Flying High @ 50

MANILA, Philippines - In many ways, the story of JRS Express could have ended right when it was just about to begin. But this is not a tale about failure or regret. Far from it, the saga of one of the top delivery and courier providers in the country is filled with 50 years of perseverance, sacrifice, dependability and a belief that things should be done right the first time. In these principles lie the high quality of their service and the backbone of their success. Its ubiquitous roadrunner logo has become almost part of the Filipino cultural experience. Whenever you’re on the road and see it, you know there is that one company that is getting the job done—at the lowest possible cost, at the fastest possible time.

Today, after five decades of servicing the delivery and courier needs of the Filipino, JRS Express is proud to have branches nationwide from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi.

In the 1960s, JRS Express was a well-oiled machine, ably-operated by a dedicated and disciplined man who was good to his employees and was prompt with his work. And so it started when one of his sons proposed to help out in the business and learn from the man himself. It was a fortunate move that echoes to this day.

One of the best things a son can offer his father is a chance to work with and learn from him—one of the hardest is to bear his loss and continue the work that he started. This was the daunting task that faced Antonio Claparols, president of JRS Express, and his four brothers as their father unexpectedly passed away in 1975 leaving them a young, then 15 year-old company to run, with only a few scattered branches to their name.

“Who else would be a good trainer but your father?” enthused Claparols. And what a trainer the late Dr. Jaime L. Claparols must have been. At a young age, he and his brothers worked hard to fill the void of their father’s passing. It was a learning experience for the family. In a matter of months the brothers, literally, grew up and took over the business.

One of the long-time managers, a veteran of the company for 39 years whose voice still contained a tinge of emotion after all this time, expressed, “Dr. Claparols was a good man, always here on time in the morning and always listening to all the staff. He knew us all by name.”

Claparols continues, “When we first started we only covered Manila. When we branched out, we covered Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, the major cities in the Visayas and Mindanao. It was very few. Now, we service the world.

In 1960, JRS Business Corporation was organized and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was granted a franchise to conduct a messenger and delivery express service for a period of 50 years—which makes this anniversary in 2010 all the more important, signifying a new chapter in JRS’ corporate history.

But it was only in 1961 that Dr. Claparols acquired and reorganized the company, bringing with him fresh capital and an arsenal of technical knowledge. Ten years later, JRS expanded its operations to include air freight forwarding which made the company one of the few at that time with dual authority to carry out their services. In 1973, JRS was granted an authority to operate Express and Messenger Delivery Services by the Postmaster General.

It was two years later that the unthinkable happened. A massive heart attack struck Dr. Claparols. In December of 1975, he passed away. Claparols remembers that tragic event like it was yesterday, and the aftermath still fresh in his mind. “Immediately after that there was a special stockholders meeting,” he added. “They made me executive vice president. I was 23.”

Serving as chairman and president from 1961 until his passing in 1975, Dr. Claparols had expanded JRS’ scope of operations to include 130 branches nationwide to meet the rising demands of its clients. After his passing it was his sons’ turn to continue the work left behind. And in spite of that hard task, the brothers had certainly delivered.

In 1980, JRS officially adopted and registered the trade name “JRS Express” for its use in order to place emphasis and stress its capability of effecting next-day delivery of express mail matters. A funny side note, even during Dr. Claparols’ time, there was already trouble brewing over the use of a roadrunner in their logo—which confused and angered a certain big Hollywood movie studio which used the same character in its products.

“They had no case!” Claparols said, “My father already applied for the patent logo beforehand and registered it.”

To service the requirements of its growing market, JRS Express further expanded its service to international shores. In 1982, the Civil Aeronautical Board granted it authority to operate as International Air Freight Forwarder.

Despite its growing business, JRS knew that covering the Philippines was a foremost priority. The 100 percent-Filipino-owned company values its local roots as much as the international partnerships it has garnered through the years. Claparols reflects, “If you don’t have a network in the country that can deliver, then everything will be for naught. Most of the new foreign companies that came here, they send through us.”

Milady Muñoz was an executive secretary in the company for many years before being transferred to the JRS Express branch in Escolta as branch manager in 1971. Now, she is the company’s treasurer and VP for branches. She shares, “For us, it’s our service that defines us. It’s what made the customers like us.”

In charge of the inner workings of JRS Express is David Geronimo, general manager and VP for operations. His department is focused on operational excellence and it has become his mission to make sure they are number one in that regard. He discusses their use of a foreign principle which is critical in the company business. “We utilize the Japanese principle of Kaizen, ‘change for the better’, there will be no room for errors, true to the company motto, ‘service at its extra best’,” he stressed. “Clients are unforgiving, if one package gets delayed, there is a chance that client will switch to the competition. There are no second chances. Kaizen is all about doing things right always the first time.”

