Hands of clay

Electrical engineers make the best potters. F.B. Ceramics owner Genaro Figueroa attests to that.

At the time he finished electrical engineering in Angeles City, terra cotta jars were the rage in Europe. So, it was no coincidence that he sought his first employment at the Cheongson Pottery in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga. He stayed there for three years while laying out his own plans.

"We were exporting terra cotta pots to Germany. I thought it was good business, so I pushed through with it. I used my time on the job to study and learn everything I needed to know about pottery," said Figueroa. "I know how to throw the clay, to form it by hand on the potter’s wheel. I know how to finish the piece and fire it in the kiln. My workers can never fool me."

Not Easy

Cheongson also proved useful when it agreed to subcontract some of the work to Figueroa if he set up his own company. Cheongson made a 30% down payment up front to fill a 2 x 40 foot container van within 45 days.

F.B. Ceramics used the down payment as its initial capital to rent factory space and to pay its 12 workers.

Through the years, F.B. Ceramics has had to deal with nature.

"Our factory is in a low-lying area. During waist-deep floods, we have had to load the goods in bancas to meet our delivery deadlines. In 1995, during the lahar season, all the ceramics for our 1 x 24 foot container bound for Japan melted in the flood before they could be fired. The buyer cancelled the order," said Figueroa.

Aside from flood and rain, the company has had to also deal with breakage.

"If you don’t know how to load your goods, they will be damaged as well. We have to pack the pots tightly inside the container so they don’t get chipped," said Figueroa.

At present, F.B. Ceramics is hauling in an average of P1 million in revenues a year, both from local and export markets. Although it ships out half of its production, the company meets its daily operating costs from local sales.

"In the past, we didn’t join exhibits, except for regional trade fairs. But now, we like to participate in every exhibit. Here, buyers pay you in cash. In the export business, buyers pay you only after you have delivered the entire shipment. This is why it is good to sell in both the local and the export markets," said Figueroa.

The company currently ships to Japan at price points ranging from $3 for a set of three 10-15 inch tall vases to $15. Being explored are the French and American markets.

"I have no problems with the production part of the business because it’s my life. To expand, I would need more capital. It’s difficult to find credit and I am not willing to take in outside partners," said Figueroa.

Inspiration

F.B. Ceramics is basically a husband and wife operation. Figueroa handles the design and operation while wife, Alice, handles finance. In its decade and a half of operations, the company has had just one designer–its co- owner.

"My greatest strength is my creativity. I get the inspiration for my designs from nature. Every time I go out to the beach, I look for stones and driftwood with interesting colors, so I can capture them on terra cotta finish. Europeans like unique colors," said Figueroa. "I want to add accents like resin and iron but I want terra cotta as my major line because it’s my expertise. Production development is continuous. Terra cotta will never go out of fashion."

With business picking up, F.B. Ceramics intends to get a professional designer starting next month. Meanwhile, Figueroa and his wife continue to work as hard as their workers to make a go of their business.