How a 'business card' refreshed this cola dealer and her hometown

n 1996, Flor Valdepeas, then working as an Area Sales Manager for one of the country's leading food
and beverage conglomerates, attended a company meeting. n that conference, someone delivered a talk
on the rudiments of the bottling industry. The speech, she recalled, was so well-defined that Valdepeas
sought to find a way to talk to the speaker and asked for his business card. He did and the two went on
their separate ways. Little did she know that the small piece of paper would eventually be the tonic that
would save her business in the years to come.
After her retirement, Valdepeas helped her son in his soft drink dealership business. Yes, she admitted,
the speech motivated them to embark in the soft drink dealership industry. "f not for that speech, would
never have understood how the bottling business works. That talk opened my world to the nitty-gritty of
soft drink dealership, how one could start becoming a dealer, the pros and cons. t was delivered in such
a way that all details were hashed out, she said. Emboldened by the financial potential of soft drink
dealership, the Valdepeas family invested their life savings and poured out everything to become soft
drink dealers. They started with one truck and soon were able to expand with several vehicles and two
warehouses. Just as their business had started to recoup their investment, their goods' manufacturer was
sold to another firm and then to another multinational. Two years into the new partnership, Valdepeas
was struck with what she termed as unjust corporate rubrics.
"t was starting to become a nightmare, she shuddered at the memory. With her funds dwindling and her
confidence waning, Valdepeas remembered how she got into the dealership business in the first place.
Unearthing the yellowed calling card, she sought ways to get in touch with the name on the card. She
remembered an old business associate, Jun Santos and contacted him. " was desperate. was no longer
happy and not grossing at all, she said. From their conversation, she found that the speaker was now
part of a new corporation that was also into bottling world- Gerry T. Garcia, now the executive vice
president and chief operating officer of Asiawide Refreshments Corporation (ARC), the licensed
manufacturer and distributor of RC Cola products in the Philippines.
From guig , Cagayan where Valdepeas and her business are located, she travelled to Manila to set up
an appointment with Mr. Garcia. "From our first meeting, knew things were about to change. Never had
encountered a business executive that was so accommodating. Asiawide Refreshments Corporation
was then young firm battling the big brands of the soft drink industry. A few years after the relaunch of RC
Cola products in the country, the cola had started to build brand preference, gaining followers with its
good taste and value. The warm embrace by Filipino cola drinkers was enough to dub RC Cola "ang
cola ng bayan. While RC Cola was already experiencing leaps of growth in parts of the country, the
company felt that it was not yet ready to pursue the northern tip of Luzon, Cagayan Valley where
Valdepeas and her 8 Ball Enterprises was located. But the entrepreneurial spirit in Valdepeas was
determined.
" knew was in good hands and the product would not have succeeded in Manila if it did not taste good,
she said. She ended ties with her cola's manufacturer and signed with ARC. Her beginnings proved to be
daunting, not only did she have to deal with ruthless marketing ploys by competitors but she also had put
up with the long travel. ARC did not have any bottling plant near the area so Valdepeas and her crew
had to travel to Pampanga where the nearest ARC plant was in order to get RC Cola products.
"magine, we had to allocate 3 days to get our products but we were resolute to make it work. We wanted
to show our consumers how great of a product RC Cola drinks are. Through prayers and hard work, we
were able to penetrate the market with RC Cola products. What made us survive was our trust in each
other, Valdepeas stated. ARC, she said, is a great business partner.
"magine, during the worst times, was in constant communication with Sir Gerry and ARC management
but they never waver in their support. Whenever had an issue, could contact them anytime. think
was texting Sir Gerry in the wee hours of the night and he would respond! she mused.
The management's strong support is something that Valdepeas did not experience in her old bottling
manufacturer.
"t really makes a different to have a business partner who treats your like partner. n my two years with
ARC, we really feel that. They really put premium on values and relationship and as a business owner
that is something that highly regard. There have been offers for us to sell other products but turned
them down. While ARC does not enforce product exclusivity, we really want to focus on RC Cola
products. t's our way of showing our gratitude to the management for helping us turn around our
business. That is our family's commitment to RC Cola. Valdepaas said.
There is really no slowing down Valdepaas and her 8 Balls Enterprise. To further propel the growth of
RC Cola in the region, ARC has recently opened a new plant in nearby Cauayan, sabela. The new plant
will not only help Valdepeas get more RC Cola products to her customers but will also bring in jobs to
people living in the region.
Who knew that a business card could go this far?