AT just 11 years old, Armand Idrizam not only has great dreams but also the discipline, intelligence and will to achieve those dreams.
Founding a cocoa-based snack business in Kota Kinabalu, Armand is chief executive officer of Koko Loko, a small but quickly growing business that sources cocoa from local farmers in Sabah.
While his mother Nina Othman keeps an eye on things and guides him in the right direction due to her own background in entrepreneurship, it became very evident during Armand’s interview with theSun that he is the biggest driving force behind Koko Loko’s growth over the past year.
How did the idea for starting Koko Loko first come to you?
It first started when we came to Sabah in December of 2018. My mum started going on work trips to small villages. There’s one specific village in Tambatuan, Kota Belud, where my mum found small cocoa farmers but their cocoa was of bad quality.
I thought about what we could use the cocoa for.
This was because when I was younger, I started a business where we sold healthy sausages. Now, I want to continue my business, and I wanted to sell more things. I want to be a millionaire before I turn 18.
When the business first began, there was no factory. This year, Koko Loko opened its factory. What led to you choosing to open a factory?
The factory was opened because we wanted to go bigger. At first, we made our products at home. So, we thought it was not hygienic. Then, we did a funding campaign on LaunchGood, which raised RM26,000. We used that money to open our mini chocolate factory.
Are Koko Loko products available only in East Malaysia?
No, the products are available in both parts of Malaysia.
Did you face any difficulties when you opened the factory?
(Not when we opened), but one of the difficulties is due to the MCO, and we could not really go to the factory all the time. Now, we are home-based again. After the MCO, we will run the factory again.
How do you balance time as a student and businessman?
On weekdays, Monday to Friday is for my school work, assignments and homework. On weekends, school holidays and sometimes when I have time left after school work, I will do my orders from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and here in Sabah.
What are the products you have?
Our first product was the C4 Granola. We also have two types of peanut butter. One is the Chunky Co-Coa-Nut Peanut Butter, which we now call Lava Peanut Butter, and the second is Dark Cocoa Peanut Butter. We also have Afghan Cookies, Mini Cornflakes, Ginger Molasses Cookies and Chunky Coconut Peanut Cookie. We also have three types of cocoa nibs, and 60% and 70% Dark Chocolate Bricks.
Is it easy coming up with ideas for the cocoa products that you release?
No, because while we saw a lot on the internet, we did not want to copy them as we wanted to make our own kind.
What makes Sabahan cocoa special and how do you think Koko Loko products stand out from other similar products?
Our cocoa is special because it is natural. It comes from local cocoa fruits and pods. We do not put in any preservatives. It’s natural.
As it is made without preservatives and made ourselves (with cocoa from) local farms, that is how we stand out.
What are your plans for Koko Loko as it expands and grows in the future?
I want Koko Loko to be as big as MILO, so I want the whole of Malaysia and other countries to know about our business.
We have plans to do a new product, but it’s a secret.
