Healthy Business

Borden Eagle group is 84 years old and remains relevant in a changing market.

- Ardian Wibisono

For decades, Minyak Angin Cap Lang, known as Eagle Brand Green Medicated Oil in some markets, is among the most popular traditional remedies in many Southeast Asian markets. The oil product is a go-to pain reliever that people in the region use to treat aches, soreness, and bug bites. The product is produced by Singapore-based Borden Company Pte., Ltd. and its Indonesia-based sister company PT Eagle Indo Pharm. Over the years, the group has extended its products to cater to the growing market for over-the-counter medication. Now, the company’s natural-based products are available in over 30 countries. With the recent operational restructuring in both companies, the group aims to expand to more markets and strengthen its presence in Indonesia.

“When I go anywhere in Indonesia I ask people do they know Cap Lang? If they say no, I say you’re not Indonesian. Even President Joko Widodo uses our product,” says Edy Tjugito, who is the principal of Eagle Indo Pharma, and the second generation of the founding shareholders.

The history of the brand dates back to 1935, when a German chemist Wilhelm Hauffmann created a formula for medicated oil in a distinctive green color. The product made it to Singapore and then was produced and sold by J. Lea & Co., a trading house owned by the late Tan Jim Lay who was a direct descendant of well-known Singaporean businessman and philanthropist Tan Quee Lan. The Eagle Brand medicated oil under J. Lea & Co. flourished and dominated the local market for medicated oil in the post-Second World War period.