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MAGELANG – The Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO) Magelang City is encouraging family business owners to strengthen their businesses and prepare the next generation to ensure their companies remain sustainable across generations. This initiative was carried out through a Family Business Forum held at Grand Artos, Magelang City, Central Java, on Sunday (November 1, 2026).

The forum brought together business owners and successors of family-owned companies in Magelang City. Participants were invited to learn how to preserve, develop, and pass on family businesses, with insights from two speakers: Teddy Saputra of Ciputra University and Antonius Tanan, Independent Commissioner of Ciputra Group.

The event was sponsored by BSI and Armada Group, with support from Hotel Grand Artos.

Chairman of APINDO Magelang City, Dr. Eddy Sutrisno, M.Si., said that knowledge is a key asset for entrepreneurs seeking to remain competitive amid increasingly intense business competition.

“We want entrepreneurs in Magelang to be knowledgeable. Capital can be secured and markets can be developed, but without knowledge, everything will be fragile,” Eddy said in his opening remarks.

According to Eddy, knowledge serves as a guide for business owners in navigating changing times. Entrepreneurs need to continuously expand their knowledge to manage and grow their businesses sustainably.

“Knowledge can guide our businesses. When entrepreneurs are knowledgeable, their businesses become stronger. And when businesses are strong, Magelang will certainly make greater progress,” he said.

Eddy noted that the business landscape is evolving rapidly. Entrepreneurs who are unwilling to learn and improve their operations risk being left behind by these changes.

For this reason, APINDO Magelang City is committed to providing continuous learning opportunities through initiatives such as the Family Business Forum.

“Never stop learning. Today, we sit together to learn; tomorrow, we stand together to build Magelang,” Eddy Sutrisno said.

Beyond strengthening entrepreneurial capacity, the forum also highlighted the importance of collaboration among business players. Family Business Forum Organizing Committee Chair Yohanes Santoso urged entrepreneurs in Magelang City to avoid operating in isolation as they develop their businesses.

Yohanes, who also serves as Vice Chairman of APINDO Magelang City for Creative Economy and Digitalization, believes that stronger business networks can create opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and expanded market access.

“Entrepreneurs in Magelang must connect and stand together. One entrepreneur may be just a single stick, but when we unite, we become a powerful force capable of driving Magelang City's economy,” Yohanes said.

He also noted that the participation of Teddy Saputra and Antonius Tanan from Ciputra Group provided new perspectives for the entrepreneurs attending the forum.

“Through Ciputra, we gain a broader perspective. With this knowledge, let us make Magelang City the ‘Nail of Java Island’,” Yohanes said.

The expression refers to Magelang's popular nickname, “Pakunya Tanah Jawa” (the Nail of Java), associated with Mount Tidar, which stands in the center of the city.

On the occasion, Yohanes also emphasized the role of family-owned companies as one of the pillars of Magelang City's economy. He said that several long-established businesses in Magelang are more than just places of commerce; they have become part of the city's history and identity.

“Family businesses must be preserved to help Magelang City's economy grow and prosper. It would be unfortunate if many of these iconic businesses were to disappear, as this would affect the city's progress,” Yohanes said.

“If they close, what we lose is not merely a shop or a factory, but also the heartbeat of our city's progress,” he added.

As an APINDO official overseeing the creative economy and digitalization, Yohanes encouraged the next generation to combine their family's legacy and values with innovation and digital technology.

In his view, digitalization is not a threat to established businesses. Instead, technology can help family businesses reach wider audiences and remain relevant to younger generations.

“Let us preserve what has been built, develop it through new approaches, and pass it on in an even stronger and larger form,” Yohanes Santoso concluded.

Through the forum, APINDO Magelang City hopes that more local entrepreneurs will be able to grow their businesses, strengthen their business capabilities, and successfully pass their companies on to the next generation.

Sumber: beritajatim.com