Visionary entrepreneur Oei Wie Gwan sought to rebuild the kretek industry and with it the economy of his homeland.
Searching for the right expression of the one-of-a-kind crackle of a kretek, his creativity was sparked as he listened to records on his gramophone. The sound of the needle on vinyl…perfect! In that moment he named his company and its products “Djarum” after the Indonesian word for a gramophone needle.