Musim Mas Holdings

Company type	Family-owned Private Company
Industry	food processing, agribusiness, palm oil, biofuel
Founded	1932
Founder	Anwar Karim
Area served	Indonesia, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, India, China, Vietnam, Spain, Singapore, Italy, Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom
Key people	Mr Bachtiar Karim (Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)), Mr Burhan Karim (Chief Operating Officer (COO)), Mr Bahari Karim (Chief Finance Officer (CFO))
Revenue	$7.6 billion (2018)[1]
Number of employees	37,000
Website	www.musimmas.com

Musim Mas Group operates globally in the palm oil industry, with a presence in 13 countries spanning Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and South America. The group owns a significant network of palm oil refineries and is involved in vegetable oil refining. Additionally, it manufactures consumer goods such as soap and cooking oil brands in Indonesia. With a workforce of 37,000 employees, Musim Mas is supported by an extensive logistics network consisting of chemical and coastal tankers, barges, tugboats, and bulk installations at major ports in Indonesia and other strategic locations worldwide.^[2]

Musim Mas is the first company in Indonesia to achieve Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification.^[3] The group's Executive Chairman has also served on RSPO's inaugural executive board. Even before environmental protection gained widespread attention, Musim Mas championed sustainability and implemented green initiatives throughout its operations, as reported by Channel News Asia.^[4] In addition to its involvement in the palm oil industry, the group has diversified interests in real estate and owns the 4-star Mikie Holiday Resorts in Berastagi, North Sumatra.^[5]

A key focus of Musim Mas Group is sustainable palm oil production. The company takes proactive measures to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions by capturing methane gas, a highly toxic waste gas that is 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Musim Mas converts this gas into energy to power their mills and estates. All of Musim Mas' mills are equipped with methane capture facilities, also known as Biogas plants.^[6][7] In 2021, Musim Mas announced a partnership with AAK and Nestlé to address deforestation outside of plantation concession areas in Aceh, Indonesia. The partnership aims to engage approximately 1,000 independent oil palm smallholders within two years, enrolling them in Muslim Mas' smallholders program supported by a Smallholders Hub.^[8]

Management

Musim Mas is a privately-owned company managed by the Karim brothers: Mr. Bachtiar Karim, Mr. Bahari Karim, and Mr. Burhan Karim.^[9]

Subsidiaries

Musim Mas distributes its products through its marketing arm, Inter-Continental Oil and Fats Pte. Ltd. (ICOF),^[2] which is based in Singapore. ICOF serves global markets and offers a wide range of tropical oils and derivative products.^[10]

A wholly owned subsidiary of the Musim Mas Group, Maschem B.V., has established an advanced Ethoxylation Facility at the Dow Benelux B.V. site in Terneuzen.^[11] This facility specializes in the production of surfactants, which are surface active agents derived from alcohols, oils, esters, fatty acids, and amines. These surfactants serve as essential raw materials in the manufacturing of personal care products and detergents.

Milestones

1932

• Nam Cheong Soap Factory was founded by Anwar Karim in Medan, North Sumatra.^[12]

1970

• The first palm oil refinery was commissioned in Belawan, Indonesia.

1972

• PT Musim Mas was established in Tanjung Mulia, Medan, Indonesia.

1988

• Musim Mas started its plantation in Rantau Prapat, North Sumatra.

1990

• Musim Mas established its first kernel-crushing plant in Medan, Indonesia.

1991

• Musim Mas established its first palm oil mill in Rantau Prapat, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

1992

• Musim Mas was the first company to be awarded the Indonesian Best Exporter Award (Primaniyarta Award). Musim Mas has since won this prestigious award multiple times.^[13]

2002

• Musim Mas expanded its global presence by setting up its first subsidiary office, Inter-Continental Oils and Fats (ICOF) Malaysia, in Malaysia.

2003

• Musim Mas commenced operations for its oleochemicals plant located in the Medan Industrial Area II (KIM II).

2004

• PT Musim Mas became a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)^[3] and was the first Indonesian company to join the organization. The President Director of the Group served on the first executive board of RSPO.^[3][14]

2007

• Musim Mas opened its first office in Europe.

2008

• Musim Mas opened its first office in the United States of America.

2009

• PT Musim Mas achieved RSPO certification, becoming the first plantation in Indonesia to receive this recognition. The Musim Mas Group initiated operations in Nellore, India, and Dongguan, China.

2010

• Musim Mas entered the bioenergy market.

2012

• Musim Mas became the first major group to obtain RSPO certification for all of its plantations in Indonesia.^[15]

2013

• Musim Mas opened its first office in Vietnam.^[16] Additionally, it became the first company to achieve the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.

2014

• Musim Mas introduced a new sustainability policy, affirming its commitment to producing deforestation-free palm oil.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22]}
• Musim Mas inaugurated three biodiesel plants in Europe and its first refinery in Tanjung Langsat, Malaysia.

2016

• Musim Mas joined the Fire Free Alliance (FFA).
• Musim Mas acquired a glycerin refinery in Groningen, The Netherlands.

2017

• The Musim Mas Group established a joint venture with Genting Plantations to set up a refinery in Lahad Datu, Malaysia. They also acquired a sulfation plant in Barbastro, Spain.

2019

• The Musim Mas Group became the first company in Southeast Asia to attain POIG (Palm Oil Innovation Group) verification^[23] and also the first mill to be certified with RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) P&C (Principles and Criteria) 2018.^[24] Additionally, the Group launched the Novel IDEAS Center, a S$10 million R&D and Innovation facility, located in the Singapore Science Park. The Novel IDEAS Center is part of Musim Mas Group's strategic expansion and innovation goals.

Products

Musim Mas offers a wide range of products including biodiesel, bleaching earth, bypass fats/rumen bypass fats, commodities, cooking oil, emulsifier-stabilizer blends, emulsifiers, esters, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, household products, margarine/shortening, medium-chain triglycerides, palm wax, refined glycerine, soap/skin care/hygiene products, soap noodles, specialty application oils, specialty fats, surfactants, and vitamin E. In 2021, Musim Mas was ranked 9th on FoodTalks' Global Top 30 Specialty Oil Companies list.^[25]

Brands

The Musim Mas Group offers more than 70 proprietary brands that are distributed globally. Their product portfolio includes cooking oils, margarines, and soaps. Among their well-known brands are Lervia, Medicare, and Harmony soaps, Sunco cooking oil, and Surya Gold, Margareta, and Rajni Gold. Additionally, they have launched a new subsidiary called Kevolve Dr MCT,^[26] which specializes in selling premium MCT oil products.