Success Stories

“Of course we never expected a natural disaster to happen when we began operations. But whether conditions were harsh or not, we were compelled to work for a living. We never once thought we had made a mistake or about giving up.”
With those three sentences, Julia Lorena D. Manrique neatly summed up Moonbake Incorporated’s survival stance in the wake of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 and Tropical Storm Thelma just five months later. Hot on the heels of the double disaster came the withdrawal of US military bases from the Philippines, a sharp hike in living costs, and a higher dollar-to-peso exchange rate.

What began as a simple business of designing office desk accessories soon took MBP Leather to the international stage with its Albedo brand. There, it was accorded the recognition it deserved for its high-quality leather products.
Five years and 400 employees later, MBP Leather received a coveted invitation to display its luxe accessories at Asia’s biggest industry showcase, the International Exhibition of Shoes and Leather Industry, held in Guangzhou, PR China.

It was 1998. Economies around the world were flailing to remain upright under the crushing blows of the global financial crisis. Indonesia was no different. Its economy was at the stormiest it had ever been but while many businessmen shivered at the terrible prospect of starting from scratch, one man decided that was exactly the […]