BEGITU MEMASUKI jalan kampung Karang Asem, desing mesin penghalus langsung menyapa. Bersahutan dari rumah ke rumah. Di halaman, anak-anak muda dan orang tua bertelanjang dada tengah asyik ‘merangkai’ sangkar burung. “Kami kini lebih optimistis menatap masa depan,” terang Riasan Hadi Saputro, Kepala Dusun Karang Asem.
Dusun yang terletak sekitar 50 km dari Surabaya ini memang dikenal sebagai sentra sangkar burung. Dari 140 kepala keluarga (KK) yang tinggal di sana, sebanyak 90 KK berprofesi sebagai perajin sangkar burung. Menurut Riasan, perajin sangkar burung kini menjadi profesi utama, mengalahkan sektor pertanian yang sebelumnya jadi andalan.
Sejatinya, usaha sangkar burung sudah berjalan turun temurun di dusun tersebut. Hanya saja, saat itu masih bersifat sampingan. Sangkar yang dibuat pun bentuknya bulat dengan bahan dari ro- tan. Sangkar jenis ini biasanya dipakai untuk burung jenis perkutut dan puter. Daerah edarnya pun terbatas. Bahkan, produksi baru dilakukan setelah ada pesanan.
Adalah Shodiq Pribadi (47) yang mengawali perubahan di dae- rah ini. Bapak dua anak ini bak Raja Midas. Sentuhan yang dilakukan
ENTERING Karang Asem area, you may hear the whoosh of smoothing grinder machines. You can hear it from house to house. In the yard, shirtless young people and their parents are busy stringing birdcages. “We are now more optimistic to look at the future,” said Riasan Hadi Saputro, the headman of Dusun Karang Asem.
The hamlet located about 50 kilometers from Surabaya is known as the center of birdcage production. Of the 140 house- holds who live there, as many as 90 families make a living from birdcage. According to Riasan, birdcage crafter now has become a main profession overcoming the agricultural profession.
The birdhouse business has been running for generations in the village. However, it was only side business. The cages were always made in semicircular from rattan. This type of cage is usually used for zebra or peaceful dove (Geopelia striata) and ringneck dove (Streptopelia risoria). The area of marketing was also limited and the production was only made after booking.
It was Shodiq who initiated the revolution in this hamlet. The father of two children is like King Midas. His touches make
membuat sangkar burung naik derajat; dari usaha sampingan menjadi home industri utama di daerah ini. Kuncinya, Shodiq melakukan inovasi model sang- kar burung yang sebelumnya berbentuk bulat dan kaku. Dia yang mengenalkan sangkar berbentuk kotak dan ramping.
Bahan dasarnya pun diganti kayu jati. Agar lebih eye catching, sangkar dipoles dengan cat warna-warni yang mencolok. Alhasil tampilannya lebih se- dap dipandang mata, dan bisa jadi bu- rung yang ada di dalamnya jadi betah. “Saya coba mengikuti selera pasar. Ini barangkali yang membuat produk kami selalu diterima konsumen,” terang suami dari Sutatik ini.
Sebagai pionir, Shodiq tak pelit berbagi ilmu dengan tetangga dan warga desa. Sebagian besar pera- jin di daerah ini adalah bekas anak buahnya. Toh dia tak khawatir bakal tersaingi. Sebaliknya, Shodiq bersyu- kur bisa membantu orang lain dan berharap siapa pun bisa mengikuti jejaknya. “Yang saya jual kualitas, jangan sampai pelanggan kecewa dengang sangkar burung buatan saya,” tegasnya.
Ya, produk Shodiq memang dike- nal karena kualitasnya. Maklum, ayah dari Agung Setyawan (20) dan Yahya Darmawan (15) ini mengerjakan dan mengawasi langsung proses produksi. Mulai pemilihan bahan sampai inishing. Untuk bahan baku, Shodiq tak semba- rangan memilih. Dia menjalin kerja sama dengan salah satu pabrik pengolahan
birdcage rising in prestige; from side business into main home industry in this area. His key to the hamlet revolu- tion is innovation. Shodiq change the models; from semicircular and stiff into box-shaped and sleek cage.
