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communicate to our stockholders, our
family owners, management and employees
is that we will reward those who are
performing, who reach their targets. We have
annual evaluations and the best performing
staff can get performance bonuses. That is an
important part of what we’re trying to do.”
The company remains a family-owned
concern, and Ferdinand says its focus on the
bigger picture has been one of the drivers
of its ongoing success. “It is run by some
representatives of each family, who are
extremely capable, and it’s run in a very
professional way. It’s very corporate in nature.
I’m so lucky and appreciative that everyone
in the family helps the business. They
approach every decision by asking, ‘What’s
best for the company?’ I think that is key,
because we are able to focus on not just
what is good for ourselves but what is good
for the company. In the end, what is good
for the company is good for ourselves.”
Considering the future of retail for home
owners and builders, Ferdinand says it is not
a sunset industry, but that it may be already
peaking, with customers having long
come around to its all-under-one-
roof model. In fact, the success of its
platform has seen it emulated by
competitors. “There are now more
stores in the provinces, though, trying
to operate the same platform as us.
The difference is they don’t have our
scale or the same variety of products
to provide to customers.”
In addition to the rise of close
competitors, Ferdinand says that
rising real estate values across
the fast-developing regions
of the Philippines will present its
own challenge. “When
we started the first store, we
never imagined that we would
have to keep expanding to
different areas,” he says.
“We want to continue
to support our customers by
expanding the right areas. The cost
of land may be a limitation on
expansion, but we are confident
that our retail platform is a
winning concept when it comes to providing
convenience to the customers.”
Ferdinand says CW Home Depot has
a feedback mechanism in all its stores and is
committed to addressing every complaint it
receives. “Even very small concerns, we will
use them as a learning curve of the things
we need to improve on. We are trying to
implement best practice across all our stores
to achieve a culture of excellence.”
Beyond using feedback to refine its
offerings, Ferdinand reaffirms that customers are
placed at the very heart of CW Home Depot’s
operations. “We often remind our employees
that it is not actually us paying their salary, but
the customers. So we say, ‘Please take care of
the customer, and then you’ll be taken care of
by the customer.’ That’s one thing we believe
in, the culture we’re providing.”
Ferdinand defines his leadership style as
“firm, fair and flexible”. He might give
more leeway to a successful middle manager
by, for instance, giving them scope to run
their own department how they see fit, as long
as they meet certain criteria and conditions.