6 November 2023

In this publication, industry-leading pulp and paper manufacturer APRIL Group shines a spotlight on the capable and experienced partners of its flagship brand PaperOne™. Each month, we feature the accomplishments of a different partner to demonstrate how far their company has come in the industry.

Remembering Our Roots

As a part of the pulp and paper industry, roots carry a different meaning. For Cynthia Chandra, President Director of PT. Toba Permai Kencana, gaining insights into PaperOne’s behind the scenes paper production has helped her to shape the company’s direction. In this November issue, Mrs Chandra shares valuable advice on how to stay relevant in a digitalised future, and how the PaperOne partnership can help with that.

It’s nice to meet you, Mrs Chandra. Could you tell us more about your company?

Likewise. PT. Toba Permai Kencana was established in July 1989 by Mr Jauhari Chandra and myself. Based in Jakarta, we are national distributors of stationery products and brands across Indonesia. We were also appointed as the partner brand of one of Japan’s pioneering stationery manufacturers, PLUS Stationery. We have been a distributor for PaperOne’s cut-size paper since 1998.

What do you enjoy most about this industry?

After 34 long years, I still love the fact that I am constantly challenged by the fast-changing market demands for traditional stationery products, especially in this age. The difficulties of staying afloat in this sector keep me going, fuelling my ambition and determination to heavily promote traditional stationery to the Indonesian population.

How long has your company been a PaperOne partner?

We’ve maintained a strong partnership for the past 25 years. Today, we sell PaperOne’s Dunia Mas Photocopy Paper, Copier Happy, and Ultima Copy. For our photocopy and printing tasks, we use PaperOne Copier Paper. Today, we sell a variety of APRIL Group’s products, including its flagship brand PaperOne.

While we used to only cater to general stationery stores, our partnership with PaperOne helped us to expand our clientele to include businesses that are more focused on paper-based products. With this increased exposure, PT. Toba was able to open two new branches in Bandung, West Java in June 2006, and three branches in Palembang Sumatera Selatan in November 2016!

That’s remarkable. Congratulations!

Thank you. PaperOne has indeed helped to greatly boost our business in many ways. One of the biggest benefits of our partnership is the many marketing opportunities offered by PaperOne, which has increased our brand exposure and improved our brand image, allowing us to gain a competitive edge over other distributors in terms of price and quality.

Is there anything you would like to highlight about our partnership?

Through PT. Toba’s partnership with PaperOne, we were able to gain insights into the roots – the making – of the paper industry. What components go into paper production, how the paper manufacturing process works, as well as the different kinds of paper that exist. We got a much deeper understanding of the amount of labour and time that it takes to produce a single piece of paper. Having this knowledge allows us to grow a stronger appreciation for paper, resulting in PT. Toba always putting our best foot forward when it comes to selling these well-made products to our loyal clientele.

What are your thoughts on the future of the paper and pulp industry in this digitalisation era?

Well, it has definitely presented some negative impacts. With society becoming more dependent on technology, the need for paper is being replaced in many ways. In order to stay ahead, we must be aware of and keep up with current and evolving demands. For example, PaperOne’s commitment to innovation and sustainability reinforces it as an established paper brand and instils greater confidence in customers. PT. Toba also believes that expanding our product list while increasing our social media presence to cater to a younger audience, such as up-and-coming business owners, can aid in long-term success.

Where do you see the future of your company’s partnership with PaperOne headed?

We plan on being more communicative with PaperOne on the industrial changes and demands that PT. Toba gets to witness and observe first hand. A clear two-way communication channel will enable us to provide each other with valuable insights into possible solutions and perspectives for the development of our businesses in the paper and pulp industry. We believe that our long partnership history with PaperOne will continue being mutually beneficial – as PT. Toba grows to be more diverse, we will be able to promote PaperOne’s product offerings to all kinds of businesses.

Mrs Chandra, thank you for your continued support for PaperOne! We are very excited to explore the potential opportunities arising from this partnership between PT. Toba and PaperOne.