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Saturday, August 13, 2005
Cebu-grown steel company continues expansion
By Aurelia l. Castro
Sun.Star Correspondent
After more than 30 years catering to the needs of the construction industry, Cebu-grown Worldwide Steel Group of Companies continues to expand and maintain its presence in the market.
“My parents started with a hardware and electrical supply store sometime in 1970s. We were the distributor of National Steel Corp.,” Ann Marjorie Ong, sales manager and one of the owners of the Worldwide Steel Group of Companies, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
National Steel Corp., however, stopped its operation in the 1980s. But with the high demand for steel in the local market, the hardware and electrical store then evolved and became the Worldwide Steel Corporation, with Visayas and Mindanao as its target market.
In 2000, Cebu Diamond Manufacturing Corp., a company that produces nail, was also founded, followed by Worldwide Interiors, which sells local and imported finishing materials like tiles, faucets, plumbing fixtures, kitchen accessories, heaters, shower enclosures, bathroom fixtures, adhesives and mirrors.
Both are owned and managed by Worldwide Steel Group of Companies.
“We focus on the construction industry and we have no plans of venturing into something else, like food, because it would mean we have to start all over again. Focusing on one market makes us more effective because we deal with the same people and we know their needs,” Ong said.
Aside from a manufacturing area and factory outlet in Mandaue and branches in N. Bacalso Ave. and in Lahug in Cebu City, Worldwide Steel Group of Companies also has more than 100 distributors in the Visayas and Mindanao.
While her two brothers are in charge of the production and sale of steel, Ong and her sisters manage Worldwide Interiors.
“Having this business run by us (family members) is an advantage because we care about it because it’s ours. Conflicts happen because we have different ideas but we talk about it and decide on what is good,” Ong said.
The most common problem they have encountered is the unpredictable price increase of products. “But it hurts more our contractors and consumers because they are the end-users,” she added.
Problems
“What affects us most is when economy is not good. People would definitely prioritize food than building or repairing their houses. We are also affected by every opening of the school year. Most parents save their money for their children’s school fees and other expenses,” Ong said.
On the other hand, she said they also benefit and have good sales when government and private construction projects abound, usually during the first quarter of the year when it’s not rainy season yet.
For its market in Worldwide Interiors, Ong said their showrooms would serve as venues to educate and help their clients with their needs. “We help them find the materials (like tiles) they need that would fit in their budget,” she said.
While locally made tiles are now competitive when it comes to quality, Ong said many buyers would still prefer imported ones.
(August 13, 2005 issue)
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