Before and after: The growth of Kerinci in pictures

Just over 25 years ago, the town of Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra was home to just 200 dwellings. There were no roads so the only access was on foot or by boat, and most inhabitants made a living as fishermen or illegal loggers.

Today the town is home to over 100,000 people, it has a small airport and two ports, and its produce is used by millions of consumers in countries around the world.

This little-used road is now a thriving market lined with businesses

So what changed?

In 1993 APRIL Group began construction on its first pulp and paper mill in the area. Although it was sparsely populated, Kerinci had ready access to abundant raw materials that would soon transform the economic prospects of the entire area.

Commercial pulp production began in 1995, followed by commercial paper production in 1998. 

Today the area is almost unrecognizable from that sleepy village. There are 11,000 kilometres of roads, as well as shops, hotels and schools.

APRIL Group employs around 5,800 people directly, and the multiplier effect is estimated at around 90,000. In fact a 1999-2014 study by the Institute of Economic and Social Research – Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia estimated APRIL’s historic contribution to Riau province’s GDP at 5.2%. APRIL also works with local entrepreneurs to provide them with skills and equipment to build up their businesses and create jobs.

Community facilities such as this mosque have been built throughout the town

It’s not just infrastructure and economic opportunities – APRIL has also helped build a community. As of 2016 APRIL had helped build 36 sports facilities, 556 places of worship and religious schools, and provided equipment to 139 public schools.

APRIL has even provided support to promising young athletes through its Future Athlete Training Center, some of whom have gone on to represent the company in international competitions.

The commitment to helping Kerinci grow is part of our founder's 5C principles that our activities should be good for Community, Country, Climate and Customer, and only then will they be good for the Company.