The fascinating rewards of fiberglass fabrication

"THE PRODUCTION of fiberglass is basically a matter of mathematical alteration of properties," says Engr. Efren Navarroza, owner and manager of Fibertech Phils. Inc.

Polyester resin is a type of thermosetting plastic used in the manufacture of fiberglass. With the proper combination of accelerators and catalysts, resin can be cured or hardened at room temperature or by heat. From its original liquid form, the resultant product retains a permanent configuration and cannot be "reshaped" by further application of heat or pressure.

"Methods of processing range from hand lay-up of unfilled resin and casting which cures at room temperature to high pressure (high temperature molding of filled polyester composites with up to 80 percent glass fiber reinforcements). Fiberglass was utilized due to its lightness that makes for easy mobility." Navarroza explains that fiberglass is a lot lighter than steel. Transport of materials is therefore easier.

A chemical engineering graduate, Navarroza apprenticed as a chemical designer in an engineering equipment company. He took charge of the engineering division of Central Bank, particularly the printing of bank notes. It was here where he first encountered fiberglass because the bank's gold refinery has an extensive use for the raw material.

"I found fiberglass interesting and was fascinated by its many applications," Navarroza recalls. He later took pains to acquire more knowledge about the material through extensive reading and research. But Navarroza prefers actual practice. In 1975, he got hired as a product designer by a fiberglass fabricator. He learned the ropes in only two years.

"I started with a hundred thousand pesos pooled by my six other cousins." Navarroza said it was not easy to convince his relatives to put in their money for the business. "Our target was to build a machine for the shop." But with the political instability in the mid-80's, "the project was shelved, so was my business," he laments.

Navarroza then just decided to try his luck in Saudi Arabia. But after six months of employment, when the price of oil plummeted, he returned. His love for fiberglass did not wane, so he again tried his luck in putting up his own business.

"I began fabricating tanks for household use. Sa bahay lang namin ang shop. Tanks were my bread and butter." Navarroza recalls the hardships of sourcing for prospects. "I had no one with me but my wife." He would go with her to different offices in Ayala to offer their services. " May natitisod din naman," he quips.

In 1987, he chanced upon a P25,000 project where he would need P5,000 to buy the raw materials. "I did not even have that money. And I could not produce it. Nag-Bombay kami dahil ayaw kaming pautangin sa bangko," Navarroza was quick to express his apprehension about borrowing from loan sharks. "We were required to put up collateral. But how can a starting entrepreneur like me have properties when we're just beginning to acquire them?"

Shortly after accomplishing the P25,000-project, he received a call from an Australian national who immediately handed him the 50 percent down payment for a multi-million project. "The down payment actually covered the materials, labor ... almost everything. The other half was sure profit."

Today Navarroza boasts of a track record that pales in comparison with his humble beginnings. His Fibertech presently occupies a 1,400 square meter working area with some 150 workers.

Going into business, Navarroza says, requires knowledge. It is not all gut-feel. "Learning is the only way you can perfect your craft. Here, we personally design and manufacture fiberglass - that is where the strength of my business lies. Very few fabricators were able to meet the demand because they lack the necessary formal education related to the business." Yet, Navarroza is modest enough to say that the ingredients of success have never been a big secret. "I know that everybody knows the keys to success but few actually live by them. That is, you have to be sincere in dealing with customers?they are your assets."

"And I would advise entrepreneurs not to go on high investment at the beginning. Invest when needed, only on important things," he stressed. *

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Rochelle has been working in the field of publicity, advertising and corporate publications for ten years now. When office work is light, she finds time to research about business opportunities that abound in the Philippines. You may email the author at trade@philippinestoday.net.