Primer Group’s Jimmy Thai: A commitment to excellence

MANILA, Philippines - At the 35th Agora Awards held recently, The Philippine Marketing Association recognized individuals who have successfully and consistently steered their respective companies and businesses to outstanding dominance through innovative and uniquely driven marketing initiatives. Winning this year’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award in the Large Scale category is Primer Group’s president and CEO Jimmy Thai.

“Even after three decades, our company still adheres to and is being guided by our core values: entrepreneurial spirit, passion for excellence, integrity, teamwork, and self-discipline,” begins Thai. “Knowing our strengths and weaknesses allows us to evolve in the right direction and makes the organization flexible and adaptive to the changing environment.”

The Primer Group founded its core businesses in the retail and distribution of the world’s most premium consumer goods and brands and it has since diversified into a number of business ventures, including air-conditioning and HVAC, textile printing and manufacturing, digital printing, building efficiency, energy management, security and fire safety solutions, and eco tours and hospitality management.

Aside from companies in the Philippines, the Primer Group has also opened businesses in the Asian region with partners and companies in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. 

Thai shares that passion, hunger, and drive—his so-called PHD to success—have helped him reach great heights as an entrepreneur. For him, this formula allowed him to tide through different challenges and enabled him to unlock success. “To be a successful entrepreneur, the right attitude matters,” claims Thai.

This include not giving up when times get tough. “Like any other startup business in 1989, limited resources was our first challenge. My partners and I needed to cover all aspects of the business, including a lot of manual labor. An unknown startup player from the Philippines during the ‘80s (post-Marcos era) would definitely find it hard to convince global partners to work with them,” Thai recalls. Looking back at his mistakes, he could only appreciate how obstacles molded him and his partners to be resilient and to keep on pushing forward.

“We were able to overcome these challenges through perseverance, solid teamwork, and by building a good track record and relationship with our early brand principals. Most of the brands we have started with is still with us today, and together we have grown the business and have built a foundation of lasting relationship,” he says.

According to Thai, the Philippines is a consumer-driven economy and Filipinos have a high tendency to shop. “The continuous proliferation of malls, which began in the ‘80s, has embedded a culture of shopping among us. Especially now that we are globally connected via the Internet, we have more access to branded lifestyle and culture from around the world. Today, the Philippine middle class is also growing fast and with more young people in the population, the future of branded retailing is promising.”

Through the years, innovation has secured Primer Group’s spot among the top players in its industry. The company is best known for being a pioneer in creating unique retail concepts such as The Travel Club (a full-fledged travel store that is the first of its kind in the industry) and lifestyle concept stores like Bratpack, R.O.X., Res|Toe|Run, and more.

Knowing and understanding the constantly changing needs and wants of the market is fundamental to Primer Group’s growth. “We live and breathe trends so we must always be one step ahead to stay true to our mission of bringing the world closer to our customers. We consistently invest in the growth drivers of our organisation: People, Process, and Technology,” explains Thai.

For him, an entrepreneur should always be in pursuit of innovation as he is expected to bring new value to his customers. “But innovation always comes with a risk,” he warns. “An entrepreneur can only manage and mitigate risk, but he must know that there is such a thing as getting reward without risk. Always be mindful that there is a thin boundary between risk taking and gambling.”

Even with all his achievements and accolades, Thai believes that more than financial gains and stability, a business should thrive on a purpose. Primer Group’s advocacy arm, C.O.R.E. or Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition, aims to awaken and convert the masses to embrace the immediate and longstanding need to support environmental conservation, ecotourism, and community development.