Our Philosophy
The History and Heritage of Taru Martani 1918
The history of the Taru Martani cigar company began in 1918 when a cigar manufacturer from the Netherlands established a sole proprietorship in Yogyakarta. The initial location of the company was in the Bulu area, on the outskirts of Magelang Road in Yogyakarta. In 1921, the location was moved to Baciro, at Argolubang No.2 A Yogyakarta. In the same year, the business was transformed into a limited liability company named N.V. Negresco.
With the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in 1942, N.V. Negresco was taken over by the Japanese government and renamed “Jawa Tobacco Kojo.” Production expanded to include not only the “Momo Taro” branded cigars but also white cigarettes branded “Mizuho” and “Koa.” The Japanese government imported cigarette production machinery from B.A.T Cirebon.
When the Japanese government fell in 1945, Jawa Tobacco Kojo was taken over by the Indonesian government. Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX renamed the company “Taru Martani,” which means “Leaf that Sustains.” Its production included “Daulat” branded cigars and “Abadi” branded white cigarettes. At that time, the company had around 2,000 employees.
Unfortunately, in 1949, the company was once again taken over by N.V. Negresco. The white cigarette machinery was returned to B.A.T. Cirebon. The company faced setbacks because N.V. Negresco couldn’t actively produce cigars until 1951.
In 1952, the Special Region of Yogyakarta government, in collaboration with the National Industrial Bank in Jakarta, took the initiative to revive the company by establishing PT. Taru Martani. Its first director was Professor Mr. Kertanegara (1952-1957), assisted by Dutch experts like Habraken. Initially, they produced cigars under the Senator, Mundi Victor, Elcomercia, and Cigarillos series. They also produced cigarette paper under the Cheveaux Blancs brand.
Later on (in 1957), they began producing kretek cigarettes under the “Roro Mendut” and “Roro Jonggrang” brands, as well as local shag tobacco.
Due to the West Irian conflict in 1960, all Dutch companies were taken over by the Indonesian government. Since PT. Taru Martani had not been fully paid for, it remained Dutch-owned. The company was then nationalized and placed under the People’s Industry Department (PNPR) Bujana Yasa with the name: Pabrik Cerutu dan Tembakau Shag Taru Martani.
In 1966, the company was returned to the Yogyakarta Regional Government and its status was changed to a Regional Company (PD).
In 1972, in an effort to expand, the Yogyakarta government collaborated with the Dutch company Douwe Egberts Tabaksmaatchappij BV in Utrecht, Holland, to export cigars to the Netherlands. They formed a joint venture called “PT. Taru Martani Baru,” which produced cigars under the Senator, Mundi Victor, Adipati, Ramayana, and Pather brands. From 1973 onwards, they also produced shag tobacco under the Van Nelle, Countryman, and White Ox brands.
Despite the hope that PT. Taru Martani Baru’s joint venture would lead to faster growth, it did not perform as expected.
For 14 years (1972 – 1986), the company did not turn a profit and, in fact, continued to incur losses. Recognizing this situation, in 1986, Douwe Egberts Tabaksmaatchappij BV Holland withdrew from the company.
Starting in July 1986, PT. Taru Martani Baru returned to being a Regional Company (PD). Given the critical financial condition of the company, the Regional Government sought loans from several banks. Eventually, they secured a loan of 700 million rupiahs from Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo).
With this infusion of funds, the development of PD Taru Martani became quite promising. In 1989, it even began exporting its products to foreign countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the United States. Currently, with the company’s continuous growth, PD Taru Martani has expanded into the markets of France, the Czech Republic, Taiwan, Australia, and the ASEAN region.