Challenges
PT Mak started in 1988 in Yogyakarta in Indonesia as a small metal processing company with three machines, barely keeping their head above water. CEO Buntoro Setiomulyo comments on those first few years: "We really needed a brilliant idea to establish ourselves with and to build a solid customer base." PT Mak International concentrated on simple products such as school lockers, but they did not yield much profit. "We had to have patience." Setiomulyo held his nerve and kept looking for a product with growth potential. "That's when I stumbled upon hospital beds. The world population is growing, so I knew the demand would increase as well." The company developed the production competence required and decided to concentrate solely on the production, leaving sales and marketing to experienced partners. Once PT Mak had achieved a leading position with this strategy, employing 800 staff, Setiomulyo started to ask himself how he could take advantage of his lead.