He also replaced the basic materials from rattan into teakwood. To be more eye-catching, he polished the cage with striking color paint. As a result, the cages look great, and the bird could feel more at home.
“I try to follow the market taste. This is perhaps what makes our products always be in consumer’s heart,” said Shodiq, the husband of Sutatik.
As a pioneer, Shodiq does not mind to share his knowledge with neighbors and villagers. Most of the birdcage makers in this area were actually his former subordinates. Shodiq never feels worried that he will be rivalled by them. Instead, Shodiq feels grate- ful to be able to help others and he even hopes anyone could follow in his footsteps. “What I sell is quality. I never make my customers upset with my birdcage,” he said.
Yes, Shodiq product is known for quality. Understandably, the father of Agung Setiawan and Yahya Dar- mawan directly works and oversees the production process; from materi- als selection to inishing process. For raw materials, Shodiq never carelessly picks up. He cooperates with a teak wood processing plant in Gresik. He
pabrik itulah yang dimanfaatkan untuk membuat sangkar burung. Ini bukan tanpa alasan. Menurut Shodiq, dari sisi umur dan kualitas, kayu dari pabrik tersebut sudah pasti terjamin. “Lain bila ambil di galangan (toko bahan bangunan, red). Bisa saja umurnya masih muda tapi kayu jatinya sudah dipotong,” jelasnya. Saat
inishing, Shodiq pun pilih pakai cara manual. Meski makan waktu lama namun hasil akhirnya lebih sempurna. Ini yang membuat dirinya kewalahan hingga sampai menolak order.
Sejatinya Shodiq tak kerja sendiri. Sehari-hari dia dibantu 20 karyawan. Toh, kadang masih belum mampu melayani permintaan yang membeludak. Bahkan, sampai ada pelanggannya di luar pu- lau yang transfer uang lebih dulu agar pesanan sangkar burungnya segera diselesaikan. “Biasanya memang seperti itu. Transfer lebih dulu, sebulan berikutnya barang saya kirim,” ceritanya.
Shodiq membuat sangkar burung dalam tiga ukuran, yakni kecil dengan harga Rp 175 ribu, sedang Rp 275 ribu dan besar seharga Rp 400 ribu. Sangkar ini cocok untuk burung jenis kacer, cudet, cucak ijo, anis merah, murai batu dan cucak rowo. “Kalau ada yang pesan, tinggal saya tanya burungnya jenis apa, saya sudah tahu ukuran dan model sangkarnya seperti apa,” katanya lagi.
Sebulan Shodiq bisa memproduksi sekitar 200 sangkar. Selain Surabaya dan Gresik, pemasarannya juga sampai ke Banyuwangi,
make birdcages.
It is not without reason. According Shodiq, teak –even the waste– from the factory has already been guaranteed in terms of maturity and quality. “The maturity and quality will be different if I take the teakwood from building materials small store. It could be the teakwood is cut in young age,” he explained. For inishing, Shodiq choose to use the manual method. Yes, it is time consum- ing. But, the end result is perfect. This is what makes him over- whelmed and sometime to reject order.
Shodiq does not work alone. Every day, he is assisted by 20 employees. After all, sometimes they have not been able to serve the booming order. So, some customers from outside Java island transfer money in advance in order of to get their birdcage imme- diately made. “Usually it’s like that. They transfer money irst and then I send the cage next month,” he said.
Shodiq makes birdcages in three sizes; the small size is priced Rp 175 thousand, medium is tagged Rp 275 thousand, and the big one is Rp 400 thousand. These cages are suitable for chirp- ing bird such as shama, long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach), greater green leafbird (Chloropsis sonnerati), orange-headed thrush (Zoothera citrina), white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) and straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus). “If someone makes order, I just ask him for what kind of bird. I already know the size and the model of the cage for special bird,” he said.
