Growing the business ‘slowly but surely’
Alfredo Relucio had an early exposure to business when his father was doing foundry works in Novaliches, Quezon City back then.
Little did he know, he would also be establishing his own foundry business when he and his wife moved to Cebu in the late 80s.
Having seen his father’s body of work was one significant push that led to the creation of his own business, the 57-year-old entrepreneur shared in an interview with The FREEMAN.
In 1989, with sufficient knowledge and experience from his past stints, Alfred established the Cebu Iron Foundry Corp (CIFCO) in Talisay City, Cebu.
Though originally from Luzon, not wanting to compete with his father’s market ushered his decision to base his foundry business in Cebu.
Taking the huge risk of moving away from his comfort zone in Manila, with a small network, limited work space, limited equipment and machinery and only 12 personnel with no experience in the foundry business, it was a tough start for Alfred.
This was one of the first obstacles that he had to face because he had to teach his personnel the process before they could fully operate.
But he was persistent.
The initial work area in Talisay was limited to only 100 square meters with limited equipment and machinery. They only had a cupola furnace, one lathe machine and one jolt-squeeze molding machine which was restored from a junk shop.
Being new to Cebu then, Alfred had limited contacts and had to build his relationships with customers.
The company started with only three customers with pulley as the only product.
Alfred only had a small pick-up, which he used to pick up scrap by himself in the morning and do product deliveries in the afternoon.
The initial phase of his business operation was tough due to limited funds, which is why he had to think of ways where they can make their own machines like the mixer to be used for their sand.
But with Alfred’s penchant for continuous learning, he is always searching for new knowledge and innovative solutions.
During the first three years of operation, growth was limited due to the lack of funds and no bank was willing to give his enterprise a loan.
Fortunately in 1996, CIFCO was able to purchase new machines from Taiwan that were paid over a period of six months.
In the year 2000, CIFCO was able to secure a lot and build its current facility in Tayud, Liloan. He believes that growth, slowly but surely, is what led the company to where it is today. He was always prudent in his investments in new machines and did not rush into any major decisions.
And Alfred continues this philosophy until today as it transitions to improved foundry equipment.
The major changes include the shift from the use of a cupola furnace, which used coal as the heat source, to a much more efficient and environmentally-friendly induction furnace that uses electricity and provides less emission.
In addition, the company was recently able to purchase an automatic molding machine, which greatly increased its production capability and improved product quality.
These are coupled with a conscious effort to preserve the environment, as numerous dust collectors have also been installed in an effort to lessen emissions and keep the surrounding air clean.
As the company continues to grow, the foundry business owner believes it is important to stay grounded and never forget those who helped him along the way.
He always gives importance to his interactions with the company’s sales agents, customers, suppliers and employees. For Alfred, trust with his customers is gold. Building relationships with them is key.
"I value building trust with people especially my customers," he said.
Looking forward, the company continues to delve deeper into research and development to improve the quality of existing products, as well come up with new innovative products.
This includes staying up to date with new trends in the industry, together with integrating technology into the manufacturing process. With the advent of computer-aided design and the continued integration of technology into foundry equipment, the company aims to utilize these tools to ensure the highest quality service and products for its customers.
His quest for the new in the foundry industry led him to become a member of the Philippine delegation to Japan, and to take up trainings at the Asian Productivity Organization and the Environment Management with Public and Private Sector Ownership of the Philippines. He also became a pollution control officer.
It is this trait that enabled the expansion of his business through the acquisition of new machines, transfer to a bigger and better facility where it is today.
From v-pulleys, he has successfully diversified products such as parts of waterworks applications, manholes and other custom metal-casting requirements.
With foundry in the family’s blood, Alfred had pursued a degree in Mechanical Technology major in Production Engineering at Don Bosco Technical College, and trained at Union Glass in 1982, Motor Industrial Development in 1983, and Progress Foundry Industries in 1983, as a student.