Technology powers success of Surigaonon distributor

Strawberry Foods Corp. owner Santiago Lim shares his sweet inspirations to achieve his goals

MANILA, Philippines -  As any entrepreneur would know, one’s humble beginnings never hindered anyone from achieving success. In fact, those who did well in business have turned around their struggles to meet their goals and aspirations.

Such was the journey of Santiago Lim, who started out as a delivery boy and is now the owner of Strawberry Foods Corp., a fast-growing distribution company. Today, he has over 300 employees distributing local and imported goods all over North and Central Manila and Lower Rizal.

Santiago Lim – Santi to his associates – grew up in Surigao where his family led a simple life. Despite being orphaned at age 14 and left to fend for himself, Santi was determined to succeed. Paying for his tuition as a Chemical Engineering student in Adamson University, he started working in the pier of Manila by delivering goods to different stores. After five years of hard work, balancing time between his job and his studies, Santi graduated with awards in Academic Excellence and Campus Leadership. 

Hard work bears fruit

He began to make his mark in the distribution industry when he landed a top position at a dairy company as head of production and supply chain. Later on, he left and began his own distribution business, Strawberry Foods Corp. Wanting to improve his finances and create jobs for others, he sacrificed a comfortable career and set on his journey to success.

From the pioneering 12 employees, he saw the business grow exponentially to employ around 340 people. Two decades in the business has taught this business owner that constant coordination among his manpower was key: “In any pursuit in life, communication is essential,” Lim says. “More importantly, if you are in the business of delivering goods to different places given a tight schedule. We need to be fast and efficient without any room for excuses.”

At the onset, he ensured constant communication with suppliers, staff members and stores is in place to establish smooth operations. This is made possible with Strawberry Foods Corp.’s Globe myBusiness Business Loop, which allows for unlimited calls and texts with his contacts inexpensively.  He can even connect with suppliers abroad by using his phone’s built-in Chat Suite, a chat app enabling him to make unlimited calls and messaging anywhere in the world at just P 100 a month.

 “Their Business Loop is very economical. Everyone in Strawberry Foods can talk more without actually paying more. I’ve been able to expand my business and we’re able to distribute major imported goods locally because I can keep in touch with contacts abroad,” Lim adds.

For a more enhanced communication experience, small and medium enterprises like Strawberry Foods can take advantage of a Globe Business Loop plan with a minimum of three lines linked within each other for as low as P394 a month, which comes with a free smartphone. The Chat Suite feature allows them to send and receive unlimited calls and texts to the same set of people within their BLoop circle. Plus, with the built-in Chat suite, they can use chat apps for unlimited messaging anywhere in the world.      

Delivering SME success

Given the various ICT offerings such as Business Loop being provided by Globe myBusiness, its head and senior vice president Martha Sazon stressed the brand’s commitment to help business owners grow: “We understand that business owners need solutions that are cost-effective, while providing them maximum results. They’re very dedicated to their businesses, and we want to help them find opportunities for growth.”

 “More than aiming to design and deliver products that help them based on their specific needs, we try our best to help them every step of the way toward the path of growth and success, as we live out our calling of being the trusted business partner of our local businessmen,” says Sazon.

With a company as large as Strawberry Foods Corp. and an increasing manpower compliment, ICT will no doubt play a major role as it scales new heights. Being a well-connected organization, it boasts of a promise of being a billion-peso revenue earner and earmarks to double its earnings by 2020. Moreover, what started out as a business with just a dozen workers was recently ranked as #48 in the Top 50 Fastest Growing SMEs by a magazine for entrepreneurs. “I haven’t found an ICT solutions provider quite like Globe myBusiness. They have worked with me like a true business partner, helping me and my company be more productive and efficient with their innovative solutions. As Strawberry Foods Corp. has now been running for 17 years, I look forward to more successes with them,” says Lim.