Successful roof tile maker thanks God for good fortune
By Ali Budiman
KEBUMEN, Central Java (JP): Haj Moeflich, at 81, feels very grateful for his good health: he walks easily, his hearing and sight do not need aids, and he does not suffer from any chronic disease.
There are other blessings too. He has nine sons and five daughters, who have succeeded in their studies and careers. And they have given him a total of 68 grandchildren and 20 great- grandchildren.
His roof tile production business has grown well. He has three factories, each situated on at least two hectares of land. A fleet of middle-size trucks take care of nearby deliveries and one Fuso truck services long-distance destinations. His big truck delivers roof tiles to Lampung and Aceh in Sumatra and to Bali in the east. He employs some 100 workers in his factories, which look modest from the outside.
"The important thing is to be resigned to God's will. We do things with good intention; God willing, we can overcome all difficulties. We must pray regularly expressing our gratitude and ask the Almighty for the things we need," he said
Asked about the key to his business success after three generations, he explained that it's all about quality.
"Quality and durability are of prime importance. The products must not crack or leak. They must link perfectly at the installation," said the old man, who is an elementary school graduate.
Another important element is timely delivery. "If the time is short, negotiations are necessary. My motto is thus: quality, punctuality and honesty."
The period between 1980 and 1985 was prosperous with big orders his Soka roof tiles coming from state oil company Pertamina in Cilacap and a number of real estate companies in Semarang. Work shifts were supplemented with additional labor and overtime work was routine. The chimney from the kilns seemed to work 24 hours a day.
But the crisis that started in 1997 also affected his business. It was not until a few months ago that he began to enjoy some stability, allowing factory workers to take a deep breath.
Among the workers are Saliman, 30, and Parinah, 35, a married couple who work together turning the wheel of a manual molding machine. "We little workers do not have big demands. If we must earn our living by the sweat of our brow, we just do it as long as there are still orders and the crisis does not force us to stop," Saliman said.
"Now everything is so expensive and unemployment is everywhere. We are grateful to God that Pak Haji and his children are always blessed with luck in managing the factory, thus we continue to receive our salaries and have two meals a day at the factory.
Earlier this year, instead of receiving the Idul Fitri bonus, he received Rp 10,000 in the form of religious alms from his employer. "Let us hope there will be an Idul Fitri bonus next year."
Saliman met Parinah 11 years ago at the roof tile factory and got married the next year. They now have a daughter aged 10 and a son aged four.
The couple, like other workers who turn the wheel of a manual molding machine, receive a salary of Rp 3,500 a day each. Male workers loading and unloading trucks and female works arranging tiles for drying under the sun earn Rp 6,000 to Rp 8,000 per day.
Bars measuring 15 X 15 X 5 centimeters (for standard tiles) are formed from a mixture of clay and choice sand, then smeared with residue oil before pressing with the tile molding machine. The oil prevents the mixture from sticking to the molding machine. The workers shaping the bars are usually men who are paid by the quantity produced, Rp 22,000 for 1,000 bars.
The clay is bought from local rice field owners for a lump sum. The initial process needs the cooperation of the weather because the bars must be pressed and cleaned immediately before drying in the open air for one day. After drying, the tiles are fired for 24 hours in a wooden oven with a capacity of 30,000 tiles.
The production of Soka roof tiles was pioneered by the Dutch government which built limekilns not long after the Dutch East- Indies Company had expanded in the archipelago. They made a soil survey in many areas, searching for soil suitable for roof tile production. Firewood for curing was not a problem because it was easily obtained from plentiful forests.
At that time, tiles were transported out of town via a railway station called Soka. This name was linked to the now famous tile products.
After independence, the local population showed they had mastered the production methods. And people like Moeflich's father continued the production of tiles, recognized as the best quality tiles in Central Java.
If by chance you are traveling Jl. Raya Jabres, Sruweng, Kebumen one evening, with many limekilns on both sides of the road, you might hear the reverberations of the call for prayer. That is probably the voice of Haj Moeflich, who is gifted with a melodious voice that glorifies the greatness of God. He was once acclaimed as the man with the best call for prayer in Kebumen regency.