Cat Avian Conglomerate Boss Hermanto Tanoko Chats With Garudafood Owner Sudhamek Agoeng Waspodo, Open-Up

Conglomerate Hermanto Tanoko and Sudhamek Agoeng Waspodo. (Photo: Garudafood Facebook Doc)

JAKARTA - For true entrepreneurs, they must understand very well who Sudhamek Agoeng Waspodo is. He is one of the veteran national conglomerates which is the owner of Garudafood.

In a casual conversation on Hermanto Tanoko's YouTube podcast, Sudhamek shared the story of how he led Garudafood to achieve the glory it is today. Hermanto Tanoko himself is a conglomerate owner of Tancorp who is also a producer of Avian Paint. Sudhamek told Hermanto that at that time the Garudafood boss only worked part-time in a family company. However, as the youngest, his older brother considered Sudhamek's contribution to be reliable and had to work full time.

"I was asked to help with the family business in 1991. But at that time I put forward a requirement: I wanted the relationship not as brother and sister (but must be professional)," he was quoted as saying Friday, November 19.

In the first three years, Sudhamek admitted that the idealism was quite difficult to implement. But he tries to keep working professionally as he should.

"After all, they are my brothers, and I manage the company by heart," he said.

At one time around the 90s, Sudhamek tried to raise Garudafood through a marketing promotion strategy on television.

“When I wanted to place an advertisement on TV, many shareholders disagreed: Sudhamek is weird selling peanuts and wants to advertise, is this going to bankrupt or what? I got a suggestion that it was so shaky too, but in the end I continued to advertise with an allocation of Rp. 400 million, and the results failed," he said while jokingly reminiscing about the good times when he grew his business.

Honestly, he considered that the nominal was big enough for Garudafood at that time. However, the bitter experience did not make Sudhamek discouraged. He tried again to advertise on television by sharpening the concept.

“The first ad failed, my heart was crazy. But yes, we have repeated it once again and finally exploded with this tagline, my nuts," he said.

When he started to dominate the national market, Sudhamek understood the meaning of business success even more. He said that everything that is obtained today is the fruit of perseverance instilled by parents when he was a child.

“(Operating income) From Rp12 billion now it becomes trillions of rupiah. The sustenance is poured out from the sky, we humans only have to work hard. Work hard, work hard, and work hard and don't forget to pray," he said.

But unfortunately, Sudhamek has not had time to share the happiness he got today with his parents because he has passed away.

"Papa and mama are gone, but I'm sure they're happy there because everything (the family company) that used to be separated has now become one," he concluded.