Filam {Hardware} traces its beginnings to a small department put up on Avenida, Rizal
MANILA, Philippines — The early Nineteen Fifties was a interval of speedy progress and reconstruction within the Philippines, which was getting again on its ft after the devastation attributable to World Battle II.
And it was throughout this time of nice demand for constructing supplies and tools that spouses Demetrio and Leonila Bautista arrange their small ironmongery store on what was Avenida in Manila in 1955 with P10,000 in capital and only one worker.
They known as it Fil-American {Hardware}, using on the acute recognition of every part American throughout these heady instances.
From the start, the hardworking couple from Penaranda, Nueva Ecija, ran their enterprise with integrity, placing the client entrance, finish and heart of their operations.
Their single-minded dedication to their mission to be a reliable and trusted associate of shoppers, suppliers and associates allowed Fil-American {Hardware} to face out in a area that was dominated by the Filipino Chinese language group.
Slowly however absolutely, the Bautistas’ popularity for high quality service and integrity received for them unique provide contracts with high international manufacturers through the years and a rising and dependable buyer and associate base.
From retail to wholesale
FOUNDERS Spouses Demetrio and Leonila Bautista. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
These shut relationships had been maintained even after management was transferred to the founders’ son, John Sr.
It was throughout John’s time within the Nineteen Seventies when Filam expanded from primarily retail to company gross sales.
He had met the supervisor of what was the Export Processing Zone Authority and noticed the chance to promote {hardware} merchandise in bulk, thus the pursuit of contracts with authorities organizations and with giant contractors.
With this, Filam—which operates retailers in Cubao, Quezon Metropolis, and Filinvest, Alabang—grew to become the {hardware} of selection of a few of the largest names within the building trade, together with D.M. Consunji Inc., Megawide Building Corp., EEI, Sumitomo Mitsui Building Co. and Filinvest Land Inc.
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Subsequent era
Inside the primary retailer on Avenida, Rizal
Now, it’s the flip of the third era led by John’s eldest son, Jay, eldest daughter, Mia, and youngest son, John Jr., to protect these invaluable relationships and make their very own mark within the historical past of Filam, which is popping 70 years outdated in 2025.
The siblings are united of their need to proceed the household legacy of buyer satisfaction by offering shoppers top-quality merchandise at the perfect worth.
Jay tells Sunday Biz that they’re lucky as a result of they had been in a position to work intently with their father for years earlier than they took over the majority of the day-to-day operations.
This manner, the values had been inculcated and the siblings likewise discovered the best way to work nicely collectively and thus keep away from the pitfalls that had plagued different family-run firms.
There have been clear roles for every one that had been set early on, so it was not as troublesome to establish the succession plan. Additionally, the switch of the reins of energy was mentioned whereas John Sr. was nonetheless very lively within the enterprise; thus, he was in a position to intently supervise the wanted transition from the second to the third era.
“Another excuse for the profitable transition was an open and clear communication with every member. Collectively, every put significance on being a household all through this course of,” Jay says.
Which isn’t to say, nonetheless, that every part was easy crusing. Removed from it.
Digital period
Jay explains that they needed to persuade their father, for instance, to experiment and enterprise into different instructions, similar to taking Filam on-line.
John Sr. was understandably skeptical, however that enlargement in 2018 proved to be a smart resolution as e-commerce grew to become a lifeline through the COVID-19 years when conventional, face-to-face transactions shut down and commerce shifted on-line.
When the shutdowns occurred, Filam was greater than able to service orders from folks and corporations who wanted {hardware} and building supplies, similar to for quarantine services.
NEXT GENERATION John Jr., Jay and Mia Bautista
“We grew to become important. Good factor that we had developed to fulfill the altering wants of our clients. Now we have all the time been about service, somewhat than simply the product as a result of {hardware} shops typically will promote the identical factor,” explains Mia.
The siblings are likewise bent on maintaining their relationship with the company shoppers, who at the moment account for some 80 % of their annual turnover. Filam, for instance, is closely concerned in main infrastructure initiatives similar to housing and railways.
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Persevering with the legacy
“We’re very fortunate that we’ve got repeat clients by way of 70 years. We actually handle them, which is why even when there are all the time new gamers, we proceed the connection till at the moment,” says Jay, who believes that they need to proceed to run Filam like a household that features not simply the Bautistas however the round 100 staff in its fold.
As they proceed on their trek towards the century mark for Filam, Jay says they may depend on the values and manner of doing enterprise that was laid at first by their grandparents and continued by their father.
Reliability, good credit score and good relationship with each suppliers and clients. These are what is going to maintain them transferring ahead, says Mia.
FAMILY ENTERPRISE Filam {Hardware} is now led by (from left) John Jr., John Sr., Mia and Jay Bautista.
“And internally, we’re constructing a powerful tradition of household, of sharing the identical values, objectives and beliefs by a crew we name Filamilya,” she provides.
Then for John Jr., he takes to coronary heart an necessary lesson from his father to all the time be current. Success doesn’t come to those that lead from a distance. They should be there within the trenches with their folks.
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“Work needs to be finished firsthand. One other key facet is management improvement, the place we had been concerned within the decision-making course of whereas concurrently receiving mentorship,” he says.
“And lastly, we’ve got to be resilient and adaptable. Now we have been within the enterprise for thus lengthy and have skilled quite a few challenges just like the pandemic, the monetary disaster. Having the ability to adapt and develop from these challenges has been the important thing to our success,” provides John Jr.
