Global banking for a world of choices

MANILA, Philippines - Do you own a Prada bag, accessorize with an award-winning jewelry piece, and lie in peaceful slumber on fashionable bed-linen coordinates? If you are, then the mission of three established entrepreneurs who have ridden the global wave has been fulfilled.

What do jeweler Janina Dizon-Hoschka, Hiro Asandas of Canadian Bed Collections, and Anton Huang of Stores Specialists have in common? First and foremost, all three have been early players in recognizing the potential of being globally connected in this age of globalization.

They have all successfully stimulated customer aspiration and inspiration in adapting to the trends introduced around the world. 

The Business of Bling

Janina Dizon-Hoschka is one of Manila’s young designers who cross boundaries, both aesthetic and geographic, by mixing traditions from East and West while firmly rooted in her family’s passion for creating unique handmade masterpieces.  A trained jewelry designer, she graduated with a degree from the prestigious Gemological Institute of America, apprenticed with a leading Israeli diamond distributor, and is a three-time finalist in the renowned De Beers Diamond International Awards.  She joined the family business in 1991 and opened Janina at the Peninsula Manila in 2007.

Janina’s success in her industry doesn’t only shine in Manila.  Her award-winning creations have gained popularity even in other countries.  It was when people abroad would ask her about her jewelry, which she wore, and wanted to buy it right off her that served as the sign for her to start exporting.

“When I traveled to Europe and the US, I always liked to look at the local jewelry stores and one day I thought, hey, I can compete with that! I’m sure their clients would enjoy my designs!” says Janina. “I started small, selling my designs at a friend’s boutique in Monaco and Tokyo, and have recently been participating in trade shows to expand my exporting base to several countries.”

Janina currently exports her jewelry, which includes cuffs, earrings, and necklaces to Japan, India, France, and Italy. “They love my stingray cuffs with the sliders and the transformer series.  Earrings and necklaces that change with an add-on or -off of components, making it suitable for day and night.” 

Sleeping in Style

For more than half a century, Hiro Asandas, president of New Creation Manufacturing Inc., Hello Dolly Manufacturing Inc. and Chelsons Manufacturing Inc., and a client of HSBC for more than two decades, has been making sure all of us sleep like a baby. He established his business in 1959 as a manufacturer of comforters, bed sheets, pillowcases and towels under his brand Canadian. Canadian also offers specially designed bed linens by Rajo Laurel and Frederick Peralta. 

In 1972 he ventured into the infants’ and children’s wear market and established the Hello Dolly brand, which produces a wide range of infant layette collections and gift sets. By 1979, Hello Dolly was being exported to Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

Constantly on the lookout for opportunities to expand his business, Asandas acquired the license for Disney, Snoopy, and Looney Tunes for use in his infants’ line and beddings in 1995. His company’s character department eventually expanded to hold the license in 10 countries with over 15 brands. 

Bolstering Luxury Retailing

Anton Huang, another HSBC client, sits as executive vice president of three of the eight companies under the conglomerate known as the Rustan Group of Companies, which evolved from the original Rustan’s, which was founded by Huang’s grandparents, Bienvenido and Glecy Tantoco, more than 50 years ago. These companies include Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI), Rustan Marketing Corporation (RMK), and Rustan Marketing Specialists, Inc. (RMSI).

SSI  is responsible for the group’s specialty store operations, and has bolstered the upsurge in luxury retailing in the country through the introduction of hundreds of boutiques of prestigious brands such as Gucci, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Zara, Gap and Banana Republic, to name a few.  RMK is the wholesale distribution company of the group, marketing and distributing well-known brands such as Max Factor, Denman, Maidenform, and various home, healthcare and food products to retailers all over the country.  Finally, RMSI, a subsidiary of SSI, is a result of an exclusive marketing venture with retail giant Marks & Spencer of the UK.

Bigger Pastures

The process of enhancing one’s business to service markets outside like Janina, the Rustan Group of Companies, and Canadian is possible with the right partner. 

HSBC’s Corporate Banking Group has the geographical scale to match a multinational company’s worldwide footprint, yet has the local knowledge on how things are done. At the same time, as the World’s Local Bank, they understand that each business is as distinct as you are. With more than 125 years of experience in the Philippines, HSBC has witnessed the development of Filipino enterprise. They were in the middle of it all.

Whether you conduct business locally or on a global scale, HSBC offers a comprehensive range of services that can be tailored to every company’s needs. The HSBC Group has an international network of some 10,000 offices in 85 countries, and territories in five regions: Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.

HSBC has been serving commercial customers in the Philippines since 1875. Bank with a hundred years of global experience and still be familiar with the local market.

The HSBC Group’s international network is linked with advanced technology, including a growing e-commerce capability. Through e-commerce, one gains easier and faster access to one’s company’s finances, allowing you to quicker and more efficient operations.