africa, because I have never been there. Curious to explore countries in Africa. If you look at the photos, it's very exotic," said the alumni of Peking University. He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Strategy there.

Is there a correlation between the desire to learn Spanish and Arabic with your hobby of traveling, such as to countries on the African continent. Because there are countries that use Arabic and Spanish as their everyday languages? “There is no correlation with business in terms of wanting to learn Spanish and Arabic. After office hours, I usually like to read books, then play musical instruments, and now during the pandemic, learning new languages, such as learning Spanish, Arabic, "he said.

Stephanus Koeswandi's goal to learn a language is just to refresh and learn something new. In addition, learning a new language can train the mind, so as not to stress. "During this pandemic, we must take care of our physical and mental health so that our immunity will increase," he explained.

Because the business he is developing is now mostly targeting markets in the African continent, he will be happy when the language he learns can actually help his business. “So it's a really good coincidence. My initial intention was just to refresh myself to learn something new, it turned out to be able to support my business,” he continued.

Healthy Message

The lessons when he was still in elementary school are still etched in Stephanus Koeswandi's memory. “I still remember what the teacher taught me in elementary school, mensana in corpore sano. So in a healthy body there is a healthy soul, this should not be reversed," he said.

“So it is important that we exercise to keep us healthy, so that the soul is healthy. So if I exercise regularly every day, both at home and outside the house. But because of this pandemic period, my movement is limited, I do more exercise at home. Yes, I usually just go on a treadmill while watching TV,” said the man who likes Muay Thai.

He really applies the concept of balance in living this life. Apart from learning something new, traveling, sports, he also likes art. “I also like music, the instruments I often play are the piano and the violin. Because I have been taking piano and violin lessons since I was 4 years old,” he said.

Now that he has children, apart from playing for himself, Stephanus often teaches his children to play the piano while singing. "So besides me being able to entertain myself, I can also entertain people around us, our families," he added.

So for Stephanus Koeswandi doing everything in a balanced way is his routine of running a business and activities outside the business. This he does so that he can live this life well, especially during the current pandemic. "So the key was, in a healthy body there is a healthy soul, aka mensana in corpore sano," he concluded.

“By targeting this export market, we are not just selling products. But this is us establishing relations between the two countries where there will be an exchange of investments between countries and friendship will also occur,"

Stephanus Koeswandi

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