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uilding a collaborative work environment and focusing on quality in every aspect of performance are both important parts of a company’s growth.

“My first challenge was to manage a multicultural staff and to lead them with a common vision in a collaborative work environment,” said V.K. Agarwal, managing director of PT Embee Plumbon Textiles.

Agarwal took over the wholly Indonesian company in 1999, during the dark days of the economic crisis, and transformed it into a successful enterprise. The textile factory has since grown from 500 to 1,500 employees, with an annual turnover of US$150 million.

Today, the firm is representative of its international focus with a multinational staff.

His determination and attitude of leading by example has been instrumental in the company’s explosive growth.

Armed with a textile engineering degree gained in 1976, Agarwal started on the shop floor in various green field projects, and has since accumulated over 34 years’ experience in the industry.

The experience, combined with his orientation to quality, has been the foundation for success in all aspects of his business.

“Our focus is on building a collaborative environment and many senior managers and factory workers have been with me since the beginning,” Agarwal said.

“My door is always open to my staff as my extended family. I guide and mentor my senior employees, giving them ample challenges and freedom to grow,” said the 57-year-old.

“The company’s policy is to train our existing employees for higher positions, rather than going out for new hires.”

He also emphasizes flexibility and a sense of belonging to the company.

“It is very important to be flexible as per the needs of the company. Employee and company culture is created to give people a long-term identity and belonging. This is possible when the organization is supported by the employees and also by their families.”

His community focus is further exhibited by his considerable employee welfare efforts in supporting educational and sports institutions. An eco-friendly and social contribution perspective has led to measures in waste reduction and power conservation through using cleaner technology, as well as tree plantings and landscaping in and around the factory.

The Embee factory is located in Cirebon, Central Java, while the administrative and marketing office is in Jakarta. The plant is equipped with modern, third-generation machinery with the latest “intelligent” software, and is a reflection of Agarwal’s penchant for the early adoption of new concepts and technologies to make textile yarn and fabric to meet the high demand of textile industries in the global market.

“Customer satisfaction is our highest priority and we continue to make yarn compatible with latest technology in weaving and knitting, which we export to 46 countries,” he said.

In addition to his hectic work schedule and frequent travel, he is an active board member of IndCham, the India Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, an association of corporate entities and people with an interest in promoting economic and business interests of Indonesia and India.

“This country has given us opportunities and it is our responsibility to contribute to the betterment of the people and economy here,” he said.

Agarwal is currently president of TITOBA Indonesia, an alumni association for his alma mater, the Technological Institute of Textiles.

“Networking for both social and business reasons is important,” he said.

“We can all learn from each other. It’s important to be open to different perspectives so we can be aware of the opportunities to collaborate and be successful.”

This attitude has led him to establish the Agarwal Samaj, a community-based social and business networking group. This association, established last year, has had a number of successful events fostering friendship and cooperation among members.

Time outs

To effectively manage his health he has a simple strategy: he always finds time for music, a round of golf, family and friends.

“My home and office are within seven kilometers of each other, so I spend very little time commuting. I can take regular walks with my wife and go to the gym in the morning. Exercise is an important part of my daily life.”

Agarwal is a warm, amiable and humble person with strong business acumen and effective leadership qualities providing purpose, direction, and motivation — and he uses all these wonderful qualities while operating to accomplish the mission of managing his organization and empowering his employees.

He said that his secret of success is working towards a goal patiently and systematically. He credits this lesson to one of the most senior Indian professionals in Indonesia, KK Agrawal, currently president director of PT Bitratex Industries and his former boss.

One of the moments that made him happy is when his company was the first in Indonesia to receive certification from USTER to mark all its products as USTERIZED in 2004 as well as ISO-9001 and Oeko-Tex Standard 100, a commitment to quality.