By Sharmila Ganesan
Photos by Norafifi Ehsan
Monday October 5, 2009
Boh has come a long way from its early days of mules and steamroller. Today, the country's top tea brand is fast expanding into niche markets abroad.
AS Malaysian as nasi lemak and roti canai, Boh tea is a ubiquitous part of our lives.
Whether you start your morning with a hot cuppa, curl up with one on lazy afternoons, or enjoy a tall frosty glass on a humid day, if you're in Malaysia, chances are, the tea came from Boh.
In fact, as far as most of us are concerned, Boh tea has been around forever.
While that may not really be true, Boh Plantations has been around for a pretty long time – 80 years, to be exact.
Quality yield: A worker plucking tea leaves at the Sungei Palas tea estate owned by Boh Plantations.
Founded in 1929 by J.A. Russell, Boh began a previously unexplored industry in Malaysia that went on to become an enduring legacy.
Equipped only with a single steamroller, some labourers and several mules, Russell and his partner A.B. Milne transformed the steep virgin jungle slopes of Cameron Highlands into the tea gardens they are today - and with that, a uniquely Malaysian legacy began.
As Boh celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, it is obvious that much has changed since Russell's days.
The company now owns four tea gardens – Boh, Sungei Palas and Fairlie in Cameron Highlands, and Bukit Cheeding in Selangor – that produce 4,000,000kg of tea annually (about 5.5 million cups of tea a day!).
Gone are the days when teas were hand-plucked and sorted; now, the tea plantation workers use hand-held machines to gather the leaves and zipwire to transport full bags up the slopes.
The estates have also become a definite tourist draw, as evidenced by the beautiful and airy Sungei Palas Tea Centre, offering visitors a chance to learn more about tea while relaxing amidst the stunning highland views.
Besides being Malaysia's top tea brand, Boh is also expanding into niche markets abroad, and currently exports to various countries including the United States, parts of Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Singapore and Brunei.
The products offered by Boh have also diversified: besides its signature black tea, Boh now offers the Cameronian Gold Blend, gourmet Garden Teas, the Seri Songket range, iced teas, 3-in-1 sachets, Boh Teacino, and various herb and fruit infusions.
The company also made its first move into the ready-to-drink market this year, with the introduction of Boh Teh-O-Ais which comes in cans and packets.
As a vertically-integrated tea company, Boh is one of the few in the world with operations covering the whole spectrum of tea manufacturing, from cultivation and processing to packaging and marketing.
Through all these changes, two things have remained constant: an emphasis on high quality tea, and the company's insistence on its employees' well-being.
Caroline Russell, who is J.A. Russell's granddaughter and Boh's current CEO, attributes the company's longevity to being very focused on what they do best.
"We haven't gotten distracted. Our raison d'etre is to produce tea of value. We think of ourselves as experts in tea, and concentrate on the product itself, nurturing it in our tea gardens and carrying it to Malaysian consumers.
"While we cross all market segments, from gourmet restaurants to the humble coffeeshop, we've always believed in value," she says.
One big family
As for taking good care of Boh's employees, Caroline asserts that is part and parcel of the company's ethos.
"It is about giving people the respect they deserve. They (the employees) are the cornerstone of the company," she says.
"We should provide for all stakeholders, and as the business grows and becomes better, all our stakeholders (which includes our employees) should be beneficiaries of that too. This way, over time, we improve the standard of living of everyone involved."
Such respect and appreciation go a long way in keeping Boh's employees happy and productive.
During a recent visit to the Sungei Palas estate, this writer had the opportunity to speak to several Boh employees, who all had nothing but praise for their employer.
K. Subramaniam (right) is a mandor in charge of tea plucking, at the Sungei Palas estate.
Sungei Palas' estate manager K. Achutan is a product of the company's positive work ethos. Having been with Boh for 29 years, he initially started as a clerk.
"Our company recognises dedication and hard work, and these are well appreciated," says Achutan. "I have no complaints; it is peaceful work with good earnings."
A large part of the employees' job satisfaction stems from the many perks given to them by Boh. Workers at the tea estates are given free housing and water supply, while those above a certain level are also given an electricity and gas allowance.
Employees are also given various incentives that encourage them to be productive.
Besides a performance-based bonus, workers are given cash incentives if they have put in every working day in the year. Employees at the tea centre, for example, are awarded service points that translate into cash.
Boh also ensures that its employees have all the facilities they need.
There is a temple, surau and chapel at the estate. There is also a free clinic for tea garden employees onsite, with qualified medical assistants.
If further treatment is required, the company covers any expenses incurred in government hospitals. Furthermore, a free creche has been set up with nannies to care for employees' children during working hours
Cool conditions: Workers at the Sungei Palas tea estate (owned by Boh Plantations) are given free housing on the estate itself.
Boh also gives merit awards to workers' children who do well in government exams.
The estates' foreign workers are not excluded either. As they are usually on three- to five-year contracts, they are given a loyalty bonus of RM200 a year to encourage them to finish their contract periods.
Besides free accommodation and water, they are further provided a shared TV set and DVD player to occupy their free time.
Tea factory conductor Sayed Jamal Abu Seman, 37, has been with Boh for 20 years.
"Everyone, from the workers to the upper management, works together to make the company successful. Whenever (Caroline) or Datuk Tristan (Russell, Boh chairman and Caroline's father) come to the estate, they come down to the fields with us, so they really know what it's like on the ground.
"They will also ask us how we are, and whether we are facing any problems. They listen to us and trust us, and I think this is why the company has done so well," says Sayed Jamal.
Challenging times
Despite this, however, Boh is not exempt from the challenges facing other companies in the plantation sector, one of which is the diminishing availability of local labour.
At the Sungei Palas estate, for instance, foreign workers make up 63% of the 180-strong workforce.
Achutan says in order to deal with the situation, locals are usually offered higher income, more long-term positions – such as drivers and supervisors – in comparison to foreign workers, or work in the tea centre or factories.
Mandors, for example, are all locals, and are usually those with many years' experience working in the tea gardens.
"While we are very keen to recruit more Malaysians to work on the plantations, we are finding it difficult," says Caroline.
"It's an attitude that dates back to colonial times, where the work is regarded as low status even though the remuneration is quite equal to the manufacturing sector. Besides that, the work is physically very demanding, which often deters many locals."
She admits that the plantation industry is facing a "terrible dilemma" as it is highly dependent on foreign workers. "Should the government change its policy on the hiring of foreign labour, it would be catastrophic."
Caroline adds, however, that the supply of skilled and semi-skilled workers should not be difficult to maintain as long as the company continues to pay competitively.
While such issues and others may prove thorny, one gets the feeling that Boh can and will ride them out – with a cup of tea held firmly in hand.
After all, you don't reach the ripe old age of 80 without having picked up a few things along the way! -- The Star
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