International Batik Center to be Built in Pekalongan

in Thursday, January 19, 2012,
TEMPO Interactive, SURAKARTA: PT Grahamandiri Manajemen Terpadu is managing an international batik center in Pekalongan that will be operational by mid February. International batik center consultant, Robert Antonis, said the batik center was being established to support batik producers nationwide. 

"We designed it to be like Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). People won't have to go around Indonesia to learn about the various batik patterns in the country," Robert said during a road show held in Surakarta yesterday. Pekalongan was chosen as the location as it is the oldest batik producer city in Indonesia. 

The batik center will be built on 4 hectares of land and will include 700 batik stalls, a museum, fashion show area, as well as training and seminar rooms. Currently, only 1.5 hectares of land has been utilized for 184 stalls so far. 

Robert has invited batik businessmen from many areas to join the center with an investment of Rp180 - 230 million for their own stall. "I guarantee the investment will be profitable because they will own the stall," he said.