Mr. Rahmat, you’ve been CEO of the company for 11 years now. What made you start the company?

When we started, the construction sector was booming, and so this business seemed a natural opportunity to pursue. In order to position the company strongly from the beginning we decided to partner with Grundfos, as they already had a strong brand image at home and abroad. This ensured our products’ compliance with international standards from day one.

Yours is a niche product but it’s used in many sectors. Do you specialise in any particular sector?

Among our specialties are industrial and commercial building services, due to the infrastructure drive that the government’s policies have fostered which has boosted the construction sector.

Is it only with Grundfos you’re partnering with? Are they loyal to you as well?

We work exclusively with Grundfos because we believe in their business. There are seven other authorised Grundfos dealers in the Jakarta area, and across the whole of Indonesia there are twenty-nine, owing to the vastness of the country and the increasing demand for pumps. Nevertheless, we are the premier dealer for Grundfos, as demonstrated by the award we received this year as the champion dealer in the country. This is a great recognition which we plan on preserving through our excellence in service and working efficiency, which is what has driven us to the vanguard of our industry.

What was your success strategy to become number one?

We branded our employees with the Grundfos brand and formed great sales and service teams long before other dealers had any of this. Before technology was being used by our competitors, we were already using emails, websites and marketing techniques, so we became the trendsetters in the business. Though the competition have all followed in our steps, we are always a step ahead.

How much have you approximately sold in the last year? And how did the second best dealer perform?

This year we have sold around IDR56 billion, about US$4.5 million. Second place is actually our sister company, PT. Parfima Mekadaya from Surabaya. They are the oldest company in the business, having been in operation for twenty years. We came as the newcomers but in the past 11 years have used the opportunity wisely. 

What are your future plans for the company?

We are committed to following and adapting to Grundfos’s new ideas. Their newest plan is called Boost Energy Optimization (BEO). BEO was born out of the idea that the pumps’ energy usage can be more efficient. Historically, no one cared about energy consumption as long as the pumps worked, but thankfully nowadays there is awareness of this issue. In Indonesia we have also become concerned with energy waste and on how to reduce it. PT Air has been chosen as the first company in the region to implement the BEO programme and our attention is pointed at implementing this in the near future.

How big of a market is Indonesia for Grundfos?

According to Grundfos, Indonesia has an estimated US$80 billion potential sales value.

President Widodo agrees with them on Indonesia’s potential. He’s aiming for 7% growth this year. Do you see any limitations to growth?

For businesses like us, there are few limitations right now because the government is supportive. They have implemented regulations to facilitate our access to banking and have made it easier for entrepreneurs. Regulations in general are more flexible. This means we have more room to innovate and grow without experiencing bureaucratic difficulties.

Has the red tape situation improved under the present government?

Yes, it has improved for us. For example, the license that we need to operate used to have an expiry date which has been eliminated. This means we don’t have to keep renewing, which eliminates the potential for corruption and saves us a lot of time.

What would your message be for investors who are looking at Indonesia right now? Not only from your perspective but from Indonesians working in a medium-sized company?

“Investors looking to enter the Indonesian market should not hesitate. The government is aware of the regulations and limitations it has to change to attract investment and is already doing it.”

The gates of opportunity are open for them and local companies are willing to establish partnerships which have proven profitable in the past.