| James Chua |
Sweet servings of success Philosophy bakes no bread. But a touch of hardwork and an ounce of perseverance make a whole lot of difference.Initially learning the ropes of business by selling firecrackers with his brother, James Chua also sold T-shirts bearing caricatures of an old, portly and jolly Archer ala Robinhood carrying an eagle with an arrow stabbed on its body during celebrated Ateneo-La Salle games in his college years at the De La Salle University. It was at that moment that he realized his future in business. After graduating with a Business Administration degree, Chua first tried the corporate nooks of insurance business when he joined the Sun Life of Canada as an insurance agent. It was his boss Mr. McClaren that eventually ignited his desires and challenged his skills to the core. “He’d always say that average is the best of the worst and the worst of the best,” Chua shared. “He would also remind us that we must know how to turn misfortune to an opportunity. That taught me to always have a sense of excellence and strength amid adversities,” he said. And now, he’s strongly holding on to the position as President of Foodman Industries Corporation, one of the premier leaders of the baking industry in the country. Though baking was foreign to both James and his wife, he believed that “knowledge can be acquired.” So he went to Manila for a one-month course on baking at the Philippine Institute of Baking. At that time, all the odds seemed to be going towards putting up his own bakery. “I realized that the most important equipment is the oven, the rest you can do by hands,” he said. So in 1982, with P63,000 as capital, a borrowed VW combi as the delivery van, their guestroom as their bodega, the terrace as the working area, the back lawn as the oven area and the front lawn as living quarters for their employees and for firewood storage, Foodman Industries Corp. started to rise from the typical backyard business rank. From just one outlet since its establishment, it grew to 15 outlets with a snack bar today. It also spawned a string of new businesses--a noodle factory in 1992, a supermarket and department store in l997 and an ice cream factory in 1998. James Chua is also taking care of 300 employees to date. Chua has also been an active member of various organizations that promote business growth in Bacolod. He is currently the President of the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. and the Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association. Aside from Foodman, he’s also the President of Jacman Realty & Trading Inc. and VJC Agri-Aqua Development Corporation. Chua has definitely fashioned more than just a birthday cake. “I’ve always believed that today must be better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today,” Chua said. “It must also be better than expected. Because quality has no finish line.” For their outstanding feats in their respective industries that changed the lives of many and furthered the business growth in Bacolod and all over the country, James Chua and Olivia Villaflores-Yanson will be hailed by President Arroyo and Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III as two of the Most Inspiring Bacolod Entrepreneurs, a citation to be given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) as part of the Go Negosyo sa Bacolod slated on July 13, 2007 at the Univ. of St. La Salle Coliseum. Go Negosyo sa Bacolod is the second part of PCE's latest endeavor, the Go Negosyo Caravan, which aims to bring Go Negosyo forums and expositions in key cities outside Metro Manila. Go Negosyo sa Bacolod is presented by PAGCOR, Globe, Hyundai, PLDT, Smart, Islands Souvenirs, DTI-OTOP and RFM Corporation. Other partners of the event include SM Supermalls and the Cebu City Marriot Hotel, The Philippine Star, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Bulletin, GMA Network Inc., RPN9, NBN4, Aspac-Law, Ideal Minds Corporation, and Full Circle Communications. |
