My apologies to the regular readers of my column in the BusinessMirror for discussing a topic outside of my series on The Antidote to Smuggling, which I am supposed to discuss the second part of it for my next regular column. But this is a special column feature about Columbia International Food Products Inc. (Columbia), a local confectionery company that has been much a part of Philippine history, as it celebrates its 80th anniversary today.
Founded in 1937 by Don Go Peng Kuan, Columbia provided the tinge of sweet flavor to the bitter lives of Filipinos during the country’s war and early post-war years with its yummy chocolates, candies and other snack items, even as it continues to pursue its mission today to modernize and use state-of-the-art equipment in the production of its affordable and world-class quality treats for the local market.
For almost 80 years, the strong relationships, cooperation and discipline within the family-owned corporation enabled Columbia to withstand the challenges of time. Since its establishment in 1937 by Columbia patriarch Don Go Peng Kuan, top management of the company remains within the family with Reynaldo Go, a son of Columbia patriarch Don Go, sitting as its current president. This only shows the cohesive family and business relations among the Go family.
Where we have seen many big family-owned companies turn divided and broken down into several smaller companies after the death of the company patriarch or management had been turned over to the children, Columbia remains strong and a dominant family-owned company in the country’s confectionery industry. As the Indian author Ashwin Sanghi says about family-owned businesses, “What I have found is that, in a family business structure, sometimes what is needed is a sense of discipline rather than creativity. You have to take everyone’s ideas and make it work. When you are dealing with money, there is a limitation on how creative you can be.”
The corporate values of Columbia on discipline and respect are, indeed, very much influenced by the values imbibed by Columbia patriarch Don Go when he organized the company in 1937. And these are the same values that drove Columbia to where it is now in the country’s confectionery industry. Already, Columbia is among the country’s top confectionery companies that rolls out a variety of over 100 products, all meticulously created to meet global standards.
The Philippine confectionery market
The country’s confectionery market is projected to be bullish over the next five years. Leading the gainers in the industry would be the sweetened beverages, chocolate candies and gums.
Although the entry of imported chocolates and other sweetened products have eaten up part of the local confectionery market, sweet and good-tasting locally manufactured chocolates and candies that are made of locally produced cocoa, making them cheaper from the imported ones, have helped in creating a bullish market for locally produced confectionery products.
The Filipinos’ insatiable appetite for sweet products like chocolate, beverages and crackers have kept local confectionery companies like Columbia afloat even during the world and Asian financial crisis. After all, children will always buy chocolates and candies, and beverages and crackers would always be affordable, sweet and cheaper snacks for those with limited budget. Moreover, the shift in the country’s buying trends for confectionery products when more consumers are now buying chocolates and candies for gifts and giveaway have added to the country’s bullish market for confectionery products.
And this is where Columbia International Food Products Inc., is of most help to the Filipino market with its world-class, sweet and affordable chocolates, candies and beverages, among others.
Thus, as Columbia celebrates its 80th anniversary, it is with great honor that I offer this toast for Columbia’s 80 years of success in sweetening the lives of Filipinos, even during the country’s most bitter years.
Cheers!!!!