AS A BIG FACTORY MANAGER UNDER 30 COULDN'T HOLD ME TO STAY

Wanted : University graduated, experiences, under 25 y.o.e, an advertise in Kompas daily, Jakarta in 1969 by P.T.PANCO RUBBER Ltd, a company who planned to built 2 units new Rubber factories in Sumatera island. What kind of advertised was, its rare to hire a new graduated students, just fresh from the oven with the working experiences.

Thanks God, fortunately, I had it, had the experiences by helping my Dad in his rubbers business, trading and smoke house factory in Sibolga area, Noth Sumatera.

my assigment as a Factory manager :

I didn't expected that the President Director himself, Mr.Hutabarat interviewed me throughly about my experiences in rubber business, quality and others related. After interviewed session was over, they'd hold me for a little while in the waiting room, before asked me to reentered the Board room 10 seconds later. The Director, broad shoulder, tall stand up, extended his hand said :"Welcome to joint the company", he said with big smile in his thick eyeglass, one eye Jack.

My employer impressed to my answers in interview session and hired me instantly without any delay. I never forget this interviewed, because its  my first professional jobs in my young age, 27 years old. At that moment they posted me in new branch in Jambi branch, south part of Sumatera island.
And this is my first time flying high in the air, fly by Garuda, National flag carrier..

I had spend few months to settle the Land title, start developed the factory's site until erected a new factory building on the side of  Batanghari river,"Seberang", Jambi city. Before  a production test phase, the company sent me over to Port Klang, Malaysia for job training in the Guthrie Sdn rubber factories.

And it was my first trip abroad, using my shortage  English vocabulary, along with a few friends from other companies. Return home to Jambi, then transffered and assigned me as a Factory manager in Rantauprapat town, in the East part of North Sumatera province - Not Prapat town, beside Lake Toba -

I had started  a testing production, blending of raw materials and chemicals to produced 3 type of final products (Standard Indonesia Rubber SIR 5, 20, 50)

I had a lot of experiences  in all kinds of jobs in the factory, how a young man, 27 years manage 6 departments - all headed by senior managers - from raw materials procurement,  production process, laboratory testing, technical, finance and HRD.  

I had lived in Factory compound, next to a Laboratory, a long with my wife and two kids, who born in this town, so I may monitored the production process around the clock to catch up the dead line, expected date of departure (ETD) of ship 150 kilometer away in Belawan port of Medan, North Sumatera.

I had paid particular attention to monitored the drying process to keep the temperature steady. Under certain point it became overheating and under certain temperature become a raw, white spots and became a failed productions.

As a graduated  in Banking, I had not only handle the finance, accounting and pricing, but also in other aspects of management such as  production planning and process, machinery, maintenance,  laboratory process, schedule the production to catch up the Ship's schedule and many more.

Head office had been signed the export contract previously with European companies in US.$ per Lbs (pound). My duty were to calculated  all costs in all Departments. It had started by calculating the ratio of dry rubber content of every kind of raw materials and added all expenses department by department, before decided the raw materials price to be purchased. We couldn't pressed the market price down as low as possible, because we faced a fierce competition with several old factories around town of Rantauprapat.

After considered the hard works and my highest position would be in the near future in this company and while my two siblings still a small kids, my wife agreed that we took  a risky path to leaved the company. We say good bye to the factory in remote area, 7 kilometers out of Rantauprapat town. With full hope and prayer, God will give us the best. We sailed by small ship to Jakarta and be an unemployment with 2 small kids. Really scary.

Before leaving, we went to our family, my wife side, Letkol Pasaribu, 2nd man in KODIM, military office in Rantau Prapat district. How his face look disliked, he said :"How much money in your hand", he asked loudly in military accent. Before I answered he continue :"How dare you leaving this good job" he said finally while extended his hands to say good bye.

Photo : soon after leaved the Factory

In a high waves we sailed in a small cargo ship with prayers and believes that He will lay us in a green pastures and guard our lives from the evil. We landed in Tanjungpriok port of Jakarta and took a tri wheel Bemo to my wife uncle house, Tulang Edy Simanjuntak  in Raden Saleh II, across street the Cikini Hospital, Jakarta downtown, unemployment.

With not a single regret we leaved the good paid jobs in private sectors but uncertain futures and  try to enter a new opportunities in more challenge circumtance in Government sectors, while we still young. We leaved all fancy performance behind and start a new job as a reporter in Suara karya daily, drive a motorbike for a couple of months.

Photo :soon after leaving tht factory

Few months later, our dream come true by entering new jobs, correlated with my education background in Banking to be a BRI Bank personnel through 2 and half  years in job training period, before appointed as Vice Branch Managers in Kebumen, Central Java for the first time.

Yes we run to a new opportunities, left paid good job by risking something to gain future better life.