Ben Chan – Bench Apparels (Bench)
Ben Chan
Ben Chan
Ben Chan is a prominent Chinese-Filipino entrepreneur who is the founder of the Philippines’ largest clothing chain, Bench, under the trademark Suyen Corporation. With his world class fashion style and hardworking ethic, he has expanded the Philippine clothing chain into international markets including China, the land of his forefathers. He is dubbed as one of the most prominent people in the country as mentioned in the Philippine Tatler’s list of Who’s Who of the Philippines.
Ben comes from a very dynamic family of serial entrepreneurs. He is the son of Chan Lib, a Chinese immigrant. Together with his wife See Ying, Chan Lib established Liwayway Marketing Company, which soon became the country’s leading starch supplier due to its famous flagship product Liwayway Gawgaw (laundry starch). It primarily specialized in repacking of flour and coffee products.
In 1966, the business was converted into a corporation, as it expanded into the distribution of pomade, candles, candies and sauces. By 1974, under the second generation management headed by Ben Chan’s brother Manuel Chan, LMC diversified into the manufacturing of snack foods such as “Oishi Prawn Crackers” and “Kirei Yummy Flakes.” Ben’s brother Carlos Chan founded Liwayway (China) Company, Limited which has become a salty snack powerhouse in mainland China.
Ben was schooled in Manila, but moved to San Francisco for an interior design course. It was there where he immersed himself in design and art. Upon his return from the US, he established Dimensione, a modern furniture store and Finale, an art gallery. In 1987 he started a small T-shirt shop in Manila’s SM department store. His t-shirts were known for its affordable prices and distinctive style. It would eventually become the beginnings of Bench, the fashion clothing line, under the family owned Suyen Corporation.
In 1994 Bench opened its first fashion store outside the Philipines in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, soon followed by its first in Shanghai, China. A store soon followed the following year in Kuwait. In 1997 Bench pioneered the first underwear show in the Philippines. In 2002 the show would set a record by attracting 25,000 to its Underwear Show.
By 2007, on its 20th anniversary, Bench had established stores in Eaglerock, Los Angeles, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Guangzhou, Xian, and Dubai, on its road to global retailing. China remains its primary focus with more than 27 company stores and 19 franchises.
Recently Mr Chan has dabbled in philanthropy, establishing the Wear Your Conscience Projet with Photobook for the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation.
Alfredo M. Yao – Zest-O Corp. (Zest-O)
Mr. Yao is also Director of Export & Industry Bank. The Chairman acquired an engineering background at Mapua Institute of Technology, and has had entrepreneurial and business management exposure since 1960.
Roberto R. Gandionco – Julie’s Franchise Corp.
Before joining the family’s bakery business in 1985, Mr. Roberto Gandionco spent ten years as a marketing and sales professional with Union Carbide Philippines. His experience in preparing business plans and market studies for Union Carbide helped him think like an entrepreneur. When the time came for him to help expand their mom-and-pop operation, he was more than ready to assume the responsibility.
Julie’s Bakeshop first delighted Cebuano consumers with their tasty and affordable products in 1981. His mother, Julia “Julie” Gandionco, set up the bakeshop to supply her canteen concessionaire business. Seeing how she was profiting more from the bakeshop than the canteens, Mrs. Gandionco opened a branch near Aznar Coliseum.
When her son, Roberto, joined the business, the family already owned and operated 10 independent branches. Mr. Gandionco focused on how the family could support more branches by streamlining the business and centralizing purchases. He then established the training, marketing, and construction departments. To provide consistent quality products Mr. Gandionco decided to standardize the bakeshop’s recipes. When financing became an issue, the family created a sinking fund which would support bakery-wide projects.
By 1987, Julie’s Bakeshop had 27 branches in Cebu. Franchising to third parties began that year. They also opened a store in Iloilo, their first outside of Cebu. The chain expanded in Visayas and Mindanao, reaching Misamis, Davao, Butuan, and Leyte. By the mid-1990s, Julie’s Bakeshop opened its first store in Metro Manila. With stiff competition in Cebu, the Gandioncos offered full franchising support to its franchisees by establishing Julie’s Franchise Corporation, its franchising company, in 1997.
Julie’s Bakeshop now claims to be the largest neighborhood bakery chain in the country with almost 500 outlets nationwide (120 branches in Manila and 230 all over Luzon). The company has its own fully operational testing facility which churns out 250 varieties of baked products. The company’s ultimate vision is to have a Julie’s Bakeshop in every town. It is targeting 250 new outlets in 2006.
Under Mr. Gandionco’s leadership, the store received the 2004 Agora Award for Large-Scale Entrepreneurship and the 2004 Franchise Excellence Awards Special Citation for Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Gandionco was one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Entrepreneur 10” in 2003.
