MANILA, Philippines - Engineer Ben Monteiro knows the value of hard work. When he started his business 20 years ago, he put in all efforts to ensure that this endeavor would succeed. After all, he built it to augment his income so he could provide a better life for his family.
He established Levinson Construction Corp. in May 1998, and worked on civil work projects for power and telecommunications companies. On its 10th year in the business, Levinson embarked on expansion and was renamed LB Levinson Brothers Inc.
Today, Monteiro is reaping the fruits of his hard work and dedication—it’s even sweeter now because he gets to enjoy it with his sons Jetrho, the president of the company, and Benson, its vice president. LB Levinson Brothers Inc., the company he built from the ground up, is now one of the most trusted partners in the telecommunications industry. Another reason for celebration: they are one of the most successful franchisees of Generika Drugstores.
“Central to our business philosophy is a set of core values that keeps Levinson Brothers grounded amid its continuing success. We hold a premium on maintaining a God-centered and family-centered organization, striving to constantly gain the customer’s trust, upholding excellence in all our works, constantly innovating in our businesses, and embracing each employee’s personal successes as the foundation of the company’s success,” asserts Monteiro.
Through the years, Monteiro’s company has grown slowly but steadily, thanks to his solid resolve to face any challenge. Through ups and downs, opportunities and adversities (including the recession in 2008), he never considered quitting. Resourceful, patient, and innovative, he established partnerships with trusted utility companies in the industry to become one of their key service providers.
LB Levinson Brothers Inc. has become a reliable force behind the scenes – installing, repairing, and maintaining the systems and equipment that form the backbone of its clients’ businesses. Among the prestigious clients they’ve worked with are Globe Telecom, PLDT, Eastern Telecom, Miescor, Huawei Technology, Fibr Homes, and other smaller, but no less significant, industry players.
LB Levinson Brothers Inc.’s quality service did not go unnoticed. In fact, Globe Telecom has recognized them a number of times, including “Luzon Best SLI Contractor for the 1st Quarter of 2011”, “Plant Maintenance & Services Contractor of the Year 2013”, “Excellence in Quality of Installation & Repair for the 3rd Quarter 2012,” “Excellence in Quality of Installation & Repair for the 4th Quarter 2012,” and “Outside Plant Maintenance & Services Contractor of the Year 2012,” among many others.
When the company decided to expand its range of services in 2008, Monteiro and his sons explored the possibility of getting into the pharmaceutical business. “I observed that the market was underdeveloped at the time. The current supply of medicine in the market could not answer the huge demand of the poor Filipinos who are unable to purchase affordable but quality medicine,” said Monteiro.
Hence, they decided to get a franchise of Generika Drugstore. From their first outlet in Santa Maria in Bulacan, LB Levinson Brothers Inc. now operates 16 Generika branches all over Luzon. In recognition of their consistent high-generic medicine sales achievements, 11 Levinson-owned stores have been included in Generika’s Top 100 Stores nationwide. Two of their stores – the Santa Maria, Bulacan and Angono, Rizal branches – even made it to the Top 10.
As LB Levinson Brothers Inc. celebrates two decades of vital partnerships, Monteiro looks back with much pride of his entrepreneurial journey and looks forward with much anticipation to more fruitful years. “The future is always bright and opportunities in various fields always beckon. As a team, we will be ready to face all these challenges because we firmly believe that everyone has been imbued with Levinson’s culture of excellence. We look forward to the coming years with pride and confidence. We’re ready to take on more challenges and opportunities.”