THE massive infrastructure build-up across the country is supporting the growth of the logistics sector.
With roads being fixed, airports and seaports being improved and expanded, bridges being built and mass transportation being constructed, goods whether perishable or not get transported and delivered seamlessly, efficiently and on time.
“Well of course, if there are natural or man-made calamities, there would be slight delays but infrastructure plays a critical role in the growth of logistics,” said Efren Uy, founder and chief executive officer of F2 Logistics Philippines Inc.
Although Uy admitted that the country’s chronic traffic congestion can’t be solved overnight, he is pinning his hope on the infrastructure build-up across the country, with its positive impact expected to be felt sooner by the masses and industries.
Meanwhile, Uy said F2 Logistics will continue to upgrade and invest in modern technologies so they can continue to satisfy the ever-evolving demands of their clients.
Two of the company’s key accounts are the pharmaceutical and fast-food chain businesses, which both demand on-time deliveries and less inventory.
“We don’t fight traffic on the road,” said Uy, noting that delivering during peak hours but being stuck on the road would mean money lost and could lead to a domino effect in business operations. Uy said what they do is they deliver goods during non-peak hours to midnight upon the consent of their clients. They also consolidate deliveries to save money and time.
“It’s quite challenging to serve a market like the Philippines because we are an archipelago. You’ve got to have a strong and solid base positioned in key islands and efficient people to get the goods moving,” he said.
Midterm elections
Aside from transporting wet and dry goods efficiently, the company also played a critical role in the success of the recent midterm elections in May 2019. F2 Logistics won the bid as the logistics partner of the Commission on Elections in delivery and retrieval of all election-related resources in all areas of the country.
Uy recalled that the toughest area they served was the tip most part of Mindanao, particularly in the islands of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. He said his employees went through various modes of sea transport, from ferry to barge and small boats, and endured the long travel time and the strong waves just to reach far-flung island municipalities on time.
“But our work didn’t end there. Because after the delivery, we had to retrieve the election paraphernalia,” said Uy. “Despite the challenges, our biggest fulfillment was that we had a successful midterm elections,” he said.
Business empire
F2 Logistics has been in the industry for 13 years.
Uy’s passion, dedication and hard work in growing the business earned him this year’s Grand Chamber Awards of Distinction, one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
Uy joined the roster of CCCI’s past awardees in this category, namely Lucio Tan, Andrew Gotianun, John Gokongwei, Ambassador Frank Benedicto, Henry Sy, Erramon Aboitiz and Dr. Norberto Quisumbing.
Uy was born and raised in Cebu. He grew up in an entrepreneurial family who was engaged in the business of trading, among others.
He graduated in the Unversity of San Carlos and took postgraduate studies at the De La Salle Univeristy and Stanford University.
Uy worked with the Aboitiz Group for 17 years. He left Cebu in 1988 and relocated to Manila. When the Aboitiz Group sold its logistics shares, Uy put up his own company F2 Logistics in 2006.
Humble beginnings
He started with three or four units and subcontracted the other requirements. Uy also manages more than 20 diversified companies under the F2 Group of Companies, the parent company of F2 Logistics Philippines Inc., F2 Global Logistics Inc., F8 Prime Transport Services Inc., Fmoves Inc., Ultimate Yellow Transport Services Inc., FTrans Transport Corp., Fit Beyond Inc. and Agrifarms Inc. He is also the chairman of Miren Holdings Inc.
F2 Logistics now has branches across the Philippines and Asia.
Back then, Uy asked himself what could be the best business he could get into that would make use of what he learned while in the corporate world.
“I asked myself, ‘What line of business will sustain even through hard times?’ That was when I realized the importance of logistics. People will continue to eat, drink their medicine, build houses, buy clothing and many more. It is all about logistics. Everyone will continue to transport everything by all means possible, whether it be air, land or sea. The growing trend now is e-commerce, in other words, last-mile delivery. F2 Logistics’ goal is to provide the best service possible to serve the Filipino people wherever they are,” he said.
Uy’s vision for the F2 Group is “to stay aggressive and always improve as a company, venturing to more projects, opening up new businesses and continue growing exponentially in the years to come.”
“The quest for excellence never stops. We will never stop improving ourselves, our infrastructure, our service, our operations and our company,” he said. (KOC)