Legacy in Motion: 40 Years of Asian Tigers Indonesia – with Gerry Lane and Bill Lloyd
Host: Welcome to the Global Move. They’ve worked together for almost 20 years. Gerry, Bill, thank you for joining us today. Gentlemen, I’d really like to get at the origin story. How did you get into the business?
Gerry Lane: So I set up the company in… my own company in Manila, in the Philippines in 1977. And we grew so rapidly that in 1985 we had the lion’s share of the market. We couldn’t expand anymore. So I decided to look around and look for a new place to invest. And at the time I thought Indonesia was a very promising possibility. So I moved in 1985 to Jakarta with my family, with Virginia and our three children. And the company grew again very rapidly, mainly because of our strong emphasis on quality. And particularly on training. We spend an unusual amount of time, effort and funding on training people. And that’s very important and very fundamental to the success of our company.
Host: Bill, how did you find yourself in the moving industry?
Bill Lloyd: So in 1999 I came to Indonesia as well. And what I was doing is I was chasing waves around the world. I was a surfer at the time. I had the opportunity to go on a surf charter boat, a yacht. And I was a chef for the better part of four years. At that point, my beautiful wife and I were pregnant with our younger son and it was decided that I’d better get a real job. It’s a funny thing, I don’t think anybody when they’re seven years old, they grow up to say “When I grow up, I’m going to become a mover.” It doesn’t happen that way. But nonetheless, I had sold real estate in Australia and I knew what the boxes and the trucks and the moving service were about. And Asian Tigers at that time was who I really wanted to come work for. I kept banging on the door and banging on the door until Gerry decided he would let the surfer boy have a chance at it.
Gerry Lane: Yes, indeed. Bill, and then of course the time came when for me, I have just turned 80 years old. And so at this stage of life, my children are not interested in my business, they have their own businesses. And so I discussed and negotiated with Bill to arrange for a management buy-out (MBO). And Bill gradually is buying, and at some point will own 100% of the company here. I wish him every possible success. My concern, of course, is that the company continues in the path that we have always had, right? Continued to have a strong emphasis on quality, hiring the best people. Training the best people, and generally taking care of the reputation of the company.
Bill Lloyd: One of the biggest responsibilities that I feel I have, not just to the company but to Gerry who’s been an incredible mentor to me.. is to carry on the legacy of Gerry Lane and all that he has taught me and laid down the opportunity for me to take forward. So, you know, it’s more than just hiring the right people or making the right decisions, it’s also carrying forward that legacy. There’s some big shoes to fill.
Gerry Lane: It gives me great peace of mind to see Bill’s commitment to all of that and carrying forward into the future. I’m looking forward to seeing this for many years to come.
Host: You’re celebrating a very special anniversary today: the 40th anniversary of Asian Tigers Indonesia. Talk a little bit about that if you will.
Gerry Lane: We are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of our company in 1985 and we’re very, very proud.
Bill Lloyd: With the 40th year anniversary that we are celebrating tonight, and my own involvement coming up on 22 years in the company.. it’s just incredible to think that I’ve been a part of this journey with Gerry for more than half of the company’s life. And what an honor it is to have the opportunity to take that forward into the future and make it 50, 60 and 70 years and beyond.
Host: What makes Asian Tigers Indonesia different?
Gerry Lane: We essentially have an understanding with the customer that this is what it really costs to do the job properly without cutting corners. Or using cheap shipping lines or whatever. Our strong emphasis on quality is right there in our record.
Bill Lloyd: One of the things that we do here very differently from the rest is we’ve got our own in-house customs brokers at the port. We’ve got our own guys that man that office. They have a great relationship with customs. What it means for the clients themselves is that when we collect a passport and your personal data and your working visa and residency permit and all the rest… we hand it over to an Asian Tigers specialist who works with the customs and returns it back to our clients. There’s no other company here that can offer that sort of service.
Host: Jerry, Bill, thank you so much for your time today. And thank you for tuning into the Global Move Podcast. We’ll see you next time.
