Philippine Daily Inquirer

EXPERTS STEER COMPANY TO HIGHER GROUND

- By AmyR. Remo @amyremoINQ

It takes a certain kind of prowess and competence for a firm to carve a niche and raise the bar high in its industry. Beyond the usual boardroom game plan, companies should also be as dynamic as their industry while executives must be quick to rethink their strategies in light of the ever changing trends and demands of the markets they serve. Those at the helm must be keen to learn and to listen to the market well so as to better address their needs. In a nutshell, firms must find new ways to be more responsive to the changing preference­s of the market.

Crucial mindset

In a field as dynamic and complex as real estate, having such a mindset has proven to be a clear advantage.

And it’s the same mindset that has given Torre Lorenzo Developmen­t Corp. (TLDC) a leg up, as seen in the way it has successful­ly carved a niche, initially as a developer of premium university residences.

“The company is deliberate in planning, strategizi­ng and decision-making. We continue to listen to our homeowners and our investors to ensure that our offerings raise their lifestyles and respond to their needs. Some are on the lookout for safe and secure spaces to live in; others are looking for investment vehicles to add to their portfolios that can bring in recurring income. Our properties offer both,” explained TLDC CEO Tomas P. Lorenzo.

“We have the privilege of building strong, solid and longlastin­g relationsh­ips within the communitie­s we serve. This feeds into our natural intuition for what is needed to better enhance the lives of our residents and guests,” Lorenzo added.

Currently, Torre Lorenzo’s portfolio is comprised of university residences, premium residences, premium lifestyle developmen­ts and townships which include, among others, 1Torre Lorenzo; 2Torre Lonrezo; 3Torre Lorenzo; Torre Lorenzo Central; Torre Lorenzo Loyola; Torre Lorenzo Malate; Dusit Princess Lipa; Dusit Thani Residence Davao; DusitD2 Davao; Ciudades; and Dusit Thani Lubi Plantation Resort.

“While we began with student-targeted university high rises which are hugely successful, we have since applied our vision of ‘elevating lifestyle solutions today for tomorrow’s communitie­s’ to mixed use developmen­ts and masterplan­ned communitie­s beyond Metro Manila,” Lorenzo added.

Competitiv­e edge

There are several factors that give TLDC its competitiv­e edge, one of which is its keenness to listen to the market.

What further allowed the people behind TLDC to become experts in their field is the fact that they continuous­ly monitor market movements and trends, which would allow them to identify the gaps and anticipate future needs of the market.

“We’re small enough to move quickly, but large enough to enable us to turn-around projects in a very short period of time,” said TLDC chief finance officer Emmanuel Rapadas.

Another benefit of being relatively small is that it is easier to transfer the mindset of being attentive to detail and serviceori­ented to the employees. It helps, of course, that the top executives are very hands on.

Culture of excellence

This has helped create a culture of passion and excellence at TLDC. Here, everyone is willing to get their hands dirty in terms of doing the dayto-day work despite their positions, because these are the values that the ranking executives want to imbibe in their employees—hard work and a drive for excellence.

At TLDC, employees are hired not just to be employees. Rather, they are seen to be part of the team that can fulfill the overall vision of TLDC. That’s because for Lorenzo, knowledge transfer will be the key to the company’s continued success.

“As we develop more projects, I will not be able to visit every site as I used to. But training the right people will help ensure that all the projects run smoothly,” Lorenzo concluded.

 ??  ?? From left: TLDC CFO Emmanuel Rapadas, COO Lalaine L. Regino, and CEO Tomas Lorenzo
From left: TLDC CFO Emmanuel Rapadas, COO Lalaine L. Regino, and CEO Tomas Lorenzo

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines