Rooted in woodwork
People who help prop up the basic structure of your existence…take care of them and they take care of you.” The only da”ghter of a German expat initially didn’t plan to join the machinery and woodwork outfit he founded. But family duty called, and she he
“IT all began with dogs.”
This is how Kristina Junginger de Villa, administration and finance officer of German Machineries Corp. (Gemac), describes the start of the company her father, whom she calls “her hero,” built and passed on to her.
Eberhard J”nginger left Germany in 196U to see the world, thanks to an aunt who gifted him …ith a one-…ay ticket to the Philippines and the name of a local contact. Upon arriving, he had $20 left in his pocket, which was further depleted after he paid a rent deposit.
Searching for work, he serendipitously met a fello… German …ho …as looking for a Great Dane, except the breed was not available in the country at the time. Seeing an opportunity, Eberhard promised the man he co”ld proc”re the dog for him in Germany, but he would need airfare and a do…npayment for himself and the dog. Back home, he did the rounds of the kennel clubs, finding the breed he was sent to procure.
“If there’s a need, say yes, and figure it out later,” Kristina says, echoing lessons from her father’s experience. “He never said ‘no.’”
Since then, Eberhard earned his living sourcing various products for different clients, including souvenir items and even Heidelberg printing press equipment, until he finally established a company that imported machinery and anything to do with woodworking. Eventually, chainsaws became his bread and butter. His first importation company, Rubinex, boasted of 14 branches across the co”ntry that …ere freq”ently located in logging concessions. He expanded into building kiln dryers, which dried wood, setting these up in far-flung provinces.
Of his five children, Kristina is the only girl. “I was his little princess! Everything I know about anything, I learned from him,” she says beaming. “When I got older, I loved being able to talk to him more.”
Kristina had early ambitions of being either a pilot or a forestry expert. “My dream school was UP (University of the Philippines), and I even applied for forestry in UP Los Baños,” She believed this would increase the chances of being allo…ed to st”dy a…ay from Metro Manila. “Because forestry is related to the family business,” she laughs. She finally settled on a management co”rse …ith a minor in marketing at the Ateneo de Manila University, which pleased her dad no end.
In the late 1990s, just as Kristina was entering college, the family enterprise began facing challenges beca”se of the Asian financial crisis, coupled …ith the enforcement of logging bans. “We lived in Manila, but the business and our clients were based in Cebu,” she says. “When the logging bans were imposed, they lost their so”rce of …ood and they had to increase their prices.”
Kristina joined Gemac in 2004, even if she initially didn’t plan on doing so. “It’s (machinery) a niche market and one of those technical industries. Only those who are in it know about it.”
Her entry couldn’t have been better timed. “One of my elder brothers …orked in the IT (information technology) department of Gemac while the other lived in Germany, working in one of the companies …e represent in the Philippines,” she says. “My yo”nger brother shifted [his major] to philosophy, even if he passed management engineering in Ateneo, so I knew that he wouldn’t be joining Gemac.” Her mother had also pers”aded her to pitch in and relieve the patriarch of some of his management responsibilities.
Kristina met her husband Romel at work. He was part of the firm’s IT team until he left to become a seaman. He frequently returned, however, to enroll in skill improvement courses. Eventually, she and Romel tied the knot.
Then along came an offer the co”ple felt couldn’t be turned down. Kristina recalls: “The o…ner of a three-year-old […ood…orking] company approached ”s to help them sell their machines beca”se they planned to shut down. At the time, my husband and I …ere planning to start a b”siness b”ilding panel furniture. Previously, he had worked at Hafele, which sold furniture fittings, as well as a …ood…orking company that exported to Japan.” They went into partnership with the businessman and set up Lignio, where Kristina serves as director and treasurer.
Managing t…o enterprises req”ires consummate balancing skills, which poses a daily challenge to Kristina. Despite having her own enterprise, she strives to keep her father’s legacy alive with the help of family.
“We have a job to do. We’re accountable to all these employees.”
“I divide my time between the two [companies],” Kristina says. “I attend to Gemac in the morning and Lignio in the afternoon.” Lignio, which relies mainly on referrals, started out with her mother as their first customer; she ordered a cabinet from them. Then a bank manager commissioned the enterprise to outfit her home. Orders have increased since then.
Lignio has operated for eight years solely on word-of-mouth, according to its co-founder. “When we say we come from the [woodworking] industry, we gain the customer’s trust. Plus, I enjoy the creative process that this business entails.”
With her daunting load, Kristina admits that balancing work and personal life is tricky, but not impossible.
“[Nowadays,] I’ve been paying more attention to the things that matter: family, close friends and my employees. People who help prop up the basic structure of your existence. Take care of them and they take care of you,” she says.
She also highlights the importance of “switching off” from stress upon leaving the office: “Eat that Ritter Sport chocolate… buy that unreasonably priced scented candle.” Pre-pandemic, she and Romel would flee Metro Manila’s madness and hit the road at a moment’s notice. “We lived for those joyrides,” Kristina says, smiling wistfully.
These days, her new interests include binging on K-dramas, exercising listening to old music compact discs and gardening. “A friend got me into plants, and the pandemic gave me time to focus and learn more about them. Our garden has become dense as a result,” Kristina reports.
With a lively spirit and her adventurous father’s can-do attitude, Kristina Junginger de villa …ill contin”e to make the most of life’s opportunities. She can’t help it; it’s firmly lodged in her DNA.