In a month, Shodiq can produce 200 cages. In addition to Surabaya and Gresik, his marketing area is up to Banyuwangi,
Lumajang, Bali dan Kalimantan. Menariknya, Shodiq tak perlu repot-repot mengirim barang ke sana. Pelanggannya yang ambil sendiri. “Kalau untuk Surabaya, Gresik dan sekitarnya saya yang kirim,” ujar perajin yang meraup pendapatan Rp 30 juta hingga Rp 35 juta per bulan ini.
Shodiq bersyukur usahanya berkembang dan bisa mengangkat ekonomi keluarga. Selain mampu membangun rumah, sebuah mo- bil Suzuki pikap juga terpakir di garasi rumahnya. “Alhamdulillah, ini berkat doa orang tua dan kerja keras selama ini,” tandasnya.
Kehadiran Semen Indonesia lewat Program Usaha Kemitraan (PUK) menjadi berkah bagi Shodiq dan perajin sangkar burung lainnya. Seingat Shodiq, sudah tiga tahun terakhir dia dan rekan- rekannya menjadi mitra SMI. Sebelumnya mereka mengandal- kan pinjaman dari koperasi dan bank, baik pemerintah maupun swasta. Meski bunganya tinggi namun tetap diambil karena tidak ada pilihan lain.
Awalnya Shodiq tak percaya SMI mau menjadikannya sebagai mitra binaan. Betapa tidak, untuk mendapatkan pinjaman modal, dia hanya diminta menyerahkan foto copy KTP. Pun tidak perlu agunan. “Saya waktu itu nggak yakin. Hari gini ada tawaran pinja- man hanya dengan modal KTP. Eh, ternyata benar-benar cair. Akhirnya, sekarang semua perajin ikut-ikutan jadi mitra binaan Semen Indonesia,” papar pria yang belajar membuat sangkar burung sejak SD ini. (*)
Lumajang, Bali and Kalimantan. Interestingly, Shodiq need not to send the cages out there because most of his clients like to take the cages by themselves. “For my clients in Surabaya, Gresik and surroundings areas, I send the cages,” said the craftsman who earns Rp 30 million to Rp 35 million per month.
Shodiq feels grateful that his business can grow up and lift his family’s economy. Aside of being able to build a house, a car Suzu- ki pickup is also parked in his garage. “Alhamdulillah. I also thanks to my parent’s prayers and our hard work over the years,” he said.
Semen Indonesia with Partnership Enterprises Program (PUK) is a blessing for Shodiq and other birdcage crafters. Shodiq and his colleagues had become a Semen Indonesia partner since 2012. Previously, they relied on loans from public or private coopera- tives and banks. They took the credit even in high interest rates because there was no other choice. Now, Semen Indonesia gives them choice.
At irst, Shodiq did not believe that Semen Indonesia wish to make him as trained partners. Just imagine; to get a loan, he was only asked to submit a copy of ID card. Also, it no need of collateral for the loans. “I was not sure, is there really a loan with only ID card copy as collateral? Well, it was real and I got the loan. Now, all birdcage makers in Dusun Karang Asem bandwagon me to become Semen Indonesia partner,” said the man who learned how to make birdcage since a kid. (*)
Owner : Shodiq Pribadi
Address : Dusun Karang Asem RT V/RW III Desa Karang Semanding,
Kecamatan Balongpanggang, Gresik Number of Workers : 20 people
Turnover : Rp 30 million to Rp 35 million per month Join in Semen Indonesia partnership : 2012 Telephone : 031-71053962
Mobile Phone : 081 332 399 757 Pemilik : Shodiq Pribadi
Alamat : Dusun Karang Asem RT V/RW III Desa Karang Semanding, Kecamatan Balongpanggang, Gresik Jumlah Pekerja: 20 orang Omzet : Rp 30 juta-Rp 35 juta per bulan Gabung Semen Indonesia: 2012
Telp : 031-71053962 HP : 081 332 399 757