The company’s reputation of prompt, no-fuss service is known far and wide. Muñoz further notes their impact in Philippine society, “In the provincial areas, people associate our name with deliveries. They will say to the couriers, ‘Pa-JRS naman ito’ (please JRS this), when they actually mean to have their packages and documents delivered.” People using the company name as a verb often produce unexpected results. “Sometimes,” Muñoz adds with a laugh, “customers say ‘JRS’ when they hold envelopes from an entirely different company.” It’s a fortunate mistake that further cemented JRS into the country’s vernacular.

Social Initiatives

Just the concept of having such a wide, local branch network in place—with the nature of the job they have—has led to many fortuitous Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives which were right up JRS’ alley.

In the 1987 legislative elections for the country’s senatorial and congressional aspirants, there was Bilang ng Bayan, which found JRS partnering with television network ABS-CBN in the vote-tallying process. And days after the Luzon earthquake of 1990, JRS was the first courier company to make it up to Baguio City, one of the most devastated—and isolated—areas in the country during that time. Claparols recalls, “We established a camp in Burnham Park and did Libreng Hatid Sulat Alay sa Kapwa.” The selfless initiative brought thousands of family, friends and loved ones back together from the communication breakdown made by the devastating calamity, just as JRS did in Ormoc and other calamities.

Additionally, Claparols also mentions being co-founders of The Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) in 1979—an initiative which was decades ahead of its time in terms of environmental conservation in the country. The Society, a non-stock, non-profit NGO, joined the Philippine Ecological Network (PEN), a coalition of NGO civic groups and government agencies to directly address the worsening conditions of the environment and is also a member of the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development Subcommittee on Biodiversity, Atmosphere and Climate change.

For JRS, putting up a branch at a chosen location is more than just the expansion of their core business; it is an extension of their commitment to communities. A branch is their eyes and ears to the needs of people in that area. Whether it’s to monitor and report ecological transgressions, or to expedite much needed emergency services during a natural disaster, JRS makes sure everything that needs to be there gets there fast.

The president reiterates, “We believe that when we put up a branch in a place, we’re not going to pull it out. It’s there to stay and it’s not just to service the people in their courier or parcel or mail needs, but also to serve during times of calamities.

“We’re there first. During floods, we always send relief goods. We’re proud of that. If you don’t serve the community, then what are we doing this for? To us, money is not everything. More than that, it’s the goodwill. And 50 years of goodwill cannot be quantified.”

Expanding the Business

Advancements in communications technology have been very beneficial to a company like JRS Express, and it is no surprise they have embraced these innovations accordingly.

The company expands its services with the JRS Business Centers. With 10 branches in the country, the Business Center handles many business needs such as printing, photocopying, computer services and more.

Supplementing the business centers is sister company Computer Services, Inc. (CSI). Handling JRS’ computer needs, CSI provides clients and partners with computer sales, repair, maintenance, rental, and network planning and installation.

JRS has also seen the potential of social networking with their very own website (www.jrs-express.com) and Facebook page. The 24/7 service provides an online user better access to tracking, services, feedbacks, rates, information and insights into the company.

Delivery at the Lowest Possible Cost at the Fastest Possible Time

“Our greatest asset is our people, officers and staff,” says the president. “With the economic meltdown globally, just reaching 50 and surviving is already a success story. We’re not thinking of retrenching like many big companies.”

Geronimo adds, “JRS is a company with a heart. We are like a very big family. Every day is a God-given day for JRS. We are the oldest courier service company in the industry and our mere survival, with the economic downturn, is a miracle. Other companies collapsed but we are still here. Our heads stayed above the water.”

Muñoz reveals that God is in the center of their success. Prayer and faith in the Lord also serves as the strong moral fiber of the corporation. JRS’ first Friday Mass strengthens the faith of its officers and employees. In turn, their service record is a direct result of that—a commitment to doing things right the first time. She avers, “We are trying our best to excel in our service. With new innovations in technology today, I am optimistic JRS is going to fly high.

Up ahead, it’s business as usual for JRS Express. By the end of the year, at least five to six new branches will open as well as more business centers and added services. Claparols is already looking forward to their 51st year. “Our hopes and aspirations are high,” he averred. “Moving forward will be easier as we turn 51. My father told us what George Bernard Shaw said, “Youth is a wonderful thing. It is a pity it is wasted on the young.” Such a quote may well ring true for the family who had to struggle all those years ago to keep their company afloat. But he has no regrets, “We can honestly say we have not wasted our youth. We’ve enjoyed it to the fullest and we’re still young—at heart and in mind. Sure, we have the wisdom of time because we started working early. But we’ll never lose that youth. You’re only as old as your doubts and fears—as young as your hopes and dreams.”

His message to everyone whose lives have been touched, enriched, and made better by JRS Express: “We want to unite the Filipino people. Not only from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi—now that Filipinos are all over the world—we want to unite the country. We want to offer the fastest service at the least possible cost. And to us that is important.”