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Jakarta Post

A miniature business goes global thanks to the Net

War toys: Woodcycle Art specializes in making miniatures of war transportation vehicles, such as planes, tanks, and helicopters

Slamet Susanto (The Jakarta Post)
Sleman, Yogyakarta
Fri, November 20, 2009

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A miniature business goes global thanks to the Net

War toys: Woodcycle Art specializes in making miniatures of war transportation vehicles, such as planes, tanks, and helicopters.

The US has been buying weapons from Indonesia. Miniature weapons. Yes, recycled war miniatures branded Woodcycle Art, made by Indonesian entrepreneur Hiro Prabantoro, have made their way to the US Pentagon.

Making the best of the Internet, Hiro sells his recycled war vehicle miniatures in 22 countries around the world.

“The recipe for a success in business is to tap into the power of the Internet because it eliminates boundaries and distance between continents,” said Hiro, 39.

The internet allows him to transact with any buyer, anywhere and anytime. Distances and differences vanish with the World Wide Web, and render everyone on cyberspace a potential buyer.

Another word of wisdom from Hiro is that products sold on the Internet must be of good quality, and unique, to gain global buyers’ trust.

Woodcycle Art products come with an edge, as they are handmade with high quality wood, giving them a natural look. The minutia incorporated in the products makes them look real.  

The miniature of the M48 combat tank that was deployed in the Vietnam War, or of the MP4 colt model rifle could pass for the real weapons of destruction, if it weren’t for their size.

Hiro also reproduces the latest war vehicle models, like the YF23 or F19 combat airplanes.

Nowadays, Hiro is working on a wooden 1968 Ferrari engine with the same size as the original for an Australian buyer.

Attention to detail makes his products outstanding, Hiro says, as they beat the products made by
his Philippino and Vietnamese competitors.

“Buyers tell me my products are top quality, and better than those from The Philippines and Vietnam. But maybe they just say it to make me happy,” he said.

To make outstanding products, Hiro will first find a prototype of the vehicle his buyers want, then research it on the Internet as well as examine the Tamiya model and toys with the same shape.

He will then take the time to make one perfect miniature, which will be used as a model by his 15 employees.

“Making the initial models takes a long time, sometimes more than one month for a single piece,” he said.

To give his products longevity, he dunks them half way through the production process in limewater to protect them from termites. When it comes to colors, however, Hiro will seek the best-qualified third party to help him.

Delivery is never an issue because buyers tend to take care of the shipping themselves.

Vietnam calling: A series of M48 tank models, primarily used during the Vietnam War but also during World War 2, rest on the floor of one of Woodcycle Art’s workshops, waiting to be completed.
Vietnam calling: A series of M48 tank models, primarily used during the Vietnam War but also during World War 2, rest on the floor of one of Woodcycle Art’s workshops, waiting to be completed.

A minimum of 100 units must be ordered, with a down payment of up 50 percent of the total value of the order. The outstanding balance needs to be paid before the goods are shipped.

In a month, Hiro can produce more than 500 miniatures of aircrafts, tanks and other vehicles, amounting to Rp 40 million a month in sales revenue and profit margins of between 50 and 70 percent.

“There is still a high demand and I am overwhelmed,” he said.

A second-class small aircraft 4 centimeters long costs Rp 200,000 (US$20), while a first-class one between Rp 1.5 and Rp 8 million.

“That is the price for customers who order at least 100 units. The retail price is four times higher,”
he said.

However Hiro’s business is labor intensive due to the meticulous nature of the job.

“I repeatedly train my workers but many give up because they are not patient enough to work on the minutia,” said Hiro.

Fortunately raw materials are of little concern, given the abundant wood waste from furniture making and sawmilling businesses.

The idea to start Woodcycle Art came about in 1998, when Hiro worked at the Tourism Study Center (Stupa) in Yogyakarta. His job was to support and train people in Jombor village, Ceper, Klaten, Central Java, to empower them economically.

“I was left to my own devices to do the job,” he said.

He searched the Internet to get some ideas and finally decided to develop wooden handicrafts in the form of miniature cars and bicycles.

After a one year of training, some villagers were able to produce the miniatures, but they asked Hiro to stay on.

Hiro had to think hard about developing the products. From the Internet, he learned about miniature war vehicles made in the Philippines and Vietnam.

“They were good but lacked detail,” he said.

Hiro, who has two children from his marriage to Suryari Inten Pramesti, was inspired to make similar products, but with a higher quality and more detail, and market them through the internet. He visited handicraft centers and met famous artisans to acquire more knowledge.

“I started from scratch. I only had ideas. I taught myself how to make the models, as an autodidact,” he said.

In 2002, he began marketing Woodcycle Art products seriously through the Internet. “An American collector started asking about my products,” he said.

The collector soon became one of Hiro’s loyal customers, from whom he learned many things.

Even though his products are now sold around the world, Hiro still remembers his first mission to empower economically villagers in Jombor. He stays in touch with people in the village, which now has become a handicraft center employing hundreds of villagers.

— Photos by Slamet Susanto

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