Monterey franchise: Business partnership with the country's largest meat retailer

Monterey Foods Corp., the country’s largest meat retailer and the only one with farm to meal operations nationwide, boasts of 262 outlets from only four in 1990 following strong interest among entrepreneurs to acquire a Monterey Meatshop under a time-tested and success-proven franchising agreement.

The growth of Monterey outlets was a phenomenal one, reaching 136 meatshops in 1995 following the opening of the Monterey franchise system. To date, a total of 262 Monterey Meatshops have established a most lucrative niche throughout the country. Of these outlets, 114 are located in Metro Manila, 28 in North Luzon, 41 in South Luzon and 79 in Visayas and Mindanao. Some 54 percent are under franchise and 46 percent are company owned and operated.

The significant growth in the Monterey franchising business was largely attributed to the company’s proven formula for success. It is a system that guarantees market penetration and mass marketing. Testimonials from its successful franchisees attest to the Monterey business as a system that guarantees a fair return of investments.

Monterey franchisee Alex Agoncillo said that three years after he got his first Monterey Meatshop, he now has three outlets in Dasmariñas and Silang, Cavite and in Parañaque.

"A Monterey franchise can be your family’s ticket to a world of opportunities and financial security. I can honestly say that joining Monterey is one of the best business decisions I have ever made," Agoncillo said.

Loreto Vergeire, who has a Monterey Meatshop in Better Living, Parañaque, said "Monterey has provided us the skills, methodology and techniques to equip and enhance us in becoming more responsive and effective in the workplace resulting in better sales."

Vergeire and Ina Ticzon, a franchisee in Harrison Plaza cited Monterey for its good merchandising system noting that the "success of any retail business is the work of good merchandising system."

Because Monterey has an integrated "farm to meal" operations, Monterey franchisees are assured of a stable supply of quality meat products for their retailing activity. They exclusively sells wide range of Monterey Pork and Beef products as well as Monterey Ready-to-Cook Meals, Magnolia Chicken, and Pure Foods chicken, hotdogs and other processed meat products. Each Monterey Meatshop is also equipped with a modern meat fabrication facility. On top of these, the Monterey Meatshop is manned by a crew of butchers and merchandisers specially trained at the Monterey Meat School.

What does it take to become a Monterey franchisee? Consider these: * Estimated Initial Capital - P1.2M; * Franchise fee - P120,000 +VAT; Area requirement- approximately 45 square meters

In addition to the financial requirements, a Monterey investor should have stable financial capability, good people-handling skills and hands-on management style.

Formerly Monterey Farms Corporation, the firm began in 1969 with one 1,200-hectare cattle ranch in Isabela. In 1980, it became a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp.

It is now the country’s largest hog and cattle operations and has the latest technology in feed milling, breeding, livestock raising, slaughtering, meat retailing and meat processing.