Meet a MAKEENER
Building a market from scratch
The beginning
Officially, I've been employed by MAKEEN Energy since 2007, but I've actually worked in the company's interest for their agent in Indonesia since 1988. So before even coming to MAKEEN Energy, I had a good sense of the company, and I already knew the LPG industry. At the time I was recruited, the LPG business in Indonesia was growing rapidly and when the time was just right, the business unit manager of our area recommended that MAKEEN Energy started up its own permanent, local representation. I was chosen to single-handedly establish a new Indonesian office and was appointed branch manager of the hub.
Naturally, being the only employee in our Indonesian hub, I was very busy, and my phone was ringing off the hook since all the daily routines were carried out by me. Of course, I had great support from our headquarters in Denmark, but I was the one cultivating the market, approaching prospective customers, handling sales and documentation and finally also helping install the equipment for smaller customers. So, I had a finger in every pie, but that was also the thrilling part. I got to build the office from scratch.
My current job
I'm still the branch manager today but now I focus my efforts primarily on managing my employees, which, by now, amount to six people. They have taken over a lot of my tasks that eventually became too many for one person to handle and from then on, the business just grew. Sales in Indonesia have now passed the 15-million-euro mark, and it makes me proud to see how far we've come. I do still install equipment, if necessary, but that was a bigger part of my job in the past. Now, I handle sales and commercial, technical and delivery matters.
Here in Indonesia, we've established a reputation as a trustworthy supplier which makes doing business much easier and more comfortable. This credibility towards us is quite rare in our business and I'm honoured that we have been able to gain the customers' favour.
The best thing about working for MAKEEN Energy
I like the fact that MAKEEN Energy has offices all around the globe and that we all co-operate according to the same goals even though we are thousands of miles apart. The best thing about my job in particular is that I'm responsible for the business here in Indonesia. Every day, I get to influence how the business is run, and I like to have a say in important decisions.
