By Rizal Raoul Reyes
IN challenging times, somebody can find an opportunity at the other end. This was the case of Wilkonstruct Corp. (formerly known as Cuison Builders) when the Cuison family went into the construction business after Pangasinan was hit by a major earthquake in 1991.
After working as an architect in several countries until 1990, the Cuison patriarch decided to open a construction company, according to Wilkonstruct General Manager Bryant William Cuison. “My father saw vast reconstruction opportunities in the northern Luzon right after the 1990 tremor,” Cuison said.
Cuison Builders was later incorporated into Wilkonstruct, which is engaged in general construction services like design and build, and project management. Its team of construction professionals has helped the family-owned enterprise grow into a reliable, fast and cost-efficient company.
Cuison said the timing to enter the construction industry was perfect for them because building activities are still on a high.
“We started the business when the construction industry is in an upswing and still is booming. Residential condominiums are being put up almost in every corner of the city. Malls are still expanding, in fact, mall owners said they are still on expansion mode. There is a huge potential on the business of fit out and finishing works,” he said.
Some of their projects are a residential condominium in Ayala Hillside, a business-process outsourcing office in Ortigas and a pre-school in Mandaluyong City. Other projects include the Splash Corp. office, HBC Direct Sales office, California Pizza Kitchen, Café Benê (SM Clark) and CD-R King (Puregold, Pasig).
To ensure a smooth transition on the leadership from the first generation to the second generation, Cuison and his younger brother Patrick were given preparations.
Unlike Patrick, who chose to work in the family business after graduation, Bryant joined SM Malls after graduating from De La Salle University and stayed there for three years. He then moved to Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) until 2014. “I gained valuable exposure working with these two property heavyweights,” Cuison noted. He also took a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from the Asian Institute of Management.
In 2014 Cuison was asked by his father to join the business because he wanted to lighten his work load. “My father asked me to take over the business because he wanted to get more time to relax. Together with my brother, we took over the business,” Cuison said.
Cuison cited his corporate experience as a big help in running the company, especially in the project management department of ALI, where he learned a lot on condominium development.
Nevertheless, he said his father always asks him on the updates of the business during Sundays over lunch. “He always keeps on repeating the tips he has given me when I took over the company,” Cuison noted.
Cuison described the first years of running the business as difficult. He didn’t have a technical background. Gradually, he learned the important aspects of the business, such as costing. “I was required to have a faster learning curve because it was necessary,” Cuison said.
Aside from applying a high degree of professionalism, Cuison said Wilkonstruct applies very sound business practices, such as managing costs, efficiently to remain competitive. “Keeping our employees happy is also important. We’ve improved our employee engagement through implementation of some programs that foster and promote camaraderie and employee satisfaction. We’ve decreased employee turnover from 16 percent to just 3 percent this year,” Cuison said.
“Most important, we keep our customers happy. We take pride that we get a lot of repeat business. Because of improved efficiency and productivity in our projects, customers keep coming back,” he added.