While I was reading the Entrepreneur magazine, two Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs caught my attention. One is Mr. Cecilio Kwok Pedro the toothpaste magnate and the other Mr. Alfredo M. Yao the self made fruit drink magnate. The reason is because of their decisions that turned disappointments into an opportunity. The first one I want to discuss is Mr. Cecilio Kwok Pedro. He is the President and CEO of Lamoiyan Corp. which is the first Filipino company who penetrated the Philippine Toothpaste market.
That market was dominated by big foreign companies ( those that produce Colgate and Close-up). Now Happee toothpaste ranks no 3 in the toothpaste brand. Because of that success he was able to diversify his products into dish washing soaps, liquid detergents, fabric enhancers and other gum formula tooth paste.
He started his toothpaste company after he closed down his aluminum tube manufacturing company, Aluminum Tube Containers Inc.. His company supply other toothpaste makers but when those company uses plastic laminated tubes for making the toothpaste, the demand vanished. Then instead of loosing a business, he once again bounced back by putting up Lamoiyan Corp. and rehired some of his workers and made his own brand of toothpastes. He also have a unique objective on hiring workers, he gave opportunity to disabled people to be productive by employing deaf and mute workers.
The second one is Mr. Alfredo M. Yao, little that we know that his idea of the “doy packs” will became a breakthrough in ready to drink fruit juice packaging. But at first he introduced the technology to fruit drinks manufacturers, it was then refused. But instead of giving up and following the usual trend in packaging, he decided to make fruit juice drinks himself and used the packaging technology to his own fruit drinks manufacturing company. He then put up Zest-O Corp.
Sometimes there are things that we don’t expect to happen and we consider it like an ill luck but in the long run we find out that it’s a blessing in disguise. Hoping this short post about those two entrepreneur serve as an inspiration to us that we should never give up.
Posted by Manuel
Manuel Montala was an online entrepreneur who enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship and gathering information for his blog to help budding entrepreneurs. You can also reach him on twitter: http://twitter.com/mmontala
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello..
It’s always inspiring to hear success stories coming from people who never gave up despite the failures that they went through.
I’m a Dentist and I started patronizing Happee after I heard that it gives opportunity to handicapped individuals so that they can work even with their disabilities. I also started recommending it to my patients.In that way we could be able to help for the growth of this product and I also believe in their vision.
I salute Mr. Cecilio Kwok Pedro for giving them a chance to be productive despite of their situation. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Erica for your comments and for being a true Filipino. This country needs more people like you.
hi…
i just want to say that i was really inspired after i watch the show of ABCBN entitled “walang iwanan”, Mr. Cecilio gives me a strenght to pursue my studies and not to give up whatever trials came, that time i was planning to give up for some reasons but he encourage me. i also inspired that most of the workers of Lamoiyan Corporation are Handicapped workers, and their foundations is helping the deaf and mutes individuals,that time i saw the hopes from those persons and their smiles gives me happiness in my heart,because of that i started to use hapee toothpaste as a sign of support to the true filipino products.
now, were going to have a thesis and i wish that i can make a good title or topic about Handicapped workers bec. i’m in industrial field.
make filipinos HAPEE!
God Bless!
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