INDAH JAYA : MRS CHAIR SPECIALIST

CUB meets Mrs. Elin Indahhyani, the chair master in her Kerobokan workshop

Can you tell us a bit about your background.

How and when did you start your business?

I have approximately 50 employees, if you put the Java and Bali employees all together.  They work year round to ensure constant availability.

Do you mostly sell locally or export? Which countries do you send to? Are you up to  standards for international orders ?

Seemingly, the international and local orders are about equal, each representing approximately 50 percent of the total. Here in Bali, I get a lot of orders for the tourism industry: mostly villas, restaurants and Hotels. But I also export a lot to Greece, where I have big partners such as IKEA in Athens, for whom I build chairs. I send them around 200 chairs per month. I also import to the Philippines, Germany and other places…  Orders come in from all over the world.

How long does it usually take for you to deliver an order ?

It really depends on the order, but to make 100 chairs, for example, it takes approximately 1 month.

Have you ever had a problem because you were late to deliver an order?

No,  I have always delivered on time. I know how many workers are available and they all produce at the same speed, so I can calculate precisely how long it will take to produce an order. It prevents any delay. In the  beginning I had a few problems, but that was thirty years ago! I have the experience now to ensure deliveries are always on time.

Do you create some of  your own designs or only produce orders?

I have never designed my own products. Clients usually come to me with a design, we have a look at it then we decide together what suits them best, sizes, choice of materials.. We sometimes do samples to test different ideas. 95% of the time, we are able to produce the exact design the client wants.

What material do you use the most ?

Teak wood, iron, aluminium and stainless steel are the main materials that I use, but also occasionally Rattan, leather, synthetic fabrics…

I would say that Wood represents 60 percent of everything I make, and all the other materials combined cover the rest.

My favorite material is wood, because it is the one I use the most, but all the materials are equally difficult to work with, so I like all the materials that I use.

Do your products comply with international standards for export ?

Yes, all my products are up to the required standards to be exported. Once they arrive at their destination, they are tested, and we have never had an issue of any sort.

What has been the impact of Covid on your business and how are you managing?

I was impacted during the first 6 months of Covid, when the orders slowed down and we had fewer  customers. But it only lasted half a year, and we never closed the factory. After this period, a lot of villas started being built again here in Bali, so the orders started coming in once more. I also received a lot of orders from restaurants in Germany, so business picked up again quite rapidly.

Do you prefer working for big or small customers ?

For me, everything is important, the small customers are as important as the big one. Only having big customers can cause problems. The way my business works is by keeping a balance between big and small orders, and customers.

What is your favorite piece of furniture for a house ?

Chairs are my favorite items of furniture, because they are what I make the most of. Everyone orders chairs: the restaurants I work with, the Hotels, the villas as well.

Do you assist clients who are confused and don’t really know what they want ?

Yes of course, if clients need it, I can go to their villa or Hotel to check sizes, advise them on what materials to use and what designs would suit them best.

Do you work in a sustainable way, with recycled materials ?

I always give my customers the choice to work with sustainable materials, but ultimately it is their choice to make, and most of the time, they choose the normal materials. I only usually use recycled materials for special orders.

Credits : CUB Team