A resident of Babadan, Gedongkuning, Banguntapan, Bantul, has transformed wood waste into tableware, with these crafts now reaching international markets and generating hundreds of millions of IDR in monthly revenue. Ahmat (32), the founder of Rubycraft, initially worked as a supervisor at an airport craft store, where he noticed many wood-based crafts and decided to produce his own. "My colleagues and I taught ourselves, starting production with IDR 2 million from my supervisor salary," he said at his workshop in Babadan, Banguntapan, Bantul, on Monday (29/7/2024). After learning to produce independently, this UPN Veteran Jogja management graduate established Rubycraft in 2019. "The name Rubycraft is inspired by my mother’s name, Rubiyanti," he explained. Ahmat sources his raw materials from grade A wood waste from the best quality wood industries outside the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). "We transform wood branches from around tofu factories into cutting boards, plates, and bowls, known as tableware, which have higher market value than mere firewood," he said.
The use of wood waste as raw material is a distinctive feature of his products. Given the market's saturation with similar products, Ahmat needed a unique characteristic. "We use high-grade Perhutani wood, not from Wonosari or Wonogiri, but from Blora. It’s still teak but of good grade, dark brown, not young teak," he explained. "We source wood waste and roots from outside Jogja, Blora, Gresik. Due to tight competition, we use top-quality materials to avoid price wars," Ahmat added. Currently, Ahmat employs 20-30 residents of Babadan, producing up to 10,000 pieces of wood waste-based tableware per month, depending on orders. Prices range from IDR 5,000 to IDR 250,000. Ahmat’s marketing has expanded to international markets, focusing on Asia. "We cater to all market segments: local, export, marketplace, offline, and online. Most sales are business-to-business, like store owners reselling our products," he said. "We export to Japan, Malaysia, Spain, and are exploring the Asian market due to a slump in Europe," he added. Looking ahead, Ahmat plans to diversify into wood waste-based decorations to broaden his market. "Our main products are tableware like plates, bowls, spoons, forks, flower vases, and table-top items. We are expanding into home decor, wooden clocks, and desk clocks," he concluded.
