Cebu’s iron entrepreneur maps out expansion plans

CEBU, Philippines - As a businessman who indeed started from scratch, Cebu’s iron entrepreneur now enjoys the fruit of his toil for almost 20 years and currently eyes expansion plans and further strategies to sustain his growing business ventures.

“Iron Man of Cebu” Rey Calooy, who is famous for his rags-to-riches story, founded RNC Marketing, a toll packaging company.

He started the repackaging business with his wife, beginning with less than 10 clients and has now grown to 350 active clients nationwide.

To date, he employs 50 workers for RNC Marketing.

Calooy acknowledged the current trend of large scale firms which start to outsource their packaging operations from other regions, thus considering it as an opportunity for his business that will turn 20 years old come 2014.

He, however, said that to take full advantage of possibility, he has to look for bigger production areas to cater to the needs of the multinational companies.

At present, Calooy rents a 350-square meter area in Lagtang, Talisay City which houses his operations for manufacturing and packaging of his products.

“It is labor and cost intensive for bigger companies to hire more employees that’s why others prefer to outsource,” he said.

He further revealed that he is eyeing to occupy a 1500-square meter space in the first ever SME industrial park in Cebu located in Naga hopefully within this year.

Although it is not ready for occupancy yet, he said that it is ideal for his plans of increasing manpower and equipment to meet the global demands for toll packaging.

He expected that it shall create a triple increase for his production of the goods from his clients.

Aside from the SME industrial park, Calooy is open with the possibility of expanding in the southern part of Cebu, taking into account its ongoing development areas like the South Road Properties.

He is also working out on the company’s ongoing consultation and application for ISO certification to suit the global standards for businesses and stay competitive.

Currently, RNC Marketing is certified for the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), which is a system of food production and pharmaceutical safety standards.

Its products for manufacturing and repackaging include coconut sugar, healthy food, ampalaya noodles, ginger, powder, coffee, cream, sugar, cocoa, and beauty soap.

Calooy cited that his fastest moving items are those served to hotels and airports especially for this summer season when influx of domestic and international tourists is highly observed.

Moreover, he is involved in various business lines such as Rhea Noemi Food Products, My Partners International Trading Inc., Ness Burger and Coffee, and 5bucks café vending machine.

He is also a proud agri-preneur and incumbent president of Filipino-Cebuano Business Club Inc. (FCBI) that organizes the micro, small and medium enterprises in Cebu.

Calooy further revealed that he is planning to expand into other business ventures such as property development in his hometown that will start in the last quarter of this year. /JOB (FREEMAN)