Merten tools up: while most processors in Indonesia are consolidating their operations, switch...

In the early 1990s, when Germany-based Merten wanted to expand its operations further it decided to invest in Indonesia, having already set up sales offices in Austria and Singapore. By 1996, Merten Indonesia's factory in Bekasi was making great strides and trying to build up its business. Then came the financial crisis that left most Asian businesses, including those in Indonesia, badly affected. The country had barely managed to overcome this setback when it was hit again by the recent global economic slowdown.

As it was established to cater to the domestic market